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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 23

Psalm 23^[a]

A psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,^[b]
I lack nothing.^[c]
²He takes me to lush pastures,^[d]
he leads me to refreshing water.^[e]
³He restores my strength.^[f]
He leads me down^[g] the right paths^[h]
for the sake of his reputation.^[i]
⁴Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,^[j]
I fear^[k] no danger,^[l]
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me.^[m]
⁵You prepare a feast before me^[n]
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh^[o] my head with oil;
my cup is completely full.^[p]
⁶Surely your goodness and faithfulness^[q] will pursue^[r] me all my days,^[s]
and I will live in^[t] the Lord’s house^[u] for the rest of my life.^[v]

Footnotes

Psalm 23:1 sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.
Psalm 23:1 sn The Lord is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the Lord is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.
Psalm 23:1 tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the Lord as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.
Psalm 23:2 tn Heb “he makes me lie down in lush pastures.” The Hiphil verb יַרְבִּיצֵנִי (yarbitseni) has a causative-modal nuance here (see IBHS 445-46 §27.5 on this use of the Hiphil), meaning “allows me to lie down” (see also Jer 33:12). The point is that the shepherd takes the sheep to lush pastures and lets them eat and rest there. Both imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing and highlight the psalmist’s typical experience.
Psalm 23:2 tn Both genitives in v. 2 indicate an attribute of the noun they modify: דֶּשֶׁא (desheʾ) characterizes the pastures as “lush” (i.e., rich with vegetation), while מְנֻחוֹת (m^enukhot) probably characterizes the water as refreshing. In this case the plural indicates an abstract quality. Some take מְנֻחוֹת in the sense of “still, calm” (i.e., as describing calm pools in contrast to dangerous torrents), but it is unlikely that such a pastoral scene is in view. Shepherds usually watered their sheep at wells (see Gen 29:2-3; Exod 2:16-19). Another option is to take מְנֻחוֹת as “resting places” and to translate, “water of/at the resting places” (i.e., a genitive of location; see IBHS 147-48 §9.5.2e).sn Within the framework of the metaphor, the psalmist/sheep is declaring in v. 2 that his shepherd provides the essentials for physical life. At a deeper level the psalmist may be referring to more than just physical provision, though that would certainly be included.
Psalm 23:3 tn The appearance of the Hebrew term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi), traditionally translated “my soul,” might suggest a spiritualized interpretation for the first line of v. 3. However, at the surface level of the shepherd/sheep metaphor, this is unlikely. When it occurs with a pronominal suffix נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v.נֶפֶשׁ 4.a). In this context, where the statement most naturally refers to the physical provision just described, the form is best translated simply “me.” The accompanying verb (a Polel form [factitive use] of שׁוּב [shuv]), if referring to the physical provision just described, carries the nuance “refresh, restore strength.”
Psalm 23:3 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יְשׁוֹבֵב [y^eshovev] and יַנְחֵנִי [yankheni]), like those in vv. 1-2, highlight what is typical of the shepherd/sheep relationship.
Psalm 23:3 tn The attributive genitive צֶדֶק (tsedeq) is traditionally translated “righteousness” here, as if designating a moral or ethical quality. But this seems unlikely, for it modifies מַעְגְּלֵי (maʿg^ele, “paths”). Within the shepherd/sheep metaphor, the phrase likely refers to “right” or “correct” paths, i.e., ones that lead to pastures, wells, or the fold. While צֶדֶק usually does carry a moral or ethical nuance, it can occasionally refer to less abstract things, such as weights and offerings. In this context, which emphasizes divine provision and protection, the underlying reality is probably God’s providential guidance. The psalmist is confident that God takes him down paths that will ultimately lead to something beneficial, not destructive.
Psalm 23:3 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the shepherd’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.) The statement לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (l^emaʿan sh^emo, “for the sake of his name”) makes excellent sense within the framework of the shepherd/sheep metaphor. Shepherds, who sometimes hired out their services, were undoubtedly concerned about their vocational reputation. To maintain their reputation as competent shepherds, they had to know the “lay of the land” and make sure they led the sheep down the right paths to the proper destinations. The underlying reality is a profound theological truth: God must look out for the best interests of the one he has promised to protect, because if he fails to do so, his faithfulness could legitimately be called into question and his reputation damaged.
