©2021, David E. Robinson: At the Gates
of Yerushalayim Ministries
Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 41
…This
Fragile Breath… [i] [ii] [iii] [iv]
The Spirit of Fear
Part Four
2 Timothy 1:6-12 (NET)
1:6 Because of this I
remind you to rekindle God’s gift that you possess9 through the
laying on of my hands.
1:7 For God did not give us
a Spirit10 of fear but of power and love and self-control.
1:8 So do not be
ashamed of the testimony about our Lord11 or of me, a prisoner for his
sake, but by12 God’s power accept your share of suffering13
for the gospel. 1:9 He
is the one who saved us14 and called us with a holy calling, not
based on15 our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us
in Christ Jesus before time began,16 1:10 but now made visible through the appearing of
our Savior Christ Jesus. He17 has broken the power of death and brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel! 1:11 For this gospel18 I was appointed a
preacher and apostle and teacher.19 1:12 Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do.20
But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set21
and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me22
until that day.23[v]
Deuteronomy 32:19-30 (AMP)
19 And the Lord saw it and He spurned and rejected them, out of indignation with His sons and His daughters.
20 And He said, I
will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be; for they are a
perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.
21 They have
moved Me to jealousy with what is not God; they have angered Me with their idols.
So, I will move
them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will anger them with a
foolish nation.
22 For a fire is
kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth
with its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23 And I will
heap evils upon them; I will spend My arrows upon them.
24 They shall be
wasted with hunger and devoured with burning heat and poisonous pestilence; and
the teeth of beasts will I send against them, with the poison of crawling
things of the dust.
25 From without
the sword shall bereave, and in the chambers shall be terror, destroying both
young man and virgin, the sucking child with the man of gray hairs.
26 I said, I
would scatter them afar and I would have made the remembrance of them to cease
from among men,
27 Had I not
feared the provocation of the foe, lest their enemies misconstrue it and lest
they should say, Our own hand has prevailed; all this was not the work of the
Lord.
28 For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in
them.
29 O that they were wise and would see through this [present triumph] to
their ultimate fate!
30 How could one have chased a thousand, and two put ten thousand to
flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had delivered them up? [vi]
Lessons from
the wilderness… Ever wonder where I got this theme? Why do I
call my epistles “Lessons from the Wilderness”? Well, there are two reasons.
The minor reason is that I had traveled in the wilderness of this world for forty
years exactly to the day. I suffer defeat and joy, anguish and happiness, good times,
and madness. Addiction plagued me; mental depression haunted me. I worked successfully
for a long time as a functional addict but failed as a father and a husband for
the same reason. At times I felt like Nebuchadnezzar, lost to his madness and
dwelling as a beast in the field…
19 Then Daniel, mwhose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied ofor one hour, and oohis thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, pthe dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 20 ppThe tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; 21 qwhose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; qrunder which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: 22 rit is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and sthy dominion tto the end of the earth. 23 And whereas uthe king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, vHew the tree down, and destroy it; wyet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, dtill seven times pass over him; 24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is ethe decree of jthe most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 25 that xthey shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and xthey shall make thee yto eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and dseven times shall pass over thee, xztill thou know ithat jthe most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and igiveth it to whomsoever he will. 26 And whereas they commanded wto leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that athe heavens do rule. 27 bWherefore, O king, let my counsel cbe acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by drighteousness, and ethine iniquities by fshewing mercy to the poor; gif it may be ||a klengthening of thy ltranquillity.
