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Leviticus 9:7-10:20

⁷Moses then said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and make your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement on behalf of yourself and on behalf of the people;^[a] and also make the people’s offering and make atonement on behalf of them just as the Lord has commanded.”

The Sin Offering for the Priests

⁸So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the sin offering calf which was for himself. ⁹Then Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. ¹⁰The fat and the kidneys and the protruding lobe of^[b] the liver from the sin offering he offered up in smoke on the altar just as the Lord had commanded Moses, ¹¹but the flesh and the hide he completely burned up^[c] outside the camp.^[d]

The Burnt Offering for the Priests

¹²He then slaughtered the burnt offering, and his sons^[e] handed^[f] the blood to him and he splashed^[g] it against the altar’s sides. ¹³The burnt offering itself they handed^[h] to him by its parts, including the head,^[i] and he offered them up in smoke on the altar, ¹⁴and he washed the entrails and the legs and offered them up in smoke on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

The Offerings for the People

¹⁵Then he presented the people’s offering. He took the sin offering male goat which was for the people, slaughtered it, and performed a purification rite with it^[j] like the first one.^[k] ¹⁶He then presented the burnt offering, and did it according to the standard regulation.^[l] ¹⁷Next he presented the grain offering, filled his hand with some of it, and offered it up in smoke on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.^[m] ¹⁸Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram—the peace-offering sacrifices which were for the people—and Aaron’s sons handed^[n] the blood to him and he splashed it against the altar’s sides. ¹⁹As for the fat parts from the ox and from the ram^[o] (the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails,^[p] the kidneys, and the protruding lobe of the liver), ²⁰they^[q] set those on the breasts and he offered the fat parts up in smoke on the altar. ²¹Finally Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord just as Moses had commanded.

²²Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them and descended from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. ²³Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. ²⁴Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord^[r] and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar, and all the people saw it, so they shouted loudly and fell down with their faces to the ground.^[s]

Nadab and Abihu

10 Then^[t] Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan and put fire in it, set incense on it, and presented strange fire^[u] before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do. ²So fire went out from the presence of the Lord^[v] and consumed them so that they died before the Lord. ³Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy,^[w] and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’”^[x] So Aaron kept silent. ⁴Moses then called to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brothers from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” ⁵So they came near and carried them away in their tunics to a place outside the camp just as Moses had spoken. ⁶Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his other two sons, “Do not^[y] dishevel the hair of your heads^[z] and do not tear your garments, so that you do not die and so that wrath does not come on the whole congregation. Your brothers, all the house of Israel, are to mourn the burning that the Lord has caused,^[aa] ⁷but you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent lest you die, for the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they acted according to the word of Moses.

Perpetual Statutes the Lord Spoke to Aaron

⁸Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, ⁹“Do not drink wine or strong drink, you and your sons with you, when you enter into the Meeting Tent, so that you do not die. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations,^[ab] ¹⁰as well as^[ac] to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean,^[ad] ¹¹and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through^[ae] Moses.”

Perpetual Statutes Moses spoke to Aaron

¹²Then Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his remaining sons, “Take the grain offering which remains from the gifts of the Lord and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. ¹³You must eat it in a holy place because it is your allotted portion^[af] and the allotted portion of your sons from the gifts^[ag] of the Lord, for this is what I have been commanded.^[ah] ¹⁴Also, the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering you must eat in a ceremonially clean^[ai] place, you and your sons and daughters with you, for the foods have been given as your allotted portion and the allotted portion of your sons from the peace-offering sacrifices of the Israelites.^[aj] ¹⁵The thigh of the contribution offering and the breast of the wave offering they must bring in addition to the gifts of the fat parts to wave them as a wave offering before the Lord, and it will belong to you and your sons with you for a perpetual statute just as the Lord has commanded.”

