22 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,

27 So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:22-27, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from June 15, 2008 (The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, refs. for the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from June 18, 2006 (the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), when some comments were repeated from June 13, 2004 (the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year Two) in an email sent June 10, 2004 for June 11-13, 2004.

Yesterday’s reading listed the sons of Aaron and summarized the duties of the Levites. In the interval between that reading and today’s, we find the first Levitical census (Num. 3:14-39) within a context in which the LORD “accept[s] the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites” (v. 11, cf. 11-13, 40-51). A second Levitical census is described in chapter 4, followed by various “laws of purity and the role of the priests” (Nili S. Fox, The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, p. 293, on Num. 5:1-31), and a section on the nazirite vow (6:1-21). “By taking the vow of a Nazirite,” says Fox, “an Israelite consecrates himself or herself to God for a limited time period, becoming a type of lay priest, with restrictions similar to those of priests” (ibid., on 6:1-21). David P. Wright refers “for lifetime nazirites [to] Judg. 13:4-7; 16:17; Am. 2:11-12)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Num. 6:1-21).

This brings us to today’s reading. “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them” (Num. 6:22-23). With that we are introduced to what has come to be called 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). According to Jo Ann Hackett, “Portions of this blessing appear on two tiny silver scroll-amulets found in a tomb in Jerusalem from the seventh or sixth century BCE”(HarperCollins Study Bible, 1^st ed., 1993, on Num. 6:24-26).

Fox presents an analysis of the blessing’s form: “The three-part blessing here invokes God’s mercy and favor toward the children of Israel for the sake of their general well-being, ‘shalom.’ Each of the three parts is longer than the preceding one, emphasizing the overflowing of blessing that is hoped for” (op. cit., p. 297, on Num. 6:22-27). Fox also notes later references to the blessing: “Ibn Ezra connects Aaron’s blessing of Israel at the dedication of the Tabernacle (Lev. 9:22-23) to the priestly blessing in Numbers. An interpretive version of the priestly blessing, contained in the sectarian literature of the Dead Sea Scrolls, expands the biblical text to more clearly define the particulars of God’s blessing (1QS 2:2-4)” (ibid.). That blessing reads as follows in a recent translation:

And the Priests shall bless all the men of the lot of God who walk perfectly in all His ways, saying: ‘May He bless you with all good and preserve you from all evil! May He lighten your heart with life-giving wisdom and grant you eternal knowledge! May He raise His merciful face towards you for everlasting bliss!’ (1QS 2:2-4, Geza Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, 1997, p. 99)

The simple and beautiful threefold petition which follows in [vv.] 24-26 is known as MynHk tkrb [birkath kōh^anîm], ‘The Priestly Blessing.’ It is as it were the crown and seal of the whole sacred order by which Israel was now fully organized as the people of God, for the march to the Holy Land. The Heb. text consists of three short verses, of three, five, and seven words respectively. ‘It mounts by gradual stages from the petition for material blessing and protection to that for Divine favour as a spiritual blessing, and in beautiful climax culminates in the petition for God’s most consummate gift, shalom, peace, the welfare in which all material and spiritual well-being is comprehended’ (Kautzsch). The fifteen words that constitute these three verses contain a world of trust in God and faith in God. They are clothed in a rhythmic form of great beauty, and they fall with majestic solemnity upon the ear of the worshipper. . . . The ancient melody that accompanies its pronouncement by the Priests is in its original form weird and most impressive. Since the Reformation, the Priestly Blessing is a constituent of the service in many Protestant Churches” (Pentateuch & Haftorahs, 2^nd ed., 24^th printing, 1981, p. 594 on Num. 6:22-27)

The words of this blessing were set to music by Peter T. Lutkin (1858-1931) in four-part harmony, now on the Internet, http://www.untraveledroad.com/music/Lutkin/TheLordBlessYou.pdf (accessed again June 9, 2010). A note says this music, published in 1900, is in the public domain. (For those who are interested, this is the four-part choir version that was used for years by the Friends Bible College–now Barclay College–Choir under the direction of Roy P. Clark.)

“So,” says the LORD, “they [i.e., the priests] shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27). For the words, “put My name,” the Rabbi says, means “announce to the children of Israel the blessed and beneficent nearness of the living God. In this prayer on behalf of Israel, the priests pronounced over the people the Ineffable Name of God. Outside the Temple, Adonay was invariably substituted for the Tetragrammaton” (ibid., on v. 27).

13:1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now listen-the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13:1-12, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from July 16, 2009 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to July 13, Year One), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from September 4, 2008 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 31, Year Two), when comments were repeated from June 15, 2008 (the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from July 19, 2007 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to July 13, Year One), when comment were repeated from June 18, 2006 (the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), when they were combined and revised from June 13, 2004 (the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year Two) in an email sent June 10, 2004 for June 11-13, 2004, and from July 14, 2005 (Thursday of the week of the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, Year One).