Psalm 23:4 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל [tsel] + מָוֶת [mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צָלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צָלַם, tsalam) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. If the word does indeed mean “darkness,” it modifies גַיְא (gayʾ, “valley, ravine”) quite naturally. At the metaphorical level, v. 4 pictures the shepherd taking his sheep through a dark ravine where predators might lurk. The life-threatening situations faced by the psalmist are the underlying reality behind the imagery.
Psalm 23:4 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 4, as in vv. 1-3, highlight what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
Psalm 23:4 tn The Hebrew term רָע (raʿ) is traditionally translated “evil” here, perhaps suggesting a moral or ethical nuance. But at the level of the metaphor, the word means “danger, injury, harm,” as a sheep might experience from a predator. The life-threatening dangers faced by the psalmist, especially the enemies mentioned in v. 5, are the underlying reality.
Psalm 23:4 tn The Piel of נָחַם (nakham), when used with a human object, means “comfort, console.” But here, within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations.
Psalm 23:5 sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23, ” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.
Psalm 23:5 tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.
Psalm 23:5 tn The rare noun רְוָיָה (r^evayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.
Psalm 23:6 tn The noun חֶסֶד (khesed; v. 6) has been the subject of several monographs. G. R. Clark concludes that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient.” He explains that an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him- or herself.” (See G. R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267.) HALOT 336-37 s.v. defines the word as “loyalty,” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate meanings might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
Psalm 23:6 tn The use of רָדַף (radaf, “pursue, chase”) with טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov vakhesed, “goodness and faithfulness”) as subject is ironic. This is the only place in the entire OT where either of these nouns appears as the subject of this verb רָדַף (radaf, “pursue”). This verb is often used to describe the hostile actions of enemies. One might expect the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 5) to chase him, but ironically God’s “goodness and faithfulness” (which are personified and stand by metonymy for God himself) pursue him instead. The word “pursue” is used outside of its normal context in an ironic manner and creates a unique, but pleasant word picture of God’s favor (or a kind God) “chasing down” the one whom he loves.
Psalm 23:6 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
Psalm 23:6 tn The verb form וְשַׁבְתִּי (v^eshavti) is a Qal perfect (with vav [ו] consecutive), first common singular, from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) and should be translated, “and I will return.” But this makes no sense when construed with the following phrase, “in the house of the Lord.” The term שׁוּב (shuv) appears only here with the following phrase בְּבֵית (b^evet). The form should be emended to וְשִׁבְתִּי (v^eshivti; an infinitive construct from יָשַׁב [yashav, “live”] with pronominal suffix) or to וְיָשַׁבְתִּי (v^eyashavti; a Qal perfect with vav [ו] consecutive, first common singular, from ישׁב [see BHS, note c]). In either case one could then translate, “and I will live [in the house of the Lord].” The phrase “in the house” frequently follows the verb יָשַׁב in the OT.
Psalm 23:6 tn Heb “the house of the Lord.” The phrase may be purely metaphorical here, referring to the royal palace where the royal host of v. 5 holds his banquet and lives. If one takes the phrase more literally, it would refer to the earthly tabernacle (if one accepts Davidic authorship) or the later temple (see Judg 19:18; 1 Sam 1:7, 24; 2 Sam 12:20; 1 Kgs 7:12, 40, 45, 51).
Psalm 23:6 tn The phrase אֹרֶךְ יָמִים (ʾorekh yamim, “length of days”) is traditionally translated “forever.” However, this phrase, when used elsewhere of people, usually refers to a lengthy period of time, such as one’s lifetime, and does not mean “forever” in the sense of eternity. (Cf. Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20.) Furthermore, the parallel phrase “all the days of my life” suggests this more limited meaning. Psalm 21:4, where the phrase is followed by “forever and ever,” may be an exception, though the juxtaposition of the phrases may be an example of intensification, where the second phrase goes beyond the limits of the first, rather than synonymity. Even if one takes both expressions as referring to eternal life, the language is part of the king’s hyperbolic description of the Lord’s blessings and should not be taken literally.

