Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 50:1, 11-24

50:1 The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people

was the high priest, Simon son of Onias,

who in his life repaired the house,

and in his time fortified the temple. (Ecclesiasticus 50:1, NRSV)

11 When he put on his glorious robe

and clothed himself in perfect splendor,

when he went up to the holy altar,

he made the court of the sanctuary glorious.

12 When he received the portions from the hands of the priests,

as he stood by the hearth of the altar

with a garland of brothers around him,

he was like a young cedar on Lebanon

surrounded by the trunks of palm trees.

13 All the sons of Aaron in their splendor

held the Lord’s offering in their hands

before the whole congregation of Israel.

14 Finishing the service at the altars,

and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,

15 he held out his hand for the cup

and poured a drink offering of the blood of the grape;

he poured it out at the foot of the altar,

a pleasing odor to the Most High, the king of all.

16 Then the sons of Aaron shouted;

they blew their trumpets of hammered metal;

they sounded a mighty fanfare

as a reminder before the Most High.

17 Then all the people together quickly

fell to the ground on their faces

to worship their Lord,

the Almighty, God Most High.

18 Then the singers praised him with their voices

in sweet and full-toned melody.

19 And the people of the Lord Most High offered

their prayers before the Merciful One,

until the order of worship of the Lord was ended,

and they completed his ritual.

20 Then Simon came down and raised his hands

over the whole congregation of Israelites,

to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips,

and to glory in his name;

21 and they bowed down in worship a second time,

to receive the blessing from the Most High. A Benediction

22 And now bless the God of all,

who everywhere works great wonders,

who fosters our growth from birth,

and deals with us according to his mercy.

23 May he give us gladness of heart,

and may there be peace in our days

in Israel, as in the days of old.

24 May he entrust to us his mercy,

and may he deliver us in our days! (Ecclesiasticus 50:11-24, NRSV)

On November 10, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two), comments were repeated from November 5, 2004 (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two); they are repeated again here with editing and supplement:

Ben Sira concludes his long list of the “praises of famous men” (Ecclus. 44:1-50:21) with reference to Simon son of Onias, who was the high priest in Jerusalem from 219 to 196 B.C. “The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people / was the high priest, Simon son of Onias, / who in his life repaired the house, / and in his time fortified the temple” (Ecclus. 44:1). Synonymous parallelism, a common feature of Hebrew poetry, explains the double reference to the temple. The reading passes over description of Simon’s actions of repairing and fortifying the temple (vv. 2-4), and several comments on his “glorious” appearance in the high priestly robes (vv. 5-10). One occasion was apparently his emergence from the temple upon completion of his Day of Atonement duties (Lev. 16). “How glorious he was, surrounded by the people, / as he came out of the house of the curtain” (Ecclus. 50:5 NRSV). According to Burton L. Mack, revised by Benjamin G. Wright III, “The Hebrew for v. 5a reads “How glorious he was as he looked out from the tent” (instead of the Greek surrounded by the people)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Ecclus. 50:5). They apparently follow the Hebrew text from Hebrew manuscripts in the Cairo Genizah Collection,

lhxm vHygwhb rdhn hm (mah nehdār b^ehišgîach mē’ōhel) (S. Schechter and C. Taylor, edd., Cambridge, 1899, now available on the Internet at http://books.google.com, found by an advanced Google search for Ecclesiasticus Hebrew Cairo Geniza, accessed again November 6, 2008). Mack and Wright say, “Ben Sira recalls the tent, or tabernacle, in the wilderness. . . . No curtain or veil is mentioned for Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings 6, but was added to its description in 2 Chr. 3:14. See also 1 Macc. 1:21-23; Mk. 15:38; Heb. 10:20; Josephus, Antiquities 3.124-25” (loc. cit.).

After several comparisons emphasizing the glory of the high priest’s vestments, “like the morning star . . . like the moon” (Ecclus. 50:6), “like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High, / like the rainbow” (v. 7), and more, including roses, lilies, and a green shoot (v. 8), “like fire and incense in the censer, / like a vessel of hammered gold / studded with all kinds of precious stones” (v. 9), and “like an olive tree laden with fruit, / and like a cypress towering in the clouds” (v. 10), Ben Sira comes to a climax when the high priest in splendor approaches the altar. With this, the reading continues, “When he put on his glorious robe / and clothed himself in perfect splendor, / when he went up to the holy altar, / he made the court of the sanctuary glorious” (v. 11). According to Mack and Wright, “The high priest’s robe was frequently described at great length, and its symbols were allegorized by later writers such as Philo of Alexandria; cf. Ex. 28:2-43; 39:1-31; Wis. 18:24; Josephus, Antiquities 3.151-78” (ibid., on v. 11).