This reading presents the beginning of Paul’s missionary journeys reported in the Book of Acts. Our information about Paul’s earlier activity, in the decade following his conversion, is sketchy. “Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas” (Gal. 1:18). “Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia” (Gal. 1:21), which might have included Tarsus (his home town) and / or Antioch. Then there was the “famine relief” visit to Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-29). But during this period Paul must have been gaining experience in Christian ministry, and, from the human point of view, proving himself in preparation for the divine appointment which emerges from the time of worship, prayer and fasting in the church at Antioch. As today’s reading begins, Luke tells us that “in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler [tetravarchV, tetrarchēs], and Saul” (Acts 13:1). So the Christian community there was a multicultural group, including “Simeon who was called Niger” Acts 13:1). According to David A. Dorsey, Simeon’s “surname, Niger (Lat., ‘black’), suggests that he was an African” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, rev. ed., 1996, s.v. Simeon 5). According to Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Manaen, called “a member of the court of Herod the ruler [was] a close friend of Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas is the ruler (or tetrarch; see text note b as distinct from Herod Agrippa I, the king (see 12:1; also Lk. 1:5)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Acts 13:1). “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,” says Luke, “the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’ ” (v. 2). Gaventa points out that the “initiative for the new mission, here as elsewhere in Acts, comes from the Spirit rather than from human beings” (ibid., on v. 2; cf. Christopher R. Matthews, NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Acts 13:2). Gaventa adds that “this passage is distinctive in that only here does the Spirit direct the church collectively rather than individually (e.g., 8:29; 10:19-20; 21:11)” (loc. cit.). We note that Luke emphasizes the leading of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ ministry also, for example, Lk. 4:1 (cf. Mk 1:12; Mt. 4:1); Lk. 4:14 (no ref. to “Holy Spirit” in Mk. 1:14a or Mt. 4:12); Lk. 4:18 (no parallel context); Lk. 10:21a, “At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said . . .” (cf. “At that same time Jesus said . . .”, Mt. 11:25). “Then,” says Luke, “after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts. 13:3). Gaventa says, “See 6:6, where prayer and the laying on of hands accompany the appointment of the Seven (see also 14:23)” (ibid., on v. 3). According to Matthews, “Laid . . . hands [was] a ritual of consecration and appointment; see Num. 8:10; 27:23; 1 Tim. 4:4; 2 Tim. 1:6 (13:3)” (op. cit., on Acts 6:6, to which he refers with his note on 13:3).

Luke tells us that Barnabas and Saul, “being sent out by the Holy Spirit . . . went down to Seleucia” (Acts 13:4a), “Seleucia Pieria,” that is, says Matthews, “Antioch’s seaport, about 20 km (12 mi) west at the mouth of the Orontes River” (ibid., on v. 4), “and from there they sailed to Cyprus” (v. 4b). Upon sailing to Cyprus, they arrived at Salamis (v. 5a), an “important port and former capital city at the eastern end of Cyprus” (ibid., on v. 5). Upon arriving, “they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews” (v. 5b); so the first reported ministry of Barnabas (a native of Cyprus, Acts 4:36) and Saul takes place in Barnabas’ homeland, the Island of Cyprus. At this time, “they had John also to assist them” (v. 5c), John Mark, that is (12:12). The next reported ministry, “when they had gone through the whole island,” takes place at Paphos (13:6a), according to Matthews, the “capital of Cyprus, located in the extreme west” (ibid., on v. 6). At this point Barnabas and Saul encounter the first reported opposition, as “they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus” (v. 6b). They have come to preach about Jesus Christ, and, ironically, says Matthews, this false prophet’s name, Bar-Jesus, means “son of Jesus [or Joshua]” (ibid.). This person “was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus,” whom Luke describes as “an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God” (v. 7). A “proconsul” was a provincial governor appointed by the Roman senate, often an honorary appointment for a term of a year (cf. “Gallio . . . proconsul of Achaia,” 18:12). According to Richard P. Seller, “Major provinces without armies, such as Achaea, [were] supervised by senatorial proconsuls chosen in the Senate. Judea from 6 CE was one of those lesser provinces administered by equestrians (initially army officers called prefects, then imperial agents with the title of procurator)” (“Roman Empire,” in Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D Coogan, edd., The Oxford Companion to the Bible, 1993, p. 659). The Roman empire controlled troubled areas like Judea with military governors, prefects (e.g. Pilate, A.D. 26-36), or, after the death of Herod Agrippa I, procurators (e.g. Cuspius Fadus, A.D. 44-45 or 46). As Josephus reports, on the death Agrippa,

He left issue by his wife Cypros, three daughters–Bernice, Mariamme, and Drusilla–and one son, Agrippa. As the last was a minor [17 years old], Claudius again reduced the kingdoms [i.e., the Jewish kingdoms] to a province and sent as procurators, first Cuspius Fadus, and then Tiberius Alexander, who by abstaining from all interference with the customs of the country kept the nation at peace. (War, II, 220 or 2.11.6, trans. H. “St. J. Thackeray, Loeb Classical Library, Josephus II, 1927, reprint 1989, pp. 408-409; cf. the translation by William Whiston, on the Wesley Center Online, http://wesley.nnu.edu/biblical_studies/josephus/war-2.htm, accessed again June 10, 2010)

Matthews calls “Sergius Paulus, another Roman official favorable to Christianity” (op. cit., on 13:7). Elsewhere, he says, in reference to Cornelius, that “Luke may want to show that Roman citizenship was compatible with Christianity” (on 10:1, with ref. to 13:7; 16:37-38; 18:14-15; 22:25-29; 23:27-30; 25:8).