28 All this came upon
the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he
walked ||in the palace of the
kingdom of Babylon.30 mThe king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have
built for nthe house of the kingdom
by othe might of omy power, and for opthe honour of pmy majesty? 31 *ppWhile the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell
a voice from heaven, qsaying, O king Nebuchadnezzar,
to thee qqit is spoken; The kingdom
is departed from thee. 32 And rthey shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field: rthey shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, rand seven times shall pass over thee, runtil thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, rand giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 sThe same hour was the thing fulfilled upon
Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen,
and this body was wet with the
dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his
nails like birds’ claws. 34 And †uat the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lift up uumine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned
unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and vhonoured him vvthat liveth for ever, wwhose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and wxhis kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 and
all ythe inhabitants of the
earth zare reputed as nothing: and ahe doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among ythe inhabitants of the earth: and bnone can stay his hand, cor say unto him, cWhat doest thou? 36 At the same time uumy reason returned unto me; and for edthe glory of my kingdom, dmine honour and ddbrightness
returned unto me; and my ecounsellers and my eelords sought unto
me; and I fwas established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty gwas added unto me. 37 Now I
Nebuchadnezzar hpraise and extol and hhonour ithe King of heaven, kall whose works are truth, and lhis ways judgment: and mthose that walk in pride he is able to abase.[vii]
20 “The
wicked is in torment all his life, for all the years allotted to the tyrant.
21 Terrifying
sounds are in his ears; in prosperity, robbers swoop down on him.
22 He
despairs of returning from darkness— he is destined to meet the sword.
23 He
wanders and looks for food, which is not there. He knows the day of darkness is
ready, at hand.
24 Distress
and anguish overwhelm him, assaulting him like a king about to enter battle.
25 “He
raises his hand against God and boldly defies Shaddai,
26 running
against him with head held high and thickly ornamented shield.
27 “He
lets his face grow gross and fat, and the rest of him bulges with blubber;
28 he
lives in abandoned cities, in houses no one would inhabit, houses about to
become ruins;
29 therefore
he will not remain rich, his wealth will not endure, his produce will not bend [the
grain stalks] to the earth.
30 “He
will not escape from darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. By a breath
from the mouth of [God], he will go away.
31 Let
him not rely on futile methods, thereby deceiving himself; for what he will
receive in exchange will be only futility.
32 This
will be accomplished in advance of its day. His palm frond will not be fresh
and green;
33 he
will be like a vine that sheds its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that drops
its flowers. [viii]
8 “You must
carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and
increase, and may enter and take possession of the land v the Lord swore to your fathers.
2 Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire
journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test
you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.
3 He humbled you by
letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your
fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread
alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. w[ix]
This is the minor reason I call my epistles
“Lessons from the Wilderness”. The real reason, the major one? It is because
from the wilderness we are to take our cue, we are to learn what not to
do and what we must do. It is not about what I have learned that I then
try to pass on to you, my beloved. It is because from the wilderness came the
Torah. From the wilderness came the Prophets of Old. From 40 days and nights in
the wilderness came our Messiah. From the wilderness, the voice of God speaks
to us, so that with our fragile breaths we may pass on what we have heard.
Isaiah
51:12-23 (NASB)
12 “I, even I, am He who acomforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of bman who dies and of the son of man who is made clike grass,13 That you have aforgotten the Lord your Maker, Who bstretched out the heavensAnd laid the foundations of the earth, That you cfear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the doppressor?14 “The 1aexile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, bnor will his bread be lacking.15 “For I am the Lord your God, who astirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name). 16 “I have aput My words in your mouth and have bcovered you with the shadow of My hand, to 1cestablish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ”
17 aRouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have bdrunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger; The 1chalice of reeling you have 2drained to the dregs.
18 There is anone to guide her among all the sons she has borne, nor is there one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.19 These two things have befallen you; Who will mourn for you? The adevastation and destruction, famine and sword;
How shall I comfort
you?
20 Your sons have fainted, They alie
helpless at the head of every street,
like an bantelope in a net, full of the wrath of the Lord, The crebuke of your God.
21 Therefore, please hear this,
you aafflicted,
Who are bdrunk, but not with wine:
22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord, even your God Who acontends
for His people,
“Behold, I have
taken out of your hand the bcup of reeling, The 1chalice
of My anger;
You will never
drink it again.