Ben Sira continues with a detailed description of the High Priest Simon’s service at the altar. “When he received the portions from the hands of the priests, / as he stood by the hearth of the altar / with a garland of brothers around him, / he was like a young cedar on Lebanon / surrounded by the trunks of palm trees” (v. 12). He is assisted by “all the sons of Aaron, ” who, “in their splendor / held the Lord’s offering in their hands / before the whole congregation of Israel” (v. 13). As the High Priest finishes “the service at the altars, / and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,” he [holds] out his hand for the cup / and [pours] a drink offering of the blood of the grape . . . out at the foot of the altar, / a pleasing odor to the Most High, the king of all” (vv. 14-15). The priests and the people respond to the High Priest’s actions. “Then the sons of Aaron shouted; / they blew their trumpets of hammered metal; / they sounded a mighty fanfare / as a reminder before the Most High” (v. 16). “Then all the people together quickly / fell to the ground on their faces / to worship their Lord, / the Almighty, God Most High” (v. 17). The occasion of worship continues with singing and prayers. “Then the singers praised him with their voices / in sweet and full-toned melody. / And the people of the Lord Most High offered / their prayers before the Merciful One, / until the order of worship of the Lord was ended, / and they completed his ritual” (vv. 18-19). Harold C. Washington refers, for the “singers,” to 2 Chr. 29:26-30) (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Ecclus. 50:18; cf. Mack and Wright, op. cit., on the same verse).

At this point in the service, Simon comes down and raises his hands “over the whole congregation of Israelites, / to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips, / and to glory in his name” (v. 20); and in response, the people bow “down in worship a second time, / to receive the blessing from the Most High” (v. 21). “The blessing,” says Washington, is “namely Num. 6:24-27” (op. cit., on v. 20). The priestly blessing, “The LORD bless you and keep you; / the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; / the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Num. 6:24-26), continues to be used by Christians as well as Jews. It has been set to music, and may be found on the Internet at cyberhymnal.org (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/o/r/lordbuku.htm, accessed November 6, 2008). According to David P. Wright, “This strikingly anthropomorphic blessing, in poetic style, was probably to be delivered at public gatherings at the sanctuary (cf. Lev. 9:22-23; see Num. 7:1-88n.). Two silver plaques from the seventh to sixth century BCE, found just outside Jerusalem, contain versions of this blessing, attesting to its traditional usage. For the language, cf. Ps. 4:6; 67:1; Mal. 1:8-10” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Num. 6:22-27).

The reading ends with what Washington calls “a concluding benediction.” “And now bless the God of all, / who everywhere works great wonders, / who fosters our growth from birth, / and deals with us according to his mercy. / May he give us gladness of heart, / and may there be peace in our days / in Israel, as in the days of old. / May he entrust to us his mercy, / and may he deliver us in our days!” (Ecclus. 50:22-24). According to Mack and Wright,

Ben Sira adds his own benediction and prayer for peace. The Hebrew differs from the Greek; it includes a prayer for God’s ‘lasting kindness toward Simon’ and for fulfillment of ‘the covenant with Phineas (cf. 45:23-24), items that may have been deleted by the grandson as embarrassing or dangerous in the light of the violent end to the Zadokite line of high priests that had occurred in the meantime. Onias III, Simon’s son, had been deposed and murdered (2 Macc. 4:34); Menelaus, who was not from a priestly family, had been installed as high priest by Antiochus IV; and the Maccabean wars had produced the Hasmonean dynasty of priest-kings. Thus it was obvious that Ben Sira’s prayer had not been answered. (op. cit., on vv. 22-24).

Simon was a contemporary of Ben Sira, so it may be that the list of heroes breaks off here because Ben Sira anticipated subsequent developments with disapproval.

.

Zephaniah 3:8-13

Punishment and Conversion of the Nations (Cp Gen 11.1-9; Acts 2.1-11)

8 Therefore wait for me, says the LORD,

for the day when I arise as a witness.

For my decision is to gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them my indignation,

all the heat of my anger;

for in the fire of my passion

all the earth shall be consumed.

9 At that time I will change the speech of the peoples

to a pure speech,

that all of them may call on the name of the LORD

and serve him with one accord.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia

my suppliants, my scattered ones,

shall bring my offering.

11 On that day you shall not be put to shame

because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;

for then I will remove from your midst

your proudly exultant ones,

and you shall no longer be haughty

in my holy mountain.

12 For I will leave in the midst of you

a people humble and lowly.