Luke tells us that Elymas, the magician interfered: he “opposed them [Barnabas and Saul] and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith” (13:8). At this point Saul takes the initiative–henceforth referred to by his Greek name, “Paul” (vv. 13, 16, 42, 43, etc.)–and rebukes the magician. “But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?’ ” (vv. 9-10). According to Paul, this Elymas/Bar-Jesus reverses the message of John the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mk. 1:2b, citing Is. 40:3; cf. Mt. 3:3; Lk. 3:4). Paul rebukes the magician: “And now listen,” he says, “the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun” (v. 11a; cf. Paul’s [Saul’s] own experience, 9:8-9). The rebuke has quick results: “Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand” (v. 11b). Matthews says, “Compare Peter’s rebuke of Simon (8:20-24). But there is a positive result: “When the proconsul saw what had happened,” says Luke, “he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord” (v. 12). We probably cannot assume the same for the magician Bar-Jesus.

Luke thus tells us how Paul and Barnabas met with significant success in the first territory visited on the first missionary journey. Tomorrow’s reading, the continuation in Acts, moves to the mainland of Asia Minor, “to Perga in Pamphylia” (v. 13).

41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?" 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. 47 That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. (Luke 12:41-48, NRSV)

The following comments are based on relevant comments from those on Luke 12:32-48 of November 1, 2008 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), when comments on Luke 12:41-48 were repeated with editing and supplement from June 15, 2008 (the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), when they were repeated from November 4, 2006 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), when comments on Luke 12:41-48 were combined with revision and supplement from relevant parts of the comments on Luke 12:32-48 of October 30, 2004, (Saturday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year Two), and from June 18, 2006 (the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year Two, where comments were combined and revised from earlier dates as noted there).

Although Luke’s version of this parable (or “comparison,” Lk. 12:41-48) comes much earlier in the narrative than Matthew’s version (Mt. 24:45-51), it’s context, according to Marion Lloyd Soards, is a collection of “sayings on watchfulness and faithfulness” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Lk. 12:35-48) with an eschatological import, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” (Lk. 12:40). Matthew places the parable in the context of Jesus’ final eschatological speech (Mt. 24-25), after an extensive list of the “signs of your coming and of the end of the age,” as in the disciples’ question (Mt. 24:3, cf. vv. 4-44, which includes material with parallels in Lk. 17 and 21). This is apparently another example of an event which Luke puts in its context in the course of Jesus’ ministry, but Matthew combines with similar material in a topical arrangement.

Peter responds to Jesus’ “parable” about the coming of thieves (Lk. 12:39-40; cf. Mt. 24:43-44; Mk. 13:33-37)–or is it response to the warning to slaves about the master’s return from the wedding banquet” (Lk. 12:35-38), both stressing the need to be alert–with a question: “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” (v. 41). In a similar way, Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is put in context by a question from the disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples” (Lk. 11:1, cf. vv. 2-4), whereas Matthew includes the Lord’s Prayer in a group of instructions about personal piety (Mt. 6:9-13, cf. vv. 1-24). Matthew’s next parable here, the Ten Virgins (Mt. 25:1-13), clearly also stresses the need for watchfulness. In Jesus’ explanation here, apart from Luke’s introduction with a question from Peter, the two versions are nearly verbatim, up to a point (Lk. 12:42-46a; Mt. 24:45-51a). (For the parallel texts, see the file Faithful or Unfaithful Slave). Jesus asks, “Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?” (Lk. 12:42). Matthew begins with this question, identifying Luke’s “faithful and prudent manager” (oJ pisto;V oijkonovmoV oJ frovnimoV, ho pistos oikonomos ho phronimos) as “the faithful and wise slave” (oJ pisto;V dou:loV kai; frovnimoV, ho pistos doulos kai phronimos). “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time?” (Mt. 24:45). Here it is the chief slave, so to speak, that is in charge of the others. The phrase “allowance of food” (Mt. 24:45; Lk. 12:42) represents different Greek words trofhv (trophē) in Matthew and sitomevtrion (sitometrion) in Luke. Matthew’s term is general, meaning “nourishment, food ” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. trofhv, trophē); Luke’s implies rationing, a compound of words for wheat or grain and for measuring it out, meaning “a measured allowance of grain/food, food allowance, ration” (BDAG, s.v. sitomevtrion, sitometrion). Although not significant here, the verb tense for “give” also differs, dou:nai (dounai, aorist infinitive) in Matthew, didovnai (didonai, present infinitive, perhaps implying repeated, daily distribution of the rations) in Luke. Jesus then blesses “that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives” (Lk. 12:43; Mt. 24:46). Except for transposing the last two words (ou{twV poiou:nta, houtōs poiounta in Mt., poiou:nta ou{twV, poiounta houtōs in Lk.), the Greek text is identical in these verses. If “at work” includes the work of the “chief slave,” then Luke here identifies the “prudent manager” as a slave (cf. Lk 12:42; Mt. 24:45). But the point is failure to be alert when the master is delayed in returning. For being alert and busy when the master returns, the slave, presumably the chief slave (cf. Lk. 12:45-46; Mt. 24:48-49, will be duly rewarded. “Truly (ajmhvn, amēn in Mt., ajlhqw:V, alēthōs in Lk.) I tell you,” says Jesus, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions” (Lk. 12:44 = Mt. 24:47 except as noted).