The Problem with the Inaugural Sin Offering

¹⁶Later Moses sought diligently for the sin offering male goat,^[ak] but it had actually been burnt.^[al] So he became angry at Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, saying, ¹⁷“Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sanctuary? For it is most holy and he gave it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation,^[am] to make atonement on their behalf before the Lord. ¹⁸See here!^[an] Its blood was not brought into the Holy Place within!^[ao] You should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary just as I commanded!” ¹⁹But Aaron spoke to Moses, “See here!^[ap] Just today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord and such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten a sin offering today would the Lord have been pleased?”^[aq] ²⁰When Moses heard this explanation, he was satisfied.^[ar]

Footnotes

Leviticus 9:7 tn Instead of “on behalf of the people,” the LXX has “on behalf of your house” as in the Hebrew text of Lev 16:6, 11, 17. Many commentaries follow the LXX here (e.g., J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:578; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 118) as do a few English versions (e.g., NAB), but others argue that, as on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), the offerings of the priests also effected the people, even though there was still the need to have special offerings made on behalf of the people as reflected in the second half of the verse (e.g., B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 56).
Leviticus 9:10 tn Heb “from.”
Leviticus 9:11 tn Heb “he burned with fire,” an expression which is sometimes redundant in English, but here means “burned up,” “burned up entirely.”
Leviticus 9:11 sn See Lev 4:5-12 and the notes there regarding the sin offering for priest(s). The distinction here is that the blood of the sin offering for the priests was applied to the horns of the burnt offering altar in the court of the tabernacle, not the incense altar inside the tabernacle tent itself. See the notes on Lev 8:14-15.
Leviticus 9:12 tn For smoothness in the English translation, “his” was used in place of “Aaron’s.”
Leviticus 9:12 tn The verb is a Hiphil form of מָצָא, matsaʾ, “to find” (i.e., causative, literally “to cause to find,” but here the meaning is “to hand to” or “pass to”; see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 117-18, and J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:581-82). The distinction between this verb and “presented” in v. 9 above (see the note there) is that in v. 9 Aaron’s sons held the bowl while Aaron manipulated some of the blood at the altar, while here in v. 12 they simply handed the bowl to him so he could splash all the blood around on the altar (Milgrom, 581).
Leviticus 9:12 tn For “splashed” (also in v. 18) see the note on Lev 1:5.
Leviticus 9:13 tn See the note on v. 12.
Leviticus 9:13 tn Heb “and the burnt offering they handed to him to its parts and the head.”
Leviticus 9:15 tn The expression “and performed a purification rite [with] it” reads literally in the MT, “and purified [with] it.” The verb is the Piel of חָטָא (khataʾ, Qal = “to sin”), which means “to decontaminate, purify” (i.e., “to de-sin”; see the note on Lev 8:15).
Leviticus 9:15 sn The phrase “like the first one” at the end of the verse refers back to the sin offering for the priests described in vv. 8-11 above. The blood of the sin offering of the common people was applied to the burnt offering altar just like that of the priests.
Leviticus 9:16 tn The term “standard regulation” (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) here refers to the set of regulations for burnt offering goats in Lev 1:10-13. Cf. KJV “according to the manner”; ASV, NASB “according to the ordinance”; NIV, NLT “in the prescribed way”; CEV “in the proper way.”
Leviticus 9:17 sn The latter part of the verse (“in addition to the morning burnt offering”) refers to the complex of morning (and evening) burnt and grain offerings that was the daily regulation for the tabernacle from the time of its erection (Exod 40:29). The regulations for it were appended to the end of the section of priestly consecration regulations in Exod 29 (see Exod 29:38-40) precisely because they were to be maintained throughout the priestly consecration period and beyond (Lev 8:33-36). Thus, the morning burnt and grain offerings would already have been placed on the altar before the inaugural burnt and grain offerings referred to here.
Leviticus 9:18 tn See the note on Lev 9:12.
Leviticus 9:19 tn Heb “And the fat from the ox and from the ram.”
Leviticus 9:19 tn The text here has only the participle “the cover” or “that which covers,” which is elliptical for “the fat which covers the entrails” (see Lev 3:3, 9, 14; 7:3).