Ezekiel 11

The Fall of Jerusalem

11 A wind^[a] lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s temple that faces the east. There, at the entrance of the gate, I noticed twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, officials of the people.^[b] ²The Lord^[c] said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city. ³They say,^[d] ‘The time is not near to build houses;^[e] the city^[f] is a cooking pot,^[g] and we are the meat in it.’ ⁴Therefore, prophesy against them! Prophesy, son of man!”

⁵Then the Spirit of the Lord came^[h] upon me and said to me, “Say: ‘This is what the Lord says: This is what you are thinking,^[i] O house of Israel; I know what goes through your minds.^[j] ⁶You have killed many people in this city; you have filled its streets with corpses.’ ⁷Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘The corpses you have dumped^[k] in the midst of the city^[l] are the meat, and this city^[m] is the cooking pot, but I will take you out of it.^[n] ⁸You fear the sword, so the sword I will bring against you,’ declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹‘But I will take you out of the city.^[o] And I will hand you over to foreigners. I will execute judgments on you. ¹⁰You will die by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not^[p] be meat within it; I will judge you at the border of Israel. ¹²Then you will know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose regulations you have not carried out. Instead you have behaved according to the regulations of the nations around you!’”

¹³Now, while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I threw myself face down and cried out with a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! You are completely wiping out the remnant of Israel!”^[q]

¹⁴Then the Lord’s message came to me: ¹⁵“Son of man, your brothers,^[r] your relatives,^[s] and the whole house of Israel, all of them are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They have gone far away^[t] from the Lord; to us this land has been given as a possession.’

¹⁶“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have removed them far away among the nations and have dispersed them among the countries, I have been a little^[u] sanctuary for them among the lands where they have gone.’

¹⁷“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I regather you from the peoples and assemble you from the lands where you have been dispersed, I will give you back the country of Israel.’

¹⁸“When they return to it, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. ¹⁹I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them;^[v] I will remove the hearts of stone from their bodies^[w] and I will give them tender hearts,^[x] ²⁰so that they may follow my statutes and observe my regulations and carry them out. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.^[y] ²¹But those whose hearts are devoted to detestable things and abominations, I hereby repay them for what they have done,^[z] says the Sovereign Lord.”

²²Then the cherubim spread^[aa] their wings with their wheels alongside them while the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. ²³The glory of the Lord rose up from within the city and stopped^[ab] over the mountain east of it. ²⁴Then a wind^[ac] lifted me up and carried me to the exiles in Babylonia,^[ad] in the vision given to me by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me. ²⁵So I told the exiles everything^[ae] the Lord had shown me.