But for slacking off and failure to be alert, and in addition, for brutality to the other slaves, the “chief slave” can expect severe reprisal. Luke puts it this way: “ But if that slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful’ ” (Lk. 12:45-46). Matthew’s parallel briefly describes the slave’s wicked actions, “But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards” (Mt. 24:48-49), and also the severe consequences, “the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 24:50-51). Matthew’s version seems to have eschatological judgment in mind (cf. the context, Mt. 24-25), and echoes the charge of being “hypocrites” leveled repeatedly against the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23. “He [the master] will cut him [the wicked slave] in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 24:51). J. Andrew Overman says, “Matthew has combined this image of punishment [i.e. ‘cut him in pieces’] with another, weeping and gnashing of teeth, producing an incongruous image” NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Mt. 24:51). Matthew’s version doesn’t differentiate between the slave “who knew what his master wanted” (Lk. 12:47) and the one who didn’t; but, assuming the slave did know, Matthew’s version pictures severe punishment. According to Overman, this “final warning addresses leaders in the Christian community” (ibid., on Mt. 24:45-51).

Luke’s version mixes the reprisals of cutting the slave in pieces (Lk. 12:46), perhaps from the tradition (cf. Mt. 24:51) with beatings in an extended application.

That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. (Lk. 12:47-48 NRSV)

If you think about it, Luke’s final challenge is rather daunting. “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (v. 48). We Americans know that most of us have been given much more than most of the rest of the world. What will be required of us? The point is that the Christian believers must be faithful, and ready for the Lord’s return at any time, a point to be elaborated by the parables of Matthew, chapter 25.

The following comments are repeated here from June 1, 2008 (The Third Sunday after Pentecost, refs. for the Sunday closest to June 1, Year Two):

The Lutheran Old Testament lessons for several days to come are from Ecclesiastes (as were the Episcopal Old Testament Lessons, except for Trinity Sunday). The book’s superscription says, “The words of the Teacher (tl,h,qo, qōhelet), the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Eccl. 1:1). The term tl,h,qo, qōhelet is defined as “speaker (in assembly),” and occurs only in Ecclesiastes within the Hebrew Bible (William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1971, 10^th corrected printing, 1985, s.v.tl,h,q, qōhelet). The related verb lhq, q-h-l, means “assemble” in an intransitive sense, for example, “a group assembles,” in the nifal conjugation, and “assemble (transitive), summon” in the hifil conjugation (Holladay, s.v. lhq, q-h-l; compare the related nouns lh!q!, qāhāl, and hL0!h9q4, q^ehillāh, both of which have related meanings, “convocation, assembly,” or convocation, congregation,” Holladay, s.v. lh!q!, qāhāl, and hL0!h9q4, q^ehillāh, respectively). The book has been called “Ecclesiastes” as a reflection of the term tl,h,qo, qōhelet. Leong Seow says, “Ecclesiastes is the Latin translation of the Greek rendering of the pen-name of the author, known in Hebrew as Qoheleth (‘Gatherer,’ traditionally ‘the Teacher’ or ‘the Preacher’)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, Introduction to Ecclesiastes). The term tl,h,qo, qōhelet is grammatically feminine. In Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, it is included among “titles and designations of office, properly a subdivision of the abstract ideas treated above . . . noticed here only on account of their peculiar transference to concrete male persons. Thus we have tl,h,qo [qōhelet] Ec[cl.] 1:1, etc. (as a title of Solomon), properly no doubt that which takes part in or speaks in a religious assembly, hence LXX ekklēsiastēs, i.e. concionator, preacher” (E. Kautzsch, A. E. Cowley, edd., 2^nd Engl. ed., 1910, reprint 1985, sec. 122 r).