Leviticus 9:20 tn The plural “they” refers to the sons of Aaron (cf. v. 18). The LXX, Smr, and Syriac have singular “he,” referring to Aaron alone as in the latter half of the verse (the singular is followed here by NLT). Cf. NCV “Aaron’s sons put them.”
Leviticus 9:24 tn Heb “from to the faces of the Lord.” The rendering here is based on the use of “my faces” and “your faces” referring to the very “presence” of the Lord in Exod 33:14-15.
Leviticus 9:24 tn Heb “fell on their faces.” Many English versions and commentaries render here “shouted for joy” (e.g., NIV; cf. NCV, NLT) or “shouted joyfully,” but the fact the people “fell on their faces” immediately afterward suggests that they were frightened as, for example, in Exod 19:16b; 20:18-21.
Leviticus 10:1 tn Although it has been used elsewhere in this translation as an English variation from the ubiquitous use of vav in Hebrew, in this instance “then” as a rendering for vav is intended to show that the Nadab and Abihu catastrophe took place on the inauguration day described in Lev 9. The tragic incident in Lev 10 happened in close temporal connection to the Lord’s fire that consumed the offerings at the end of Lev 9. Thus, for example, the “sin offering” male goat referred to in Lev 10:16-19 is the very one referred to in Lev 9:15.
Leviticus 10:1 tn The expression “strange fire” (אֵשׁ זָרָה, ʾesh zarah) seems imprecise (cf. NAB “profane fire”; NIV “unauthorized fire”; NRSV “unholy fire”; NLT “a different kind of fire”) and has been interpreted numerous ways (see the helpful summary in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 132-33). The infraction may have involved any of the following or a combination thereof: (1) using coals from someplace other than the burnt offering altar (i.e., “unauthorized coals” according to J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:598; cf. Lev 16:12 and cf. “unauthorized person” אִישׁ זָר (ʾish zar) in Num 16:40 [17:5 HT], NASB “layman”), (2) using the wrong kind of incense (cf. the Exod 30:9 regulation against “strange incense” קְטֹרֶת זָרָה (q^etoret zarah) on the incense altar and the possible connection to Exod 30:34-38), (3) performing an incense offering at an unprescribed time (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 59), or (4) entering the Holy of Holies at an inappropriate time (Lev 16:1-2).
Leviticus 10:2 tn See the note on 9:24a.
Leviticus 10:3 tn The Niphal verb of the Hebrew root קָדַשׁ (qadash) can mean either “to be treated as holy” (so here, e.g., BDB 873 s.v. קָּדַשׁ, LXX, NASB, and NEB) or “to show oneself holy” (so here, e.g., HALOT 1073 s.v. קדשׁ, nif. 1, NIV, NRSV, NLT; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:595, 601-3; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 133-34). The latter rendering seems more likely here since, in the immediate context, the Lord himself had indeed shown himself to be holy by the way he responded to the illegitimate incense offering of Nadab and Abihu. They had not treated the Lord as holy, so the Lord acted on his own behalf to show that he was indeed holy.
Leviticus 10:3 tn In this context the Niphal of the Hebrew root כָּבֵד (kaved) can mean “to be honored” (e.g., NASB and NIV here), “be glorified” (ASV, NRSV and NLT here), or “glorify oneself, show one’s glory” (cf. NAB; e.g., specifically in this verse HALOT 455 s.v. כבד, nif. 3; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:595, 603-4; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 126, 134). Comparing this clause with the previous one (see the note above), the point may be that when the Lord shows himself to be holy as he has done in 10:1-2, this results in him being honored (i.e., reverenced, feared, treated with respect) among the people. This suggests the passive rendering. It is possible, however, that one should use the reflexive rendering here as in the previous clause. If so, the passage means that the Lord showed both his holiness and his glory in one outbreak against Nadab and Abihu.
Leviticus 10:6 tc Smr has “you must not” (לֹא, loʾ) rather than the MT’s “do not” (אַל, ʾal; cf. the following negative לֹא, loʾ, in the MT).
Leviticus 10:6 tn Heb “do not let free your heads.” Some have taken this to mean, “do not take off your headgear” (cf. NAB, NASB), but it probably also involves leaving one’s hair unkempt as a sign of mourning (see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:608-9; cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
Leviticus 10:6 tn Heb “shall weep [for] the burning which the Lord has burned”; NIV “may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire.”