23 “I will aput
it into the hand of your tormentors,
Who have said to 1you,
‘bLie
down that we may walk over you.’ You
have even made your back like the ground And like the street for those who walk
over it.” [x]
Psalm 1232
For the music director; according to the sheminith style;33 a psalm of David.12:1 Deliver, Lord! For the godly1 have disappeared;2 people of integrity3 have vanished.4 12:2 People lie to one another;5 they flatter and deceive.612:3 May the Lord cut off7 all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts!8 12:4 They say,9 “We speak persuasively;10 we know how to flatter and boast.11 Who is our master?”12 12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed,13 because of the painful cries14 of the needy, I will spring into action,”15 says the Lord. “I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.”16
12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable.17
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground, where it
is thoroughly refined.18
And again:
Psalm 66:8-14
(NASB95)
8 Bless our God, O peoples, and 1asound His praise abroad,
9 Who 1akeeps
us in life and bdoes not allow our feet to 2slip.
10 For You have atried
us, O God; You have brefined us as silver is refined.
11 You abrought us
into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.
12 You made men aride
over our heads; We went through bfire and through water,
Yet You cbrought
us out into a place of abundance.
13 I shall acome into
Your house with burnt offerings; I shall bpay You my vows,
14 Which my lips uttered and my
mouth spoke when I was ain distress.[xii]
These are but
two portions of scripture which show us the process of turning us into vessels
of holiness, worthy to be used for the Kingdom of God. Two other portions
describe it this way:
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be
cut off and perish, s and one third shall be left alive.
9 And tI will put this third into the fire, and refine them as
one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.
u They will call upon my name, and vI will answer them. w I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The
Lord is my God.’ ” [xiii]
1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV)
3 gBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! hAccording to his great mercy, ihe has caused us to be born again to a living hope jthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4
to kan inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and lunfading, mkept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being
guarded nthrough faith for a salvation oready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you
rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by pvarious trials, 7 so that qthe tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than
gold that perishes rthough it is tested by sfire—may be found to result in tpraise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.
8 uThough you have not seen him, you love him. vThough you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that
is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining wthe outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.[xiv]
Therefore brethren, if we know we must go through the process of refinement, why do we fear? In fact, what is there to fear? Even the death of our body cannot deprive us of the glory that awaits us. Hear today the Master’s own words:
16 “aBehold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so 1be bshrewd as serpents and cinnocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the acourts and scourge you bin their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 “aBut when they hand you over, bdo not worry about how or what you are to say;
for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.
20 “For ait is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 “aBrother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and bchildren will rise up against parents and 1cause them to be put to death.
22 “aYou will be hated by all because of My name, but bit is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
23 “But whenever they apersecute you in 1one city, flee to 2the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel buntil the Son of Man comes. 24 “aA 1disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. aIf they have called the head of the house 1bBeelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
26 “Therefore do not afear them, bfor there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
27 “aWhat I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and
what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim bupon the housetops.
28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are
unable to kill the soul; but rather afear Him who is able to destroy both soul and
body in 1bhell.
29 “aAre not two sparrows sold for a 1cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But athe very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 “So do not fear; ayou are more valuable than many sparrows.
32 “Therefore aeveryone who 1confesses Me before men, I will also confess 2him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But awhoever 1denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “aDo not think that I came to 1bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to aset a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and aa man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 “aHe who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 “And ahe who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not
worthy of Me.
39 “aHe who has found his 1life will lose it, and he who has lost his 1life for My sake will find it. [xv]
Those familiar with this know it ends with a swear-word which I will leave out here. But there is truth in these words. Those that taunt us with fear – it is they that are afraid. Did not Jacob (James) the brother of Yeshua tell us this very thing?
James 2:14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith z save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? a 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” b Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. c d
19 You
believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.
e [xvii]
How can we fear man when it is the demons within man that fear Him? They are afraid you will find that fragile breath to shout out “No More!” that you will draw the line in the sand and shout “No Further!” This world wants us to cower, to submit to its rule, yet it is they who are afraid. They fear Him; if He is in you, they fear you.
We are the
many. They are the few.