The superscription also calls Qoheleth “the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1). In principle, the words “son of David” (dv9D!-NB@, ben-dāwid), could refer to any “king in Jerusalem” from Solomon to Zedekiah, and, in New Testament perspective, even Jesus (cf. huios Dauid, Mt. 9:27; 21:9, 15, etc.). But traditionally, of course, this has been understood as referring to Solomon, though the name “Solomon” as such never appears in the book. It appears that the author, in the beginning at least, has adopted the persona of Solomon and presented thoughts which he attributes to this persona (cf. Harold C. Washington, NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Eccl. 1:12). As such he refers to himself as “I, the Teacher (tl@h@qo, qōhelet), when king (j`l,m,, melek) over Israel in Jerusalem” (Eccl. 1:12). But many uses of the term king, especially in the middle and later parts of the book, seem to represent the reflections of an outsider, that is, not the king himself. “Better,” says Qoheleth, “is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king (j`l,m,, melek), who will no longer take advice” (4:13, cf. v. 15). “Keep the king’s command,” advises Qoheleth, “because of your sacred oath” (8:2). The implied speaker here might be taken as the king himself, but for the third person references that follow. “Do not be terrified; go from his presence, do not delay when the matter is unpleasant, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is powerful, and who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ ” (vv. 3-4). Later the term “king” seems to refer to a hypothetical foreign king. “There was a little city with few people in it. A great king (lOdG! j`l,m,, melek gādôl) came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it” (9:14). Other third person references to a king or kings include 10:16, 17, 20, and perhaps l4:13, 15; 5:19).

So “Solomon,” or better, Qoheleth, presents the theme, “vanity,” with which he is preoccupied through most of the book. “Vanity of vanities (myl9bAh3 lbah3, h^aval h^avālîm), says the Teacher (Qoheleth), / vanity of vanities! All is vanity (lb@h@, hevel)” (Eccl. 1:1). The term (lb@h@, hevel), means “breath” in Isa. 57:12, and “void” in Jer. 10:2, 15, but here “nothingness, perishableness” (Holladay, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, s.v. lb@h@, hevel). “Vanity of vanities” (myl9b!h3 lb1h3, h^aval h^avālîm) is a superlative expression, like “song of songs” (Myr9yw9h1 ryw9, šîr haššîrîm), which Gesenius translates as “the most excellent song” (op. cit., sec. 133 i). In contrast to the positive superlative title of the Song of Solomon, “the best song of all,” or “the most excellent song,” Qoheleth’s phrase, “vanity of vanities” suggests “the worst of vanities,” or perhaps “the most vain vanity of all.”

A kind of summary of this theme, “vanity,” introduces the book. “What do people gain (NOrt4y9, yithrôn) from all the toil (lm!f!;, ‘āmāl) / at which they toil under the sun?” asks Qoheleth (Eccl. 1:3). According to Seow, “The term gain does not mean just ‘benefit,’ but ‘excess,’ ‘advantage,’ or ‘surplus.’ The Hebrew phrase translated as from all their toil may also be translated as ‘in; exchange for all their toil.’ Here, as elsewhere in the book,” he adds, “toil refers not only to the process of work, but to the fruit of one’s work (see 2:10)” (op. cit., on Eccl. 1:3). Seow regards another definition as significant here. “The phrase under the sun occurs in the Bible only in Ecclesiastes, but it is attested elsewhere in the ancient Near East. It is a near synonym of ‘under the heavens’ (1:13; 2:3; 3:1). Whereas ‘under the heavens’ is a spatial designation (referring to what is happening ‘everywhere in the world’), under the sun refers to the realm of the living as opposed to the dead (cf. 4:15; 9:6, 9)” (ibid.).

But Qoheleth’s question is rhetorical and leads to a series of “wearisome” (v. 8) answers. “The sun rises and the sun goes down, / and hurries to the place where it rises” (v. 5). In returning to its starting point, the sun appears to have made no progress. The movement of the wind is circular too, says Qoheleth. “The wind blows to the south, / and goes around to the north; / round and round goes the wind, / and on its circuits the wind returns” (v. 6). “All streams run to the sea,” says Qoheleth, “but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow” (v. 7). Although the motion of the water here does not appear to be circular–though a modern meteorologist might differ–as in the preceding examples, there appears to be no change or progress. “The elements of nature–light, air, and water–are also engaged in daily activities,” says Seow, “with no new results” (Ibid., on vv. 5-7).