Leviticus 10:9 tn Heb “a perpetual statute for your generations”; NAB “a perpetual ordinance”; NRSV “a statute forever”; NLT “a permanent law.” The Hebrew grammar here suggests that the last portion of v. 9 functions as both a conclusion to v. 9 and an introduction to vv. 10-11. It is a pivot clause, as it were. Thus, it was a “perpetual statute” to not drink alcoholic beverages when ministering in the tabernacle, but it was also a “perpetual statue” to distinguish between holy and profane and unclean and clean (v. 10) as well as to teach the children of Israel all such statutes (v. 11).
Leviticus 10:10 tn Heb “and,” but regarding the translation “as well as,” see the note at the end of v. 9.
Leviticus 10:10 sn The two pairs of categories in this verse refer to: (1) the status of a person, place, thing, or time—“holy” (קֹדֶשׁ, qodesh) versus “common” (חֹל, khol); as opposed to (2) the condition of a person, place, or thing—“unclean” (טָמֵא, tameʾ) versus “clean” (טָהוֹר, tahor). Someone or something could gain “holy” status by being “consecrated” (i.e., made holy; e.g., the Hebrew Piel קִדֵּשׁ (qiddesh) in Lev 8:15, 30), and to treat someone or something that was holy as if it were “common” would be to “profane” that person or thing (the Hebrew Piel הִלֵּל [hillel], e.g., in Lev 19:29 and 22:15). Similarly, on another level, someone or something could be in a “clean” condition, but one could “defile” (the Hebrew Piel טִמֵּא [timmeʾ], e.g., in Gen 34:5 and Num 6:9) that person or thing and thereby make it “unclean.” To “purify” (the Hebrew Piel טִהֵר [tiher], e.g., in Lev 16:19 and Num 8:6, 15) that unclean person or thing would be to make it “clean” once again. With regard to the animals (Lev 11), some were by nature “unclean,” so they could never be eaten, but others were by nature “clean” and, therefore, edible (Lev 11:2, 46-47). The meat of clean animals could become inedible by too long of a delay in eating it, in which case the Hebrew term פִּגּוּל (piggul) “foul, spoiled” is used to describe it (Lev 7:18; 19:7; cf. also Ezek 4:14 and Isa 65:4), not the term for “unclean” (טָהוֹר, tahor). Strictly speaking, therefore, unclean meat never becomes clean, and clean meat never becomes unclean.
Leviticus 10:11 tn Heb “by the hand of” (so KJV).
Leviticus 10:13 tn Heb “statute” (cf. 10:9, 11); cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “due”; NIV “share”; NLT “regular share.”
Leviticus 10:13 tn For the rendering of the Hebrew אִשֶּׁה (ʾisheh) as “gift” rather than “offering [made] by fire,” see the note on Lev 1:9.
Leviticus 10:13 sn Cf. Lev 2:3 and 6:14-18 [6:7-11 HT] for these regulations.
Leviticus 10:14 tn The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the cleanness of the place specified is ritual or ceremonial in nature.
Leviticus 10:14 sn Cf. Lev 7:14, 28-34 for these regulations.
Leviticus 10:16 sn This is the very same male goat offered in Lev 9:15 (cf. the note on Lev 10:1 above).
Leviticus 10:16 tn Heb “but behold, it had been burnt” (KJV and NASB both similar).
Leviticus 10:17 sn This translation is quite literal. On the surface it appears to mean that the priests would “bear the iniquity” of the congregation by the act of eating the sin offering (so J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:622-25, 635-40). Such a notion is, however, found nowhere else in the Levitical regulations and seems unlikely (so J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 136). A more likely interpretation is reflected in this interpretive rendering: “he gave it to you [as payment] for [your work of] bearing the iniquity of the congregation.” The previous section of the chapter deals with the prebends that the priests received for performing the ministry of the tabernacle (Lev 10:12-15). Lev 10:16-18, therefore, seems to continue the very same topic in the light of the most immediate situation (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:702-4).
Leviticus 10:18 tn Or “Behold!” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
Leviticus 10:18 sn The term here rendered “within” refers to the bringing of the blood inside the Holy Place for application to the altar of incense rather than to the altar of burnt offering in the courtyard of the tabernacle (cf. Lev 4:7, 16-18; 6:30 [23 HT]).
Leviticus 10:19 tn Or “Behold!” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “See.”
Leviticus 10:19 tn Heb “today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and like these things have happened to me, and (if) I had eaten sin offering today would it be good in the eyes of the Lord?” The idiom “would it be good in the eyes of [the Lord]” has been translated “would [the Lord] have been pleased.” Cf. NRSV “would it have been agreeable to the Lord?”; CEV, NLT “Would the Lord have approved?”
Leviticus 10:20 tn Heb “it was good in his eyes” (an idiom). Cf. KJV “he was content”; NLT “he approved.”

