◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 67 (Let the nations be glad); Proverbs 2:1-5 (Knowledge of God like silver); Acts 15:36-41 (Paul and Barnabas part company) (New English Translation)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 67

Psalm 67^[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.

67 May God show us his favor^[b] and bless us.^[c]
May he smile on us.^[d] (Selah)
²Then those living on earth will know what you are like;
all nations will know how you deliver your people.^[e]
³Let the nations thank you, O God.
Let all the nations thank you.^[f]
⁴Let foreigners^[g] rejoice and celebrate.
For you execute justice among the nations,
and govern the people living on earth.^[h] (Selah)
⁵Let the nations thank you, O God.
Let all the nations thank you.^[i]
⁶The earth yields its crops.
May God, our God, bless us.
⁷May God bless us.^[j]
Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves.^[k]

Footnotes

Psalm 67:1 sn Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world.
Psalm 67:1 tn Or “have mercy on us.”
Psalm 67:1 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (yaʾer) in the next line.
Psalm 67:1 tn Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.”
Psalm 67:2 tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with ל (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.
Psalm 67:3 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in vv. 3-4a are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
Psalm 67:4 tn Or “peoples.”
Psalm 67:4 tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).
Psalm 67:5 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 5 are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
Psalm 67:7 tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.
Psalm 67:7 tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”

Proverbs 2:1-5

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom^[a]

2 My child,^[b] if^[c] you receive my words,
and store up^[d] my commands inside yourself,^[e]
²by making^[f] your ear^[g] attentive to wisdom,
and^[h] by turning^[i] your heart^[j] to understanding,
³indeed, if^[k] you call out for discernment^[l]—
shout loudly^[m] for understanding—
⁴if^[n] you seek^[o] it like silver,^[p]
and search for it^[q] like hidden treasure,
⁵then you will understand^[r] how to fear the Lord,^[s]
and you will discover^[t] knowledge^[u] about God.^[v]

Footnotes

Proverbs 2:1 sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and immoral women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).
Proverbs 2:1 tn Heb “my son.”
Proverbs 2:1 sn Verses 1-11 form one long conditional sentence in the Hebrew text: (1) the protasis (“if…”) encompasses vv. 1-4 and (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consists of two parallel panels in vv. 5-8 and vv. 9-11 both of which are introduced by the particle אָז (ʾaz, “then”).
Proverbs 2:1 sn The verb “to store up” (צָפַן, tsafan; cf. NAB, NLT “treasure”) in the second colon qualifies the term “receive” (לָקַח, laqakh) in the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism occurs throughout the next three verses. The verb “to store up; to treasure” is used in reference to things of value for future use, e.g., wealth, dowry for a bride. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think which in turn will influence attitudes (W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 43).
Proverbs 2:1 tn Heb “store up with yourself.” Most translations use “treasure… within you” (NASB, NKJV, NRSV), but also “store up” (NIV) or “with you” (ESV). NIDOTTE 837 s.v. צָפַן says the verb “takes on the technical meaning of memorizing the commandments of God.” The instructions are to have these lessons stored up inside so that you can draw on them in need.sn The idea here is to study to be prepared. It is the opposite of the idea of getting in a difficult situation and then looking for something in the Bible to apply to your life. This verse is about applying your life to biblical wisdom and being prepared for situations that may come your way.
Proverbs 2:2 tn The Hiphil infinitive construct לְהַקְשִׁיב (l^ehaqshiv, “by making attentive”) functions as an epexegetical explanation of how one will receive the instruction.
Proverbs 2:2 sn The word “ear” is a metonymy of cause; the word is used as the instrument of hearing. But in parallelism with “heart” it indicates one aspect of the mental process of hearing and understanding. A “hearing ear” describes an obedient or responsive person (BDB 24 s.v. אֹזֶן 2).
Proverbs 2:2 tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
Proverbs 2:2 tn The Hiphil imperfect (“by turning”) continues the nuance introduced by the infinitive construct in the first colon (GKC 352 §114.r). The verb נָטָה (natah) normally means “to stretch out” and only occasionally “to turn” or “to incline” one’s heart to something, as is the case here.
Proverbs 2:2 tn Or “mind” (the center of the will, the choice).
Proverbs 2:3 tn Both particles retain their individual meanings, otherwise the verse would begin with a strong adversative and be a contrast to what has been said.
Proverbs 2:3 sn The noun recalls the second purpose of the book (1:2). It is also cognate to the last word of 2:2, forming a transition. The two objects of the prepositions in this verse are actually personifications, as if they could be summoned.
Proverbs 2:3 tn Heb “give your voice.” The expression means to shout loudly (BDB 679 s.v. נָתַן Qal 1.x, HALOT 735 s.v. נָתַן Qal 12), to make a sound that carries farther (e.g., Jer 2:15). J. H. Greenstone says, “If it [understanding] does not come at your first call, raise your voice to a higher pitch, put forth greater efforts” (Proverbs, 17).
Proverbs 2:4 tn The conditional particle now reiterates the initial conditional clause of this introductory section (1-4); the apodosis will follow in v. 5.
Proverbs 2:4 tn The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means “to search for; to seek; to investigate” (BDB 134 s.v.). This calls for the same diligence one would have in looking for silver.
Proverbs 2:4 sn The two similes affirm that the value placed on the object will influence the eagerness and diligence in the pursuit and development of wisdom (e.g., Job 28:9-11). The point is not only that the object sought is valuable, but that the effort will be demanding but rewarding.
Proverbs 2:4 sn The verb חָפַשׂ (khafas) means “to dig; to search” (BDB 344 s.v.; cf. NCV “hunt for it”). The Arabic cognate means “to dig for water.” It is used literally of Joseph searching his brothers’ sacks (Gen 44:12) and figuratively for searching the soul (Ps 64:7). This is a more emphatic word than the one used in the first colon and again emphasizes that acquiring wisdom will be demanding.
Proverbs 2:5 tn The verb בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to understand; to discern”) refers to ability to grasp, discern or be sensitive to what it means to fear the Lord.
Proverbs 2:5 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear and reverence.
Proverbs 2:5 tn Heb “find” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
Proverbs 2:5 tn The term דַּעַת (daʿat, “knowledge”) goes beyond cognition; it is often used metonymically (cause) for obedience (effect); see, e.g., Prov 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge him,” and BDB 395 s.v. This means that the disciple will follow God’s moral code; for to know God is to react ethically and spiritually to his will (e.g., J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 18).
Proverbs 2:5 tn Heb “knowledge of God.” The noun is an objective genitive.

Acts 15:36-41

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

³⁶After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return^[a] and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord^[b] to see how they are doing.”^[c] ³⁷Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, ³⁸but Paul insisted^[d] that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia^[e] and had not accompanied them in the work. ³⁹They had^[f] a sharp disagreement,^[g] so that they parted company. Barnabas took along^[h] Mark and sailed away to Cyprus,^[i] ⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended^[j] to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters.^[k] ⁴¹He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening^[l] the churches.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 67[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.

Footnotes

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom[a]

Footnotes

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

Footnotes

Psalm 67^[a]

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom^[a]