Fear not.
Stand up. Declare the one whom you are allied with.
Fight.
May He who
sits on the throne bless you this day my beloved,
Amein.
a Is 51:3
b Ps 118:6; Is 2:22
c Is 40:6, 7; 1 Pet 1:24
a Deut 6:12; 8:11; Is 17:10
b Job 9:8; Ps 104:2; Is 40:22; 45:12, 18; 48:13
c Is 7:4; 10:24
d Is 49:26; 54:14
1 Lit one in
chains
a Is 48:20; 52:2
b Is 33:6; 49:10
a Ps 107:25; Jer 31:35
[i]NOTICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS: Unless
otherwise cited, all material found on this blogsite (original text, opinions,
conclusions, and other material not related to cited sources remains the
collected intellectual property of the author of this site, David E. Robinson,
Elder, Teacher, and are owned and controlled by myself and are protected by
copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and
unfair competition laws of the United States, foreign jurisdictions, and
international conventions. Any errors found within, rest solely upon me; please
do not blame the Father for my mistakes. I am teachable and correctable, not
infallible. 😊
[ii] FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This
blog site may contain content that is not authorized for use by its owner. All
such material will be cited back to its original source. According to Section
107 of the Copyright Act: “…the fair use of a copyrighted work […] for purposes
such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies
for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of
copyright…” I have made and will continue to make every effort to stay within
all ethical and moral guidelines in the use of material presented here, and the
use of these materials is solely intended for educational purposes only, and
all efforts to obtain or sustain fair use of non-owned material will be made.
[iii] Author’s note: This site is
for education only and is not affiliated with any institution, organization, or
religious group. It is the sole production of its editor. Use of information
from Jewish-themed websites (or any other source material) should not be
construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the
author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites
for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of
the subjects discussed.
[iv] Author’s note:
Throughout this study I may be using the NET Bible® and the NET Notes®: within
the notes you will see symbols like this: (א B Ψ 892* 2427 sys). These are
abbreviations used by the NET Bible® for identifying the principal manuscript
evidence that they (authors and translators of the NET Bible®) used in
translating the New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/ and see
their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete
explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible
uses them.
·
[The following notes are taken from the NET Bible®
footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights
reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org, n.d. Numbering system is
unique to NET® Notes. Scripture quoted by permission; Quotations designated
(NET) are from The NET Bible®, Copyright © 2005 by Biblical Studies Press,
L.L.C. www.netbible.com All rights reserved[iv]]
9 tn Grk
“that is in you.”
10 tn Or “a spirit,” denoting the human
personality under the Spirit’s influence as in 1 Cor 4:21; Gal 6:1; 1 Pet 3:4.
But the reference to the Holy Spirit at the end of this section (1:14) makes it
likely that it begins this way also, so that the Holy Spirit is the referent.
11 tn Grk
“the testimony of our Lord.”
12 tn Or “according to.”
13 tn Grk
“suffer hardship together,” implying “join with me in suffering.”
14
tn More literally, “who saved us,”
as a description of God in v. 8. Because of the length and complexity of the
Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
15
tn Or “according to,” or “by.”
16
tn Grk “before eternal times.”
17
tn Grk “having broken … and having brought …” (describing Christ).
Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was
started here (and at the beginning of v. 11) in the translation.
18
tn Grk “for which.”
19
tc Most mss (א2
C D F G Ψ
1739 1881 𝔐 latt sy co) have ἐθνῶν (ethnōn, “of the Gentiles”) after “teacher.” The shorter reading has
poorer external credentials (א*
A I 1175 pc), but is preferred because
ἐθνῶν
probably represents a gloss added by copyists familiar with 1 Tim 2:7. There is
no easy explanation for the omission of the word if it were original here.
20
tn Grk “suffer these things.”
21
tn Or “in whom I have believed.”
22
sn What has been entrusted to me (Grk
“my entrustment,” meaning either (1) “what I have entrusted to him” [his life,
destiny, etc.] or (2) “what he has entrusted to me” [the truth of the gospel]).