Mark 4:26-5:20

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶He also said, “The kingdom of God^[a] is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. ²⁷He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain^[b] in the head. ²⁹And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle^[c] because the harvest has come.”^[d]

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God,^[e] or what parable can we use to present it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed^[f] that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground— ³²when it is sown, it grows up,^[g] becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds^[h] can nest in its shade.”^[i]

The Use of Parables

³³So^[j] with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. ³⁴He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Stilling of a Storm

³⁵On that day, when evening came, Jesus^[k] said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”^[l] ³⁶So^[m] after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat,^[n] and other boats were with him. ³⁷Now^[o] a great windstorm^[p] developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. ³⁸But^[q] he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” ³⁹So^[r] he got up and rebuked^[s] the wind, and said to the sea,^[t] “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then^[u] the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. ⁴⁰And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” ⁴¹They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this?^[v] Even the wind and sea obey him!”^[w]

Healing of a Demoniac

5 So^[x] they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes.^[y] ²Just as Jesus^[z] was getting out of the boat,^[aa] a man with an unclean spirit^[ab] came from the tombs and met him.^[ac] ³He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles,^[ad] but^[ae] he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. ⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. ⁷Then^[af] he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone,^[ag] Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God^[ah]—do not torment me!” ⁸(For Jesus^[ai] had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”)^[aj] ⁹Jesus^[ak] asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion,^[al] for we are many.” ¹⁰He begged Jesus^[am] repeatedly not to send them out of the region. ¹¹There on the hillside,^[an] a great herd of pigs was feeding. ¹²And the demonic spirits^[ao] begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” ¹³Jesus^[ap] gave them permission.^[aq] So^[ar] the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about 2,000 were drowned in the lake.

¹⁴Now^[as] the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the one who had the “Legion”—and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. ¹⁷Then^[at] they began to beg Jesus^[au] to leave their region. ¹⁸As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go^[av] with him. ¹⁹But^[aw] Jesus^[ax] did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you,^[ay] that he had mercy on you.” ²⁰So^[az] he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis^[ba] what Jesus had done for him,^[bb] and all were amazed.

