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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 121

Psalm 121^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

121 I look up^[c] toward the hills.
From where^[d] does my help come?
²My help comes from the Lord,^[e]
the Creator^[f] of heaven and earth.
³May he not allow your foot to slip.
May your Protector^[g] not sleep.^[h]
⁴Look! Israel’s Protector^[i]
does not sleep or slumber.
⁵The Lord is your protector;
the Lord is the shade at your right hand.
⁶The sun will not harm you by day,
or the moon by night.^[j]
⁷The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.
⁸The Lord will protect you in all you do,^[k]
now and forevermore.

Footnotes

Psalm 121:1 sn Psalm 121. The psalm affirms that the Lord protects his people Israel. Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in vv. 3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes v. 3. The translation assumes that speaker one talks in vv. 1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in v. 3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in vv. 4-8. If the verbs in v. 3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Verses 3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one. See the note on the word “sleep” at the end of v. 3.
Psalm 121:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
Psalm 121:1 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
Psalm 121:1 tn The Hebrew term מֵאַיִן (meʾayin) is interrogative, not relative, in function. Rather than directly stating that his source of help descends from the hills, the psalmist is asking, “From where does my help come?” Nevertheless, the first line does indicate that he is looking toward the hills for help, probably indicating that he is looking up toward the sky, or up toward the temple, in anticipation of supernatural intervention. The psalmist assumes the dramatic role of one needing help. He answers his own question in v. 2.
Psalm 121:2 tn Heb “my help [is] from with the Lord.”
Psalm 121:2 tn Or “Maker.”
Psalm 121:3 tn Heb “the one who guards you.”
Psalm 121:3 tn The prefixed verbal forms following the negative particle אַל (ʾal) appear to be jussives. As noted above, if they are taken as true jussives of prayer, then the speaker in v. 3 would appear to be distinct from both the speaker in vv. 1-2 and the speaker in vv. 4-8. However, according to GKC 322 §109.e), the jussives are used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one should probably translate, “he will not allow your foot to slip, your protector will not sleep,” and understand just one speaker in vv. 4-8. But none of the examples in GKC for this use of the jussive are compelling.
Psalm 121:4 tn Heb “the one who guards Israel.”
Psalm 121:6 sn One hardly thinks of the moon’s rays as being physically harmful, like those of the sun. The reference to the moon may simply lend poetic balance to the verse, but it is likely that the verse reflects an ancient, primitive belief that the moon could have an adverse effect on the mind (note the English expression “moonstruck,” which reflects such a belief). Another possibility is that the sun and moon stand by metonymy for harmful forces characteristic of the day and night, respectively.
Psalm 121:8 tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.”

Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year of King Uzziah’s death,^[a] I saw the Lord^[b] seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. ²Seraphs^[c] stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,^[d] and they used the remaining two to fly. ³They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy^[e] is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!^[f] His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” ⁴The sound of their voices shook the door frames,^[g] and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵I said, “Woe to me! I am destroyed,^[h] for my lips are contaminated by sin,^[i] and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin.^[j] My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”^[k] ⁶But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. ⁷He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.”^[l] ⁸I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?”^[m] I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Footnotes

Isaiah 6:1 sn That is, approximately 740 b.c.
Isaiah 6:1 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 8, 11 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
Isaiah 6:2 tn Hebrew שָׂרָף (saraf, “seraph”) literally means “burning one,” perhaps suggesting that these creatures had a fiery appearance (cf. TEV, CEV “flaming creatures”; NCV “heavenly creatures of fire”). Elsewhere in the OT the word “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num 21:6; Deut 8:15; Isa 14:29; 30:6). Perhaps they were called “burning ones” because of their appearance or the effect of their venomous bites, which would cause a victim to burn up with fever. It is possible that the seraphs seen by Isaiah were at least partially serpentine in appearance. Though it might seem strange for a snake-like creature to have wings, two of the texts where “seraphs” are snakes describe them as “flying” (Isa 14:29; 30:6), perhaps referring to their darting movements. See the note at 14:29.
Isaiah 6:2 sn Some understand “feet” here as a euphemistic reference to the genitals.
Isaiah 6:3 tn Some have seen a reference to the Trinity in the seraphs’ threefold declaration, “holy, holy, holy.” This proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical. Hebrew sometimes uses repetition for emphasis. (See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a; and GKC 431-32 §133.k.) By repeating the word “holy,” the seraphs emphasize the degree of the Lord’s holiness. For another example of threefold repetition for emphasis, see Ezek 21:27 (Heb. v. 32). (Perhaps Jer 22:29 provides another example.)sn Or “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has absolute sovereign authority!” The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” In this context the Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. Note the emphasis on the elevated position of his throne in v. 1 and his designation as “the king” in v. 5. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. He is “set apart” from his subjects in a moral sense as well. He sets the standard; they fall short of it. Note that in v. 5 Isaiah laments that he is morally unworthy to be in the king’s presence.
Isaiah 6:3 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
Isaiah 6:4 tn On the phrase אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים (ʾammot hassippim, “pivots of the frames”) see HALOT 763 s.v. סַף.
Isaiah 6:5 tn Isaiah uses the suffixed (perfect) form of the verb for rhetorical purposes. In this way his destruction is described as occurring or as already completed. Rather than understanding the verb as derived from דָּמַה (damah, “be destroyed”), some take it from a proposed homonymic root דמה, which would mean “be silent.” In this case, one might translate, “I must be silent.”
Isaiah 6:5 tn Heb “a man unclean of lips am I.” Isaiah is not qualified to praise the king. His lips (the instruments of praise) are “unclean” because he has been contaminated by sin.
Isaiah 6:5 tn Heb “and among a nation unclean of lips I live.”
Isaiah 6:5 tn Perhaps in this context, the title has a less militaristic connotation and pictures the Lord as the ruler of the heavenly assembly. See the note at 1:9.
Isaiah 6:7 tn Or “ritually cleansed,” or “atoned for” (NIV).
Isaiah 6:8 tn Heb “for us.” The plural pronoun refers to the Lord, the seraphs, and the rest of the heavenly assembly.