The parallel with v. 14 and use of similar words in the pastorals (1 Tim 6:20;
2 Tim 2:2) argue for the latter sense.
23
sn That day is a reference to the day when Paul would stand before
Christ to give account for his service (cf. 2 Tim 1:18; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Cor
5:9–10).
[v]
Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English.
NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), 2 Ti 1:6–12.
[vi] The Amplified Bible, containing the
amplified Old Testament and the amplified New Testament. 1987. La Habra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
m See ver. 8.
o 2 Cor. 7. 8. Gal. 2. 5. Comp. ver. 33. ch. 5. 5.
oo ch. 5. 6.
p Comp. 1 Sam. 25. 26. 2 Sam. 18. 32.
pp ver. 10, 11.
q ver. 12.
q ver. 12.
r Comp. ch. 2. 38.
r Comp. ch. 2. 38.
s Comp. Jer. 27. 6–8.
t ver. 11.
u ver. 13.
v ver. 14.
w ver. 15, 26.
d ver. 23, 25, 32. Comp. 1 Chr. 29. 30. ch. 7. 25. &
11. 13. & 12. 7.
e ver. 24.
j ver. 24, 25, 32, 34. ch. 7. 25. See ch. 3. 26.
x ver. 32. ch. 5. 21.
x ver. 32. ch. 5. 21.
y So Ps. 106. 20.
d ver. 23, 25, 32. Comp. 1 Chr. 29. 30. ch. 7. 25. &
11. 13. & 12. 7.
x ver. 32. ch. 5. 21.
z Comp. 2 Chr. 33. 13.
i ver. 25, 32. ch. 5. 21.
j ver. 24, 25, 32, 34. ch. 7. 25. See ch. 3. 26.
i ver. 25, 32. ch. 5. 21.
w ver. 15, 26.
a Comp. Luke 15. 18, 21.
b See ch. 2. 6.
c So ver. 2 (Chald.).
d See Matt. 6. 1 [marg.].
e See Prov. 16. 6. & Ecclus. 3. 30.
f Ps. 41. 1. So Ecclus. 29. 11. Matt. 25. 35. See Luke 3.
11 & 16. 9.
g So Acts 8. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 25. Comp. Jer. 18. 7, 8. Jonah
3. 5.
|| Or, h a healing of thine i error.
k ch. 7. 12. Comp. 1 Kin. 21. 29.
l So ver. 4 (Chald.).
|| Or, upon.
m So ch. 5. 20.
n Amos 7. 13. See Jer. 51. 41.
o ch. 2. 37 (Chald.).
o ch. 2. 37 (Chald.).
o ch. 2. 37 (Chald.).
p ver. 36 (Chald.).
p ver. 36 (Chald.).
* About B.C. 569.
pp Comp. ch. 5. 5. Luke 12. 20.
q ver. 8. See Ex. 18. 4.
qq ch. 3. 4. marg.
r ver. 25.
r ver. 25.
r ver. 25.
r ver. 25.
r ver. 25.
s See ver. 19.
t ch. 5. 21.
† About B.C. 563. Comp. ver. 16?
u Comp. ver. 26.
uu ver. 36 (Chald.).
v ch. 5. 23 (Chald.).
vv ch. 12. 7. So ch. 6. 26. See Rev. 4. 10.
w ver. 3. See ch. 2. 44.
w ver. 3. See ch. 2. 44.
x See Ps. 10. 16.
y ver. 1 (Chald.).
z Isai. 40. 17.
a See Ps. 115. 3.
y ver. 1 (Chald.).
b So Isai. 14. 27.
c See Job 9. 12. & Rom. 9. 20.
c See Job 9. 12. & Rom. 9. 20.
uu ver. 36 (Chald.).
e See ch. 3. 24.
d ver. 30 (Chald.). ch. 5. 18.
d ver. 30 (Chald.). ch. 5. 18.
dd See ch. 5. 6 marg.
e See ch. 3. 24.
ee See ch. 5. 1.
f See Eccles. 7. 13.
g So Job 42. 12. Matt. 6. 33.
h ver. 34. Comp. ch. 5. 4.
h ver. 34. Comp. ch. 5. 4.
i See 1 Esdr. 4. 46. Comp. ch. 5. 23.
k Ps. 33. 4. Rev. 15. 3.
l Deut. 32. 4. See Rev. 15. 3.
m So ch. 5. 20. See Prov. 29. 23. Comp. ver. 17.