Footnotes

Mark 4:26 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself.
Mark 4:28 tn KJV “corn” is the result of British English, in which “corn” refers to the main cereal crop of a district, wheat in England and oats in Scotland (British English uses “maize” to refer to American corn).
Mark 4:29 tn The Greek word εὐθύς (euthus, often translated “immediately” or “right away”) has not been translated here. It sometimes occurs with a weakened, inferential use (BDAG 406 s.v. 2), not contributing significantly to the flow of the narrative. For further discussion, see R. J. Decker, Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect (SBG 10), 73-77.
Mark 4:29 sn Because the harvest has come. This parable is found only in Mark (cf. Matt 13:24-30) and presents a complete picture of the coming of God’s kingdom: (1) sowing; (2) growth; (3) harvest. Some understand the parable as a reference to evangelism. While this is certainly involved, it does not seem to be the central idea. In contrast to the parable of the sower which emphasizes the quality of the different soils, this parable emphasizes the power of the seed to cause growth (with the clear implication that the mysterious growth of the kingdom is accomplished by God), apart from human understanding and observation.
Mark 4:30 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. See the note on this phrase in v. 26.
Mark 4:31 sn Mustard seeds are known for their tiny size.
Mark 4:32 tn Mark 4:31-32 is fairly awkward in Greek. Literally the sentence reads as follows: “As a mustard seed, which when sown in the earth, being the smallest of all the seeds in the earth, and when it is sown, it grows up…” The structure has been rendered in more idiomatic English, although some of the awkward structure has been retained for rhetorical effect.
Mark 4:32 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
Mark 4:32 sn The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of a small plant that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22-24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.
Mark 4:33 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
Mark 4:35 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 4:35 tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.
Mark 4:36 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response to Jesus’ request.
Mark 4:36 tn It is possible that this prepositional phrase modifies “as he was,” not “they took him along.” The meaning would then be “they took him along in the boat in which he was already sitting” (see 4:1).sn A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size. See the note at Mark 1:19 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Mark 4:37 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Mark 4:37 tn Or “a squall.”sn The Sea of Galilee is located in a depression some 700 ft (200 m) below sea level and is surrounded by hills. Frequently a rush of wind and the right mix of temperatures can cause a storm to come suddenly on the lake. Storms on the Sea of Galilee were known for their suddenness and violence.
Mark 4:38 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Mark 4:39 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
Mark 4:39 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
Mark 4:39 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Pss 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
Mark 4:39 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 4:41 sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (Who then is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.
Mark 4:41 sn This section in Mark (4:35-5:43) contains four miracles: (1) the calming of the storm; (2) the exorcism of the demon-possessed man; (3) the giving of life to Jairus’ daughter; (4) the healing of the woman hemorrhaging for twelve years. All these miracles demonstrate Jesus’ right to proclaim the kingdom message and his sovereign authority over forces, directly or indirectly, hostile to the kingdom. The last three may have been brought together to show that Jesus had power over all defilement, since contact with graves, blood, or a corpse was regarded under Jewish law as causing a state of ritual uncleanness.
Mark 5:1 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a summary and transition in the narrative.
Mark 5:1 tc The textual tradition here is quite complicated. Most later mss (A C ƒ¹³ M sy^p,h) read “Gadarenes,” which is the better reading in Matt 8:28. Other mss (א² L Δ Θ ƒ¹ 28 33 565 579 700 892 1241 1424 al sy^s bo) have “Gergesenes.” Others (א* B D latt sa) have “Gerasenes,” which is the reading followed in the translation here and in Luke 8:26. The difference between Matthew and Mark (which is parallel to Luke) may well have to do with uses of variant regional terms.sn The region of the Gerasenes would be in Gentile territory on the (south)eastern side of the Sea of Galilee across from Galilee. Matthew 8:28 records this miracle as occurring “in the region of the Gadarenes.” “Irrespective of how one settles this issue, for the [second and] Third Evangelist the chief concern is that Jesus has crossed over into Gentile territory, ‘opposite Galilee’” (J. B. Green, Luke [NICNT], 337). The region of Gadara extended to the Sea of Galilee and included the town of Sennabris on the southern shore—the town that the herdsmen most likely entered after the drowning of the pigs.
Mark 5:2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:2 sn See the note at Mark 1:19 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Mark 5:2 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
Mark 5:2 tn Grk “met him from the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.” When this is converted to normal English word order (“a man met him from the tombs with an unclean spirit”) it sounds as if “with an unclean spirit” modifies “the tombs.” Likewise, “a man with an unclean spirit from the tombs met him” implies that the unclean spirit came from the tombs, while the Greek text is clear that it is the man who had the unclean spirit who came from the tombs. To make this clear a second verb, “came,” is supplied in English: “came from the tombs and met him.”
Mark 5:4 tn Grk “he had often been bound with chains and shackles.” “Shackles” could also be translated “fetters”; they were chains for the feet.
Mark 5:4 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Mark 5:7 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 5:7 tn Grk “What to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί (ti emoi kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his own, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). These nuances were apparently expanded in Greek, but the basic notions of defensive hostility (option 1) and indifference or disengagement (option 2) are still present. BDAG suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Leave me alone! Never mind! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: “Leave me alone….”
Mark 5:7 sn Though it seems unusual for a demon to invoke God’s name (“I implore you by God”) in his demands of Jesus, the parallel in Matt 8:29 suggests the reason: “Why have you come to torment us before the time?” There was an appointed time in which demons would face their judgment, and they seem to have viewed Jesus’ arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God’s plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed.
Mark 5:8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:8 sn This is a parenthetical explanation by the author.
Mark 5:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:9 sn The name Legion means “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.
Mark 5:10 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:11 tn Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.
Mark 5:12 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:13 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:13 sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.
Mark 5:13 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
Mark 5:14 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a transition to the response to the miraculous healing.
Mark 5:17 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 5:17 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:18 tn Grk “be,” that is, “remain.” In this context that would involve accompanying Jesus as he went on his way.
Mark 5:19 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Mark 5:19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 5:19 sn Jesus instructs the man to declare what the Lord has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 1:44; 5:43) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. D. L. Bock (Luke [BECNT], 1:781) suggests that with few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political.
Mark 5:20 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate the conclusion of the episode in the narrative.
Mark 5:20 sn The Decapolis refers to a group of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay on the east side of the Jordan River. Although frequently seen as a league of independent city states organized by the Roman general Pompey, contemporary sources do not support such a view. Rather their unity came from their Greek (Hellenistic) culture and religions, which set them apart from surrounding areas.
Mark 5:20 sn Note that the man could not separate what God had done from the one through whom God had done it (what Jesus had done for him). This man was called to witness to God’s goodness at home.