They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD-

13 the remnant of Israel;

they shall do no wrong

and utter no lies,

nor shall a deceitful tongue

be found in their mouths.

Then they will pasture and lie down,

and no one shall make them afraid. (Zephaniah 3:8-13, NRSV)

The following comments are based on those of November 10, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two), and relevant comments on Zephaniah 3:1-13 from November 29, 2007 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One) that were repeated with editing and supplement from November 24, 2005 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One), with some notes adapted from Nov. 27-28, 2003.

To this point most of Zephaniah has presented oracles of judgment against Judah (chap. 1), and her neighbors (chap. 2), and again against Jerusalem (3:1-8). In the first two chapters of Zephaniah, Judah and Jerusalem are rebuked for idolatry (Zeph. 1:4), and threatened with the woes of “the great day of the LORD” (1:14; cf. Amos 5:18-20). Judah is offered what Mobley calls “a muted call to repentance” (on 2:1-3) as the prophet says, “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, / who do his commands; / seek righteousness, seek humility; / perhaps you may be hidden / on the day of the LORD’s wrath” (v. 3). In a further echo of Amos, Zephaniah denounces Israel’s neighbors, including the Cherethites and Philistines (vv. 5-7), Moab and Ammon (vv. 8-11), Ethiopians (v. 12), and Assyria (vv. 13-15).

But in chapter 3, the prophet’s attention turns to Jerusalem. We may compare the way Amos denounces the surrounding nations (Amos 1:1-2:3) before turning his accusations against Judah (2:4-5) and Israel (vv. 6-8 and following). “Ah, soiled, defiled, / oppressing city!” says Zephaniah of Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:1). “It has listened to no voice; it has accepted no correction. / It has not trusted in the LORD; / it has not drawn near to its God” (v. 2). It would appear, as implied above by Richards, that the idolatrous practices of Manasseh especially, including the importation of Assyrian religious practices in what we might see as an attempt to appease the superpower of his day (cf. 1 Kgs. 21), still affected the Jerusalem of Zephaniah’s day. He pronounces judgment on Jerusalem for oppressive officials ("roaring lions," "evening wolves," Zeph. 3:3), "reckless, faithful" prophets and priests who "profane what is sacred" and do "violence to the law" (v. 4). In “a shift back to direct quotation of the LORD” (Richards, on vv. 6-13), God points out that he has punished nations. “I have laid waste their streets/so that no one walks in them;/their cities have been made desolate,/without people, without inhabitants” (v. 6). He expected that they would “accept correction,” but it did not happen that way. “But they were the more eager/to make all their deeds corrupt” (v. 7).

In today’s reading, we find the theme turning to salvation for Israel. Rex Mason comments on the transition here, saying that verse eight

is a totally unexpected denouement. One would expect vv. 1-7 to culminate in the announcement of God’s judgement against Jerusalem for all her sins, but instead, v. 8 appears to switch to the theme of the announcement of his judgement against the nations. If originally it was his intention to gather nations to act as his agents of judgement (a familiar prophetic theme, e.g. Ob. 1; Zech. 14:2) we would expect the verse to read ‘to pour out upon you,’ an emendation some have suggested (e.g. Renaud 1987: 243). Roberts (1991: 215) suggests that the verse is addressed to ‘the faithful’ and the “them’ on whom YHWH is to pour out his wrath are the faithless, corrupt officials of vv. 3-4. (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 606 on Zeph. 3:1-8)

And so, the LORD announces a time of universal punishment of nations. “ Therefore wait for me, says the LORD, / for the day when I arise as a witness. / For my decision is to gather nations, / to assemble kingdoms, / to pour out upon them my indignation, / all the heat of my anger; / for in the fire of my passion / all the earth shall be consumed” (v. 8). But this is to lead to conversion and, for some at least, worship of Israel’s God. “At that time I will change the speech of the peoples / to a pure speech, / that all of them may call on the name of the LORD / and serve him with one accord / From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia / my suppliants, my scattered ones, / shall bring my offering” (vv. 9-10). Gregory Mobley notes that the promise of “pure speech” (v. 9) “removes the curse of Babel (Gen. 11:9).” He suggests that “the theme of a universal pilgrimage” is also found elsewhere, for example, Ps. 68:31 (with Ethiopia), Isa. 2:2-4; 60:5-6, 11; Mic. 4:1-4" (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Zeph. 3:9). Israel will “not be put to shame,” says the LORD, “because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me” (v. 11a, b). The shame would be in allowing the nations to see Israel in her former rebellious state, but the LORD will remedy that, “for then I will remove from your midst ‘ your proudly exultant ones, / and you shall no longer be haughty / in my holy mountain” (v. 11c, d, e, f). God “will leave in the midst of you / a people humble and lowly,” a remnant (v. 12a, cf. 13). “They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD-- / the remnant of Israel; / they shall do no wrong / and utter no lies . . . no one shall make them afraid” (vv. 12b-13).