Footnotes

Ezekiel 11:1 tn Or “spirit.” See note on “wind” in 2:2.
Ezekiel 11:1 sn The phrase officials of the people occurs in Neh 11:1; 1 Chr 21:2; 2 Chr 24:23.
Ezekiel 11:2 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Ezekiel 11:3 tn The Hebrew verb may mean “think” in this context. This content of what they say (or think) represents their point of view.
Ezekiel 11:3 sn The expression build houses may mean “establish families” (Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; Prov 24:27).
Ezekiel 11:3 tn Heb “she” or “it”; the feminine pronoun refers here to Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 11:3 sn Jerusalem is also compared to a pot in Ezek 24:3-8. The siege of the city is pictured as heating up the pot.
Ezekiel 11:5 tn Heb “fell.”
Ezekiel 11:5 tn The Hebrew verb commonly means “to say” but may also mean “to think” (see also v. 3).
Ezekiel 11:5 tn Heb “I know the steps of your spirits.”
Ezekiel 11:7 tn Heb “placed.”
Ezekiel 11:7 tn Heb “in its midst.”
Ezekiel 11:7 tn Heb “she/it.” See v. 3.
Ezekiel 11:7 tc Many of the versions have “I will bring you out” (active) rather than “he brought out” (the reading of MT).
Ezekiel 11:9 tn Heb “its midst.”
Ezekiel 11:11 tn The Hebrew text does not have the negative particle, but it is implied. The negative particle in the previous line does double duty here.
Ezekiel 11:13 tc The LXX reads this statement as a question. Compare this to the question in 9:8. It is possible that the interrogative particle has been omitted by haplography. However, an exclamatory statement as in the MT also makes sense, and the LXX may have simply tried to harmonize this passage with 9:8.
Ezekiel 11:15 tc The MT reads “your brothers, your brothers” either for emphasis (D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:341, n. 1; 346) or as a result of dittography.
Ezekiel 11:15 tc The MT reads גְאֻלָּתֶךָ (g^eʾullatekha, “your redemption-men”), referring to the relatives responsible for deliverance in times of hardship (see Lev 25:25-55). The LXX and Syriac read “your fellow exiles,” assuming an underlying Hebrew text of גָלוּתֶךָ (galutekha) or having read the א (alef) as an internal mater lectionis for holem.
Ezekiel 11:15 tc The MT has an imperative form (“go far!”), but it may be read with different vowels as a perfect verb (“they have gone far”).
Ezekiel 11:16 tn Or “have been partially a sanctuary”; others take this as temporal (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV “a little while”).
Ezekiel 11:19 tc The MT reads “you”; many Hebrew mss along with the LXX and other ancient versions read “within them.”
Ezekiel 11:19 tn Heb “their flesh.”
Ezekiel 11:19 tn Heb “heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 11:20 sn The expression They will be my people, and I will be their God occurs as a promise to Abraham (Gen 17:8), Moses (Exod 6:7), and the nation (Exod 29:45).
Ezekiel 11:21 tn Heb “their way on their head I have placed.”
Ezekiel 11:22 tn Heb “lifted.”
Ezekiel 11:23 tn Heb “stood.”
Ezekiel 11:24 tn Or “spirit.” See note on “wind” in 2:2.
Ezekiel 11:24 tn Heb “to Chaldea.”
Ezekiel 11:25 tn Heb “all the words of.”

Revelation 5:1-10

The Opening of the Scroll

5 Then^[a] I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back^[b] and sealed with seven seals.^[c] ²And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” ³But^[d] no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. ⁴So^[e] I began weeping bitterly^[f] because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵Then^[g] one of the elders said^[h] to me, “Stop weeping!^[i] Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered;^[j] thus he can open^[k] the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶Then^[l] I saw standing in the middle of the throne^[m] and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed.^[n] He had^[o] seven horns and seven eyes, which^[p] are the seven^[q] spirits of God^[r] sent out into all the earth. ⁷Then^[s] he came and took the scroll^[t] from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, ⁸and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground^[u] before the Lamb. Each^[v] of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints).^[w] ⁹They were singing a new song:^[x]

“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals
because you were killed,^[y]
and at the cost of your own blood^[z] you have purchased^[aa] for God
persons^[ab] from every tribe, language,^[ac] people, and nation.
¹⁰You have appointed^[ad] them^[ae] as a kingdom and priests^[af] to serve^[ag] our God, and they will reign^[ah] on the earth.”