Psalm 37:30-40

³⁰The godly speak wise words
and promote justice.^[a]
³¹The law of their God controls their thinking;^[b]
their^[c] feet do not slip.
³²The wicked set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them.^[d]
³³But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.^[e]
³⁴Rely^[f] on the Lord. Obey his commands.^[g]
Then he will permit you^[h] to possess the land;
you will see the demise of the wicked.^[i]
³⁵I have seen ruthless, wicked people^[j]
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.^[k]
³⁶But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared.^[l]
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
³⁷Take note of the one who has integrity. Observe the upright.
For the one who promotes peace has a future.^[m]
³⁸Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;^[n]
the wicked have no future.^[o]
³⁹But the Lord delivers the godly;^[p]
he protects them in times of trouble.^[q]
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from the wicked and delivers them,^[r]
for they seek his protection.

Footnotes

Psalm 37:30 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
Psalm 37:31 tn Heb “the law of his God [is] in his heart.” The “heart” is here the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
Psalm 37:31 tn Heb “his.” The pronoun has been translated as plural to agree with the representative or typical “godly” in v. 30.
Psalm 37:32 tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
Psalm 37:33 tn Heb “the Lord does not abandon him into his hand or condemn him when he is judged.” The imperfects draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic behavior in this regard.
Psalm 37:34 tn Or “wait.”
Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “keep his way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.
Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.
Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”
Psalm 37:35 tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.
Psalm 37:35 tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mitʿareh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (ʿarah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (ʿalah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (ʾezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.
Psalm 37:36 tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).
Psalm 37:37 tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).
Psalm 37:38 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
Psalm 37:38 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
Psalm 37:39 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the Lord.”
Psalm 37:39 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
Psalm 37:40 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.

Proverbs 10:6-7

⁶Blessings^[a] are on the head of the righteous,
but the speech^[b] of the wicked conceals^[c] violence.^[d]
⁷The memory^[e] of the righteous is a blessing,
but the reputation^[f] of the wicked will rot.^[g]

New English Translation (NET)

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The Daily Audio Bible

The Sin Offering for the Priests

The Burnt Offering for the Priests

The Offerings for the People

Nadab and Abihu

Perpetual Statutes the Lord Spoke to Aaron

Perpetual Statutes Moses spoke to Aaron

The Problem with the Inaugural Sin Offering

Footnotes

The Parable of the Growing Seed

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

The Use of Parables

Stilling of a Storm

Healing of a Demoniac

Footnotes

Footnotes

Footnotes