Revelation 17:1-18

The Great Whore and the Beast

17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk.” 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; 5 and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly amazed. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why are you so amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

9 “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings, 10 of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast; 14 they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

15 And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the whore is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:1-18, NRSV)

On November 10, 2007 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year One), comments were repeated from November 10, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two), when comments were combined with revision and supplement from November 5, 2004 (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two) and from comments on Revelation 17:1-14 from November 5, 2005 (Monday of the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year One). The combined comments are repeated here:

Following an Old Testament pattern of describing godless cities, John pictures Rome as “the great whore” (Rev. 17:1; D. E. Aune, Harper-Collins Study Bible, 2^nd ed., 2006, on Rev. 17:1-18 [cf. 1^st ed., 1993], and B.M. Metzger, NOAB, 2^rd ed., 1994, on Rev. 17:1). “Come,” says one of the angels, “I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters” (Rev. 17:1b). The waters are explained as “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (v. 15). The reference to “fornication” which “the kings of the earth have committed” with her (v. 2), refers to “sexual misconduct applied metaphorically to the city’s international commercial and political dealings, which are judged illicit and unjust” (Jean-Pierre 10, 2006, NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Rev. 17:2). John is shown “Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations” (v. 5) “sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names” (v. 3). The blasphemous names, says Metzger, are “divine titles given to Roman emperors.” (op. cit., on v. 3). He adds that the Scarlet Beast is the Roman Empire, who “combines the powers of the four beasts of Dan., ch. 7” (ibid., on Rev. 13:1-10). The angel tells John that “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction” (17:8a). And those people of earth “whose names have not been written in the book of life” will find the object of their “trust” undercut; they will “be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come” (v. 8b). According to Metzger, this beast “now represents the Emperor Nero, commonly expected to return to life and power (v. 11)” (ibid., on v. 8). According to Aune, the words “it was and is not and is to come [are] a parody of the divine title ‘who is and who was and who is to come’(see note on 1:4)” (op. cit., 2^nd ed., on 17:8).

Richard Bauckham elaborates:

Revelation takes up the popular expectation that the emperor Nero, thought not to be dead but to have fled secretly east to the Parthian empire, would return, with allies from the east, to wreak vengeance on Rome. This expectation, kept alive by a series of pretenders claiming to be the returning Nero, was a matter of eager hope for many in the eastern part of the Roman empire, who saw it as the resurgence of the power of the east against the west. The expected returning Nero was thus a kind of messianic figure. By alluding to this myth, Rev. 17 can take in a different direction the Christological parody which was a feature of the portrayal of the beast in ch. 13. Whereas there the healing of the wound the Roman power suffered at the death of Nero parodies the resurrection of Jesus, here the return of Nero parodies the parousia of Jesus. Thus in v. 8 the beast is twice described in terms which echo one of Revelation’s key designations for God: ‘the one who was and is and is to come’ (1:4-8). The description of the beast differs in that the middle term is negative: ‘is not’. Unlike God, the beast is not eternal. (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 1300, on )

The angel continues to explain for John. “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings, of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain only a little while” (vv. 9-10). With reference to the “seven mountains,” Aune says, “That Rome was located on seven hills was first popularized by Varro (116-27 BCE)” (op. cit., on v. 9). Of the “seven kings,” he adds that they are “either seven actual emperors (either Julius Caesar or Augustus could be counted as the first) or a symbol for a complete series” (ibid.). There is an eighth beast, of which the angel says, “As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction” (v. 11). It is this beast that Aune identifies as “the returned Nero” (ibid., on v. 11). And the angel’s explanation continues. “And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast” (v. 12). These are lesser figures, “probably local governors and satraps,” says Metzger (op. cit., on v. 12), or, as Aune puts it, “subordinate kings on the eastern border of the empire” (op. cit., on v. 12). Their time is limited–“one hour, together with the beast” (v. 12). They do join the beast in futile war against the Lamb. “These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast; they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful” (vv. 13-14). Metzger describes this as “the victory of Christ over the empire of the Antichrist” (on v. 14). Aune calls this “the final end-time battle; see 16:12-16; 19:17-21,” and adds that “Lord of lords and King of kings [is] a title of Persian origin (Ezra 7:12) usually reserved for God (see Dan 4:37; 1 Tim. 6:15; 1 Enoch 9:4)” (op. cit., on v. 14).