Qoheleth draws his breath and observes: “All things are wearisome; / more than one can express; / the eye is not satisfied with seeing, / or the ear filled with hearing” (v. 8). “What has been is what will be,” he concludes, “and what has been done is what will be done; / there is nothing new under the sun” (v. 9). And so he is led to ask another question: “Is there a thing of which it is said, / ‘See, this is new’?” (v. 10a, b); and again, the answer quickly follows: “It has already been, / in the ages before us” (v 10c, d). In consequence, what people do hardly matters in the long run. “The people of long ago are not remembered, / nor will there be any remembrance / of people yet to come / by those who come after them” (v. 11). This, of course, is not the Bible’s final word on the meaning of life. But it does raise some significant issues. Peter Machinist summarizes this paragraph–or rather, stanza:

Round and round. This section provides the first illustration of what Koheleth [Machinist’s spelling of ‘Qoheleth’] means by ‘futility’ [the NJPS translation equivalent of ‘vanity’ NRSV]. Vv 4-8 give several examples of the ceaselessly circular or oscillating movement that for him governs all activity in the world: the passage of generations, the cycle of the sun, the flow of the water. There is, in short, no linear goal-oriented activity, and the result is that the world never changes. (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, on Eccl. 1:3-11)

He adds that “Vv. 3 and 9-11 draw out the implications of these examples to affirm that nothing new occurs, and so there is nothing one can show for his toil, nothing to learn (to ‘remember,’ v. 11) and to build on” (ibid.).

One shouldn’t assume that Qoheleth has the final answer to his questions, but for a few days, the daily lectionary readings will explore them some more.

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

34 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40)

The following comments are based on those of July 2, 2009 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 29, Year One), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from August 21, 2008 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 17, Year Two), when comments were repeated from July 5, 2007 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 29, Year One), when comments were repeated with editing and supplement from August 24, 2006 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 17, Year Two), when comments were repeated from June 30, 2005 (Thursday of the week of the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year One).

In the early part of Acts, chapter 8, “severe persecution” of the Christian community in Judea leads to scattering the believers (Acts 8:1), to Philip’s mission in Samaria (vv. 4-13), and the follow-up mission of Peter and John (vv. 14-25). After Samaria, Philip’s next assignment–delivered by “an angel of the Lord”–lay to the south, toward Gaza. “Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza’” (Acts 8:26a). The phrase translated “to the south” (kata; meshmbrivan, kata mesēmbrian) means literally, “at midday,” or “at noon” (cf. NRSV text note e and Beverly Roberts Gaventa, HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Acts 8:26). But due to the position of the sun at midday, the expression often means “to the south” (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. meshmbriva, mesēmbria [= mevsoV, mesos + hJmevra, hēmera], where this meaning is cited from Herodotus, Philo, Josephus and others). Luke explains parenthetically that “this is a wilderness road” (v. 26b).

When Philip followed this instruction, he came upon an Ethiopian returning home from Jerusalem, described as “an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury” (v. 27a). “Although he had come to Jerusalem to worship,” says Christopher R. Matthews, “a eunuch could not have become a proselyte (Deut. 23:10),” but, he adds, “the passage may envision fulfillment of Isa. 56:3-5” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Acts 8:27). According to Gaventa, “Candace [is] the title traditionally given to the queen of Meroe (a Nubian realm along the Upper Nile), making the eunuch’s position one of considerable power” (op. cit., on Acts 8:27). Gaventa also notes that the term

Ethiopian [Aijqivoy, Aithiops], in Luke’s world [refers to] anyone with dark skin, particularly persons from territories south of Egypt. Various ancient writers depict Ethiopia as the equivalent of the end of the world and its inhabitants as handsome people (e.g. Esth. 1:1 [wUK, kûš]; 8:9; Ezek. 29:10; Zeph. 3:10; Homer, Odyssey 1.22-23; Herodotus, History 3.17-20; Strabo, Geography17.2.1-3. (ibid.)

The Ethiopian, who “had come to Jerusalem to worship” (v. 27b), “was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah” (v. 28). “He was reading aloud to himself (as was customary in antiquity),” says Matthews; “hence Philip heard him (v. 30)” (op. cit., on v. 28). The Spirit directs Philip to join the Ethiopian, saying “Go over to this chariot and joint it” (v. 29). “The prompting of the Spirit,” says Gaventa, “suggests that God stands behind this overture (see 8:26)” (op. cit., on v. 29). And Philip responded as he “ran up to it [i.e., the chariot] and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah” (v. 30a).

Philip asks about the reading: “Do you understand what you are reading?” (v. 30b) and the Ethiopian asks for Philip’s guidance. “How can I [understand], unless someone guides me?” So Philip is invited into the chariot (v. 31). The passage read was the following:

In his humiliation justice was denied him (hJ krivsiV aujtou: h[rqh, hē krisis autou ērthē LXX)

For his life (hJ zwh; aujtou:, hē zōē autou LXX) is taken away (airetai) from the earth (ajpo; th:V gh:V, apo tēs gēs LXX). (Acts 8:32-33, citing Isa. 53:7-8 LXX)

The Hebrew text, Hq0!lu FPAw4m09m9U rc@fome (mē‘ōtser ûmimmišpāt luqqāch, “By a perversion of justice he was taken away” NRSV, more literally, “From oppression and from justice he was taken”) is paraphrased a bit in the Septuagint. For the line, “his life is taken away from the earth” (Acts 58:33c), Isaiah has “For he was cut off (rz1g4n9, nigzar) from the land of the living (Myy09Ha Cr,x,me, mē’erets chayyîm)” (Isa. 53:8c NRSV).