[vii] The Cambridge Paragraph Bible: Of the
Authorized English Version. 2006. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems,
Inc.
[viii]
David H. Stern, Complete Jewish Bible: An English Version of
the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament), 1st ed.
(Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998), Job 15:20–33.
v
8:1 Dt 3:12
w
8:3 Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4
[ix]
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard
Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009), Dt 8:1–3.
a Deut 18:18; Is 59:21
b Ex 33:22; Is 49:2
1 Lit plant
c Is 66:22
a Is 51:9; 52:1
b Job 21:20; Is 29:9; 63:6; Jer 25:15;
Rev 14:10; 16:19
1 Lit bowl of the cup of reeling
2 Lit drunk
a Ps 88:18; 142:4; Is 49:21
a Is 8:21; 9:20; 14:30
a Is 5:25; Jer 14:16
b Deut 14:5
c Is 66:15
a Is 54:11
b Is 29:9; 51:17; 63:6
a Is 3:12, 13; 49:25; Jer 50:34
b Is 51:17
1 Lit bowl of the cup of
a Is 49:26; Jer 25:15–17, 26, 28; Zech
12:2
1 Lit your soul
b Josh 10:24
[x] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update
(La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Is 51:12–Is 52.
32
sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is
overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying
breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the
psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.
·
[The following notes are taken from the NET Bible®
footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights
reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org, n.d. Numbering system is
unique to NET® Notes. Scripture quoted by permission; Quotations designated
(NET) are from The NET Bible®, Copyright © 2005 by Biblical Studies Press,
L.L.C. www.netbible.com
All rights reserved[xi]]
33 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shéminit) is uncertain;
perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.
1
tn The singular form is collective
or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following
line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in
God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2;
97:10).
2
tn Or “have come to an end.”
3
tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”
4
tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only
here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”
5
tn Heb “falsehood they speak, a man with his neighbor.” The imperfect
verb forms in v. 2 describe what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
6
tn Heb “[with] a lip of smoothness, with a heart and a heart they
speak.” Speaking a “smooth” word refers to deceptive flattery (cf. Ps 5:9; 55:21;
Prov 2:16; 5:3; 7:5, 21; 26:28; 28:23; Isa 30:10). “Heart” here refers to their
mind, from which their motives and intentions originate. The repetition of the
noun indicates diversity (see GKC 396 §123.f,
IBHS 116 §7.2.3c, and Deut 25:13,
where the phrase “weight and a weight” refers to two different measuring
weights). These people have two different types of “hearts.” Their flattering
words seem to express kind motives and intentions, but this outward display
does not really reflect their true motives. Their real “heart” is filled with
evil thoughts and destructive intentions. The “heart” that is seemingly
displayed through their words is far different from the real “heart” they keep
disguised. (For the idea see Ps 28:3.) In 1 Chr 12:33 the phrase “without a
heart and a heart” means “undivided loyalty.”
7
tn The verb form is a jussive,
indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the Lord cut off”), not indicative (“The Lord will cut off”; see also Ps 109:15 and Mal 2:12). The
psalmist appeals to God to destroy the wicked, rather than simply stating his
confidence that he will. In this way he seeks to activate divine judgment by
appealing to God’s just character. For an example of the power of such a curse,
see Judg 9:7–57.
8
tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”
9
tn Heb “which say.” The plural verb after the relative pronoun
indicates a plural antecedent for the pronoun, probably “lips” in v. 3.