The angel explains further: “The waters that you saw, where the whore is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (v. 15). According to Aune, “Waters (see 17:1) [are] often a symbol for threatening armies (see Isa. 8:6-8; Jer. 47:2)” (ibid., on v. 15). “And the ten horns that you saw,” continues the angel, “they and the beast will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (v. 16). Ruiz refers for comparison to Ezekiel 23:26-29 (op. cit., on v. 16). The words, “they will make her desolate and naked,” are explained by Aune: “The returned Nero, with Parthian allies, will destroy Rome (see 16:19). He adds that “devour her flesh [is] an allusion to the fate of Jezebel (1 Kings 21:23-24)” (op. cit., on v. 16). Aune’s reference is to Elijah’s prediction of Jezebel’s fate, that is fulfilled in 2 Kings 9:30-37. To John, the angel explains that “God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled” (v. 17). “By divine overruling,” says Metzger, “the forces of iniquity fulfill the purposes of God (compare the passive verbs in 6:4; see 13:5 n.)” (op. cit., on v. 17; cf. Ruiz, op. cit., on v. 17). In the note to which he refers, Metzger says, “The sovereignty of God, even amid persecution, is implied by the use of passive verbs here and in vv. 7, 10, 14, 15 (compare 6:4; see 17:17n)” (ibid., on 13:5). The angel’s explanation to John continues. “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (v. 18). This, says Ruiz, is “an explicit identification of the woman of v. 1 as the great city, i.e., Rome” (op. cit., on v. 18).

Luke 13:31-35

The Lament over Jerusalem (Mt 23.37-39)

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Luke 13:31-35, NRSV)

On November 10, 2006 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two), comments were combined with revision and supplement from November 5, 2004 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 2, Year Two), and from May 19, 2005 (Thursday of the week of the Sunday closest to May 18, Year One); they are repeated here:

When Jesus is warned by Pharisees that Herod Antipas wants to kill him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you” (Lk. 13:31), he calls Herod “that fox” and asserts that his own work will be finished. ‘Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work” (v. 32). It’s not in the divine plan for him to be killed “outside of Jerusalem” (v. 33). But that thought leads to Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem (vv. 34-35; cf. Mt. 23:37-39). The two versions of these verses are very similar, but not quite verbatim. Anticipating his passion in Jerusalem, Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather [ejpisunagagei:n, episunagagein, 2^nd aorist infinitive, Mt.; ejpisunavxai, episynaxai, 1^st aorist infinitive, Lk., same meaning] your children together as a hen gathers [ ejpisunavgei, episynagei, Mt.; verb understood by Lk.] her brood [ta; nossiva aujth:V, ta nossia autēs, neuter plural, Mt.; th;n eJauth:V nossiavn, tēn heautēs nossian, Lk.–each word for “brood” appears only her in the NT] under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you [ejrhmovV, erēmos, ‘desolate,’ only in Mt.]. And [ dev, de, Lk.; ‘For,’ gavr, gar, Mt.] I tell you, you will not see me [ajp= a[rti, ap’ arti, ‘again,’ only in Mt.] until [h{xei o”te, hēxei hote, ‘the time comes when,” only in Lk, with text problems] you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord’ ” (Lk. 34-35; Mt. 23:37-39).

Eric Franklin sees this passage as the “climax” of “the first half of the journey [to Jerusalem]” which “actually prefigures the events of Palm Sunday (19:29-44)” (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 946, on Lk. 12:54-13:35). As for the lament over the city (v. 34), Franklin says that Jesus

sees her rushing onwards to complete her history of refusal of God’s agents. She will choose instead to follow a path that will lead to her own destruction. Jesus is often understood here as speaking as God’s wisdom who reaches out to Israel with a tenderness that expresses her feminine concern (e. g. Wis. 6:12-20). He reflects her gentleness and dsesire to draw humanity into relationship with God. Jerusalem rejects him. When he enters the holy city, only his disciples, and not her people, will acknowledge him (19:37-40). Her acknowledgment must await another day.

It is noteworthy that the warning about Herod’s desire to kill Jesus is given to him by Pharisees (v. 31). Although Luke includes references to the Pharisees’ criticism of Jesus (e.g Lk. 5:21; cf. Mk. 2:6; Lk. 6:2; cf. Mk. 2:24), he is invited to dinner by Pharisees (Lk. 7:36; 11:37, cf. Mk. 7:1-9, which does not mention a dinner invitation; Lk. 14:1). Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees develops gradually as Luke’s narrative progresses. Jesus and the Pharisees would have agreed on much of their common biblical and religious heritage, but in the end they would go separate ways.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net