The Ethiopian asks directly about the meaning of the passage. “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” (v. 34). It’s a question many would ask later, but Philip is clear: it refers to Jesus. “Then,” says Luke, “Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus” (v. 35). Gaventa notes a similar instance “where Jesus explains ‘things about himself’ from scripture” (op. cit., on Acts 8:35, citing Lk. 24:27). The eunuch requests baptism: “As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ ” (v. 36). We may wonder what, if anything, Philip said about baptism while explaining Isaiah 53. Perhaps he went into more detail about Christian conversion and faith than is recorded here (cf. Acts 2:38). In any event, the Ethiopian’s request implies a response of faith and acceptance of the gospel message (made explicit in two or three ways by the addition of verse 37 in several later manuscripts and some second and third century church fathers: “And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (v. 37; cf. NRSV text note a).

So the Ethiopian “commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him” (v. 38). “As in the case of the Samaritans,” says Matthews, “the baptism of an Ethiopian eunuch breaks social and ritual barriers”; and he refers to his note on v. 12, “Philip breaks religious barriers and fulfills the expectations about Samaritans generated by Luke’s Gospel (Lk. 10:30-37 [the Parable of the Good Samaritan]; 17:11-19 [10 lepers cleansed, but only the Samaritan returns with gratitude])” (op. cit., on vv. 38 and 12). Matthews adds, “Since in the ancient Mediterranean world Ethiopia was often considered to be located at the ‘ends of the earth’ (e.g. Odyssey 1.22-23; Herodotus 3:25), this conversion proleptically fulfills the prediction of 1:8” (ibid.); cf. the citation from Gaventa, above).

This passage is significant as one of the clearest applications of Isaiah chapter 53 as a reference to Jesus in the New Testament. Compare the use of Isaiah 53:1 in John 12:38 and Romans 10:16; Isaiah 53:3 in Acts 13:47; Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4-6 in 1 Peter 2:24-25; Isaiah 53:9 in 1 Peter 2:24-25; Isaiah 53:12 in Luke 22:37; cf. Hebrews 9:28 and 1 Peter 2:24-25. Loveday Alexander comments on the significance of this event:

Later tradition identified the eunuch as the first Gentile convert, and the founder of the Ethiopian church (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 2.1.13), but this does not seem quite to fit Luke’s plot, with its elaborate buildup to the conversion of Cornelius in ch. 10. Luke lays more stress on the eunuch’s links with Judaism: this is a man who has been to worship in the Jerusalem temple (v. 27) and is reading the prophet Isaiah (v. 28). Given the existence of a well-documented Jewish community; at Elephantine (Aswan), Jewish influence south of Egypt is not implausible. Ancient readers would certainly imagine this character as an African: Ethiopia, in ancient geography, was the equivalent of Nubia, today’s Sudan, rather than the modern Ethiopia. Readers who knew their Bibles might also pick up prophetic resonances, in which the Ethiopians (Heb. ‘Cushites’) figure among the most distant peoples from whom God will gather a remnant to worship in Jerusalem (e. g. Isa. 11:11; Zeph. 3:9-10). (Loveday Alexander, The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p. 1039, on Acts 8:26-40)

“When they came up out of the water,” says Luke, “the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing” (v. 39). Matthews sees an allusion here to Elijah and Elisha, by reference to 1 Kings 18:12 and 2 Kings 2:16 (op. cit., on v. 39). “Later church tradition,” says Gaventa, “holds that the eunuch became the first Christian missionary to Africa, but Luke says nothing about his activity beyond rejoicing (see also 13:48; 15:31)” (op. cit., on v. 39).

In the closing verse of this reading (and of chap. 8), Luke informs us that after “the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away” (v. 39), he “found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea” (v. 40). According to Matthews, “Philip’s evangelizing journey proceeds along the Mediterranean coast from Gaza (v. 26) through Azotus (ancient Ashdod, ca. 37 km [23 mi] north-northeast of Gaza) to Caesarea (ca. 90 km [55 mi] farther north). Caesarea was an important seaport and the headquarters of the Roman governor; see 19:1; 21:8” (op. cit., on v. 40).