10
tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only
here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a
covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense
that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to
accomplish their purposes. The preposition -לְ (l) prefixed to “our
tongue” may be dittographic.
11
tn Heb “our lips [are] with us.” This odd expression probably means,
“our lips are in our power,” in the sense that they say what they want, whether
it be flattery or boasting. For other cases where אֵת (’et, “with”) has the
sense “in the power of,” see Ps 38:10 and other texts listed by BDB 86 s.v.
3.a.
12
sn The rhetorical question expresses
the arrogant attitude of these people. As far as they are concerned, they are
answerable to no one for how they speak.
13
tn The term translated “oppressed”
is an objective genitive; the oppressed are the recipients/victims of violence.
14
tn Elsewhere in the psalms this noun
is used of the painful groans of prisoners awaiting death (79:11; 102:20). The
related verb is used of the painful groaning of those wounded in combat (Jer
51:52; Ezek 26:15) and of the mournful sighing of those in grief (Ezek 9:4;
24:17).
15
tn Heb “I will rise up.”
16
tn Heb “I will place in deliverance, he pants for it.” The final two
words in Hebrew (יָפִיחַ לוֹ,
yafiakh lo) comprise an asyndetic
relative clause, “the one who pants for it.” “The one who pants” is the object
of the verb “place” and the antecedent of the pronominal suffix (in the phrase
“for it”) is “deliverance.” Another option is to translate, “I will place in
deliverance the witness for him,” repointing יָפִיחַ (a Hiphil imperfect from פּוּחַ, puakh, “pant”) as יָפֵחַ (yafeakh), a noun
meaning “witness.” In this case the Lord
would be promising protection to those who have the courage to support the
oppressed in the court of law. However, the first part of the verse focuses on
the oppressed, not their advocates.
17
tn Heb “the words of the Lord
are pure words,” i.e., untainted by falsehood or deception (in contrast to the
flattery of the evildoers, v. 2).
18
tn Heb “[like] silver purified in a furnace of [i.e., “on”] the
ground, refined seven times.” The singular participle מְזֻקָּק (mézuqqaq, “refined”)
modifies “silver.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the
thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven
times”), see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.
19
tn The third person plural
pronominal suffix on the verb is masculine, referring back to the “oppressed”
and “needy” in v. 5 (both of those nouns are plural in form), suggesting that
the verb means “protect” here. The suffix does not refer to אִמֲרוֹת (’imarot, “words”) in
v. 6, because that term is feminine gender.
20
tn Heb “you will protect him from this generation permanently.” The
third masculine singular suffix on the verb “protect” is probably used in a
distributive sense, referring to each one within the group mentioned previously
(the oppressed/needy, referred to as “them” in the preceding line). On this
grammatical point see GKC 396 §123.f
(where the present text is not cited). (Some Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses read “us,” both here and
in the preceding line.) The noun דוֹר (dor, “generation”)
refers here to the psalmist’s contemporaries, who were characterized by deceit
and arrogance (see vv. 1–2). See BDB 189–90 s.v. for other examples where
“generation” refers to a class of people.
21
tn Heb “the wicked walk all around.” One could translate v. 8a as an
independent clause, in which case it would be a concluding observation in proverbial
style. The present translation assumes that v. 8a is a subordinate explanatory
clause, or perhaps a subordinate temporal clause (“while the wicked walk all
around”). The adverb סָבִיב (saviv, “around”), in combination with
the Hitpael form of the verb “walk” (which indicates repeated action), pictures
the wicked as ubiquitous. They have seemingly overrun society.
22
tn Heb “when evil is lifted up by the sons of man.” The abstract noun זֻלּוּת (zulut, “evil”)
occurs only here. On the basis of evidence from the cognate languages (see HALOT 272 s.v.), one might propose the
meaning “base character,” or “morally foolish behavior.”
·
End “NET®” notes
[xi]
Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English.
NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Ps 12.