Luke 5:1-11

The Call of the Disciples

5 Now^[a] Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[b] and the crowd was pressing around him^[c] to hear the word of God. ²He^[d] saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. ³He got into^[e] one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then^[f] Jesus^[g] sat down^[h] and taught the crowds from the boat.^[i] ⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower^[j] your nets for a catch.” ⁵Simon^[k] answered,^[l] “Master,^[m] we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word^[n] I will lower^[o] the nets.” ⁶When^[p] they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear.^[q] ⁷So^[r] they motioned^[s] to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink.^[t] ⁸But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord,^[u] for I am a sinful man!”^[v] ⁹For^[w] Peter^[x] and all who were with him were astonished^[y] at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners.^[z] Then^[aa] Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on^[ab] you will be catching people!”^[ac] ¹¹So^[ad] when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed^[ae] him.

Footnotes

Luke 5:1 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 5:1 sn The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. Cf. the parallel in Matt 4:18.
Luke 5:1 sn The image of the crowd pressing around him suggests the people leaning forward to catch Jesus’ every word.
Luke 5:2 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:3 tn Grk “Getting into”; the participle ἐμβάς (embas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 5:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:3 tn Grk “sitting down”; the participle καθίσας (kathisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 5:3 sn In 1986 following a period of drought and low lake levels, a fishing boat from the first century was discovered on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was excavated and preserved and can now be seen in the Yigal Allon Museum in Kibbutz Ginosar north of Tiberias. The remains of the boat are 27 ft (8.27 m) long and 7.5 ft (2.3 m) wide; it could be rowed by four rowers and had a mast for a sail. The boat is now known as the “Jesus boat” or the “Sea of Galilee boat” although there is no known historical connection of any kind with Jesus or his disciples. However, the boat is typical for the period and has provided archaeologists with much information about design and construction of boats on the Sea of Galilee in the first century.
Luke 5:4 tn Or “let down.” The verb here is plural, so this is a command to all in the boat, not just Peter.
Luke 5:5 tn Grk “And Simon.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:5 tn Grk “answering, Simon said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation to “Simon answered.”
Luke 5:5 tn The word ἐπιστάτης is a term of respect for a person of high status (see L&N 87.50).
Luke 5:5 tn The expression “at your word,” which shows Peter’s obedience, stands first in the Greek clause for emphasis.
Luke 5:5 tn Or “let down.”
Luke 5:6 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 5:6 tn In context, this imperfect verb is best taken as an ingressive imperfect.
Luke 5:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate consequential nature of the action.
Luke 5:7 tn That is, “they signaled by making gestures” (L&N 33.485).
Luke 5:7 tn This infinitive conveys the idea that the boats were at the point of sinking (BDF §338.1).
Luke 5:8 sn Lord is a term of high respect in this context. God’s presence in the work of Jesus makes Peter recognize his authority. This vocative is common in Luke (20 times), but does not yet have its full confessional force.
Luke 5:8 sn Peter was intimidated that someone who was obviously working with divine backing was in his presence (“Go away from me”). He feared his sinfulness might lead to judgment, but Jesus would show him otherwise.
Luke 5:9 sn An explanatory conjunction (For) makes it clear that Peter’s exclamation is the result of a surprising set of events. He speaks, but the others feel similarly.
Luke 5:9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 5:9 sn In the Greek text, this term is in an emphatic position.
Luke 5:10 tn Or “business associates.”
Luke 5:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 5:10 sn From now on is a common Lukan expression, see Luke 1:48.
Luke 5:10 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”sn The kind of fishing envisioned was net—not line—fishing, which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new “catch” (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment (cf. W. L. Lane, Mark [NICNT], 67; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:461). If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life. With the statement “You will be catching people” Jesus turns the miracle into a metaphor for mission.
Luke 5:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of Jesus’ pronouncement.
Luke 5:11 sn The expression left everything and followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 121[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

Isaiah’s Commission

Footnotes

The Call of the Disciples

Footnotes

Psalm 121^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]