Footnotes

Revelation 5:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 5:1 tn Grk “written on the inside and the outside” (an idiom for having writing on both sides).
Revelation 5:1 tn L&N 6.55 states, “From the immediate context of Re 5:1 it is not possible to determine whether the scroll in question had seven seals on the outside or whether the scroll was sealed at seven different points. However, since according to chapter six of Revelation the seals were broken one after another, it would appear as though the scroll had been sealed at seven different places as it had been rolled up.”
Revelation 5:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Revelation 5:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of no one being found worthy to open the scroll.
Revelation 5:4 tn Grk “much.”
Revelation 5:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 5:5 tn Grk “says” (a historical present).
Revelation 5:5 tn The present imperative with μή (mē) is used here to command cessation of an action in progress (ExSyn 724 lists this verse as an example).
Revelation 5:5 tn Or “has been victorious”; traditionally, “has overcome.”
Revelation 5:5 tn The infinitive has been translated as an infinitive of result here.
Revelation 5:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
Revelation 5:6 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
Revelation 5:6 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.” The phrase behind this translation is ὡς ἐσφαγμένον (hōs esphagmenon). The particle ὡς is used in Greek generally for comparison, and in Revelation it is used often to describe the appearance of what the author saw. This phrase does not imply that the Lamb “appeared to have been killed” but in reality was not, because the wider context of the NT shows that in fact the Lamb, i.e., Jesus, was killed. See 13:3 for the only other occurrence of this phrase in the NT.
Revelation 5:6 tn Grk “killed, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he.”
Revelation 5:6 sn The relative pronoun which is masculine, referring back to the eyes rather than to the horns.
Revelation 5:6 tc There is good ms evidence for the inclusion of “seven” (ἑπτά, hepta; P²⁴ א 2053 2351 M^K). There is equally good ms support for the omission of the term (A 1006 1611 M^A). It may have been accidentally added due to its repeated presence in the immediately preceding phrases, or it may have been intentionally added to maintain the symmetry of the phrases or more likely to harmonize the phrase with 1:4; 3:1; 4:5. Or it may have been accidentally deleted by way of homoioteleuton (τὰ ἑπτά, ta hepta). A decision is difficult in this instance. NA²⁸ also does not find the problem easy to solve, placing the word in brackets to indicate doubts as to its authenticity.
Revelation 5:6 sn See the note on the phrase the seven spirits of God in Rev 4:5.
Revelation 5:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
Revelation 5:7 tn The words “the scroll” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Revelation 5:8 tn Grk “fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
Revelation 5:8 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Revelation 5:8 sn This interpretive comment by the author forms a parenthesis in the narrative.
Revelation 5:9 tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.
Revelation 5:9 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”
Revelation 5:9 tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”
Revelation 5:9 tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tō theō] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 M sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, hēmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, ēgorasas). A few mss (1 vg^ms) delete the reference to God altogether and simply replace it with “us” (ἡμᾶς). This too is an attempt to remove ambiguity in the phrase and provide an object for “purchased.” The shorter reading, supported by the best witness for Revelation, best accounts for the other readings.
Revelation 5:9 tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Revelation 5:9 tn Grk “and language,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Revelation 5:10 tn The verb ἐποίησας (epoiēsas) is understood to mean “appointed” here. For an example of this use, see Mark 3:14.
Revelation 5:10 tc The vast majority of witnesses have αὐτούς (autous, “them”) here, while the Textus Receptus reads ἡμᾶς (hēmas, “us”) with insignificant support (pc gig vg^cl sa Prim Bea). There is no question that the original text read αὐτούς here.
Revelation 5:10 tn The reference to “kingdom and priests” may be a hendiadys: “priestly kingdom.”
Revelation 5:10 tn The words “to serve” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the word “priests.”
Revelation 5:10 tc The textual problem here between the present tense βασιλεύουσιν (basileuousin, “they are reigning”; so A 1006 1611 M^K) and the future βασιλεύσουσιν (basileusousin, “they will reign”; so א 1854 2053 M^A lat co) is a difficult one. Both readings have excellent support. On the one hand, the present tense seems to be the harder reading in this context. On the other hand, codex A elsewhere mistakes the future for the present (20:6). Further, the lunate sigma in majuscule script could have been overlooked by some scribes, resulting in the present tense. All things considered, there is a slight preference for the future.

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 23[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

The Fall of Jerusalem

Footnotes

The Opening of the Scroll

Footnotes

Psalm 23^[a]