1
Lit cause to hear the sound of His praise
a
Ps 98:4
1
Lit puts our soul in life
a
Ps 30:3
b
Ps 121:3
2
Or dodder, stumble
a
Job 23:10; Ps 7:9; 17:3; 26:2
b
Is 48:10; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1 Pet 1:7
a
Lam 1:13; Ezek 12:13
a
Is 51:23
b
Ps 78:21; Is 43:2
c
Ps 18:19
a
Ps 96:8; Jer 17:26
b
Ps 22:25; 116:14; Eccl 5:4
a
Ps 18:6
[xii]
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update
(La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 66:8–14.
t Ps. 66:10, 12; Isai. 48:10; Mal. 3:2, 3; 1 Pet. 1:7
u [Ps. 50:15]
v ch. 10:6
w ch. 8:8; See Ezek. 11:20
[xiii] The Holy Bible : English standard version.
2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
g 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3
h Tit. 3:5
i ver. 23
j ch. 3:21; [1 Cor. 15:20]
k Rom. 8:17
l [ch. 5:4]
m [Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 4:8]
n Eph. 2:8
o [ch. 5:10; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17; Heb. 12:11]
p James 1:2; [ch. 4:12]
q James 1:3
r Job 23:10; Ps. 66:10; Prov. 17:3; Isai. 48:10
s 1 Cor. 3:13
t Rom. 2:7, 10; 1 Cor. 4:5; [2 Thess. 1:7-12]
u [1 John 4:20]
v [Heb. 11:27]; See John 20:29
w Rom. 6:22
[xiv] The Holy Bible : English standard version.
2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
a Luke 10:3
1 Or show yourselves to be
b Gen 3:1; Matt 24:25; Rom 16:19
c Hos 7:11
a Matt 5:22
b Matt 23:34; Mark 13:9; Luke 12:11; Acts 5:40; 22:19;
26:11
a Matt 10:19–22: Mark 13:11–13; Luke 21:12–17
b Matt 6:25; Luke 12:11, 12
a Luke 12:12; Acts 4:8; 13:9; 2 Cor 13:3
a Matt 10:35, 36; Mark 13:12
b Mic 7:6
1 Lit put them to death
a Matt 24:9; Luke 21:17; John 15:18ff
b Matt 24:13; Mark 13:13
a Matt 23:34
1 Lit this
2 Lit the other
b Matt 16:27f
a Luke 6:40; John 13:16; 15:20
1 Or student
a Matt 9:34
1 Or Beezebul: ruler of demons
b 2 Kin 1:2; Matt 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19
a Matt 10:26–33: Luke 12:2–9
b Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2; 1 Cor 4:5
a Luke 12:3
b Matt 24:17; Acts 5:20
a Heb 10:31
1 Gr Gehenna
b Matt 5:22; Luke 12:5
a Luke 12:6
1 Gr assarion, the smallest copper coin
a 1 Sam 14:45; 2 Sam 14:11; 1 Kin 1:52; Luke 21:18; Acts
27:34
a Matt 12:12
a Luke 12:8; Rev 3:5
1 Lit will confess in Me
2 Lit in him
a Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 2 Tim 2:12
1 Lit will deny
a Matt 10:34, 35: Luke 12:51–53
1 Lit cast
a Mic 7:6; Matt 10:21; Luke 12:53
a Mic 7:6; Matt 10:21
a Deut 33:9; Luke 14:26
a Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27
a Matt 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25
1 Or soul
1 Or soul
[xv] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update.
1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
z
2:14 Or Can faith, or Can that faith,
or Can such faith
a
2:14–16 Mt 25:35–36; Lk 3:11; 1Jn
3:16–18
b
2:18 The quotation may end here or
after v. 18b or v. 19.
c
2:18 Other mss read Show me your faith from your works, and from
my works I will show you my faith.
d
2:18 Rm 3:28; Heb 11:33; Jms 3:13
e
2:19 Dt 6:4; Mt 8:29; Lk 4:34
[xvii]
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard
Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009), Jas 2:14–19.