11:1 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 He said to them, "When you pray, say:

5 And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:1-13, NRSV)

Today’s reading from Luke is presented with parallel texts in the following table:

The Lord’s Prayer, The Importunate Friend at Midnight, Encouragement to Pray †
Matthew 6:9-13 * The Lord’s Prayer		Luke 11:1-4 * The Lord’s Prayer	The Didache 8:2-3 Trans. K. Lake, Loeb Classical Library, 1912, reprint, 1959
[Included with teaching on almsgiving, prayer in secret, fasting, treasures in heaven, and so forth, in Mt. chap. 6] 9 "Pray then in this way:		11:1 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:	2. And do not pray as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in his Gospel, pray thus:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. (1) Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (2) 11 Give us this day our daily bread. (3) 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (4) 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, (5) but rescue us from the evil one. [note: or from evil] (6) [note: Other ancient authorities add, in some form, For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen. (See 1 Chron. 29:11-13)]		Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. (1) 3 Give us each day our daily bread. (3) 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. (4) And do not bring us to the time of trial.” (5) [note: Other ancient authorities add but rescue us from the evil one (or from evil) [(6)]	“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, (1) thy will be done, as in Heaven so also upon earth; (2) give us to-day our daily bread (3) and forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors, (4) and lead us not into trial, (5) but deliver us from the Evil One, (6) for thine is the power and the glory for ever.” 3. Pray thus three times a day.
	The Importunate Friend at Midnight Luke 11:5-8 *
	5 And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
Encouragement to Pray
Matthew 7:7-11 *		Luke 11:9-13 *	John 16:24; 14:13-14; 15:7 *
7 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!		9 "So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"	16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 14:13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
† Based on Kurt Aland, Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum, 10^th ed. (1962), 267-269. * NRSV

The following comments are based on those of June 1, 2008 (The Third Sunday after Pentecost, refs. for the Sunday closest to June 1, Year Two), those of October 25, 2008 (Saturday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 19, Year Two), those of May 19, 2009 (Tuesday in the Sixth Week of Easter, Year One), and earlier comments as noted there.

Some have wondered why the Lord’s Prayer appears in different contexts in Matthew and in Luke. Dr. Bruce M. Metzger of Princeton Theological Seminary introduced his chapel sermon on the Lord’s Prayer at Friends Bible College (now Barclay College) a few years ago (1979). “Luke gives the occasion when Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer when they asked him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples’” (Luke 11:1). “Matthew includes it with other teachings on piety in chapter 6” (quoted from memory, perhaps not verbatim). For many, Matthew’s version is familiar from use in worship, but there are interesting differences in emphasis.

The prayer is given above as presented in Matthew, in Luke, and in the very early second century work known as the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Another translation of the Didache, that of Cyril C. Richardson, in Early Christian Fathers, 1953, is available on the Internet (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.viii.i.iii.html, accessed June 10, 2010). Lake’s translation (above) uses traditional language, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name” (as in the AV/KJV version of Matthew). Richardson’s translation uses the style of modern translations, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

Matthew’s version has six petitions–count them–unless “hallowed be your name,” an ascription of honor, counts as a petition, making seven. Luke’s version has only four in the earliest manuscripts, but many of the later manuscripts, including a late “corrector” of Sinaiticus (x^c; against x* ^a), add “but rescue us from the evil one (or from evil) (cf. NRSV note a). The version of the Lord’s Prayer in the Didache agrees with Matthew in beginning with, “Our Father in Heaven (Mt. 6:9b; Did. 8:2b), but Matthew has the plural form of “Heaven” ( ejn toi:V oujranoi:V, en tois ouranois) whereas the Didache has the singular form ( ejn tw:/ oujranw::/, en tō ouranō). Luke’s version simply begins with “Father” (pavter, pater, vocative case of direct address, Lk. 11:2b), though several later manuscripts supply the rest of Matthew’s opening address. The ascription of praise (or first petition) is identical in Greek in the three versions, “hallowed be your name” (Mt. 6:9c; Lk. 11:2c; Did. 8:2c). Counting that as an ascription of praise, the first petition (so numbered in the table above) is identical in Greek in the three versions, “Your kingdom come” (Mt. 6:10a; Lk. 11:2d; Did. 8:2d). The next petition (#2 in the table) is identical in Greek in Matthew and the Didache, but absent from Luke’s version. In English, with the Greek word order, it says “Let the will of you be done, as in heaven also (kaiv, kai) upon earth” (Mt. 6:10b, c; Did. 8:2d, e). The NRSV translation of Matthew reverses the Greek order of two phrases, “on earth/as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:10c NRSV, cf. AV/KJV), as does Richardson’s translation of the Didache, but Lake’s translation follows the Greek word order, “as in Heaven, so also (kaiv, kai) upon earth.” For the omission of the second petition in Luke, “A few ancient authorities read Your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us. Other ancient authorities add Your will be done, on earth as in heaven” (NRSV text note b). The restoration of the second and / or sixth petitions in Luke by later scribes is understandable. They were probably accustomed to praying Matthew’s form of the prayer in worship. The form of the prayer presented in the Didache apparently reflects early Christian usage, and has the six petitions.

Luke’s version of the next petition (# 3 in Mt.) is notable for the emphasis on daily bread for “each day”: “Give us each day our daily bread” (Lk. 11:3). The Greek word order is emphatic: “The bread of us (= our bread), the daily [bread], give (divdou, didou, present tense imperative) to us each day (to; kaq= hJmevran, to kath’ hēmeron). The preposition kaq= (katav, kath’, kata) has a distributive sense, “day by day,” “each” or “every day” (cf. BDAG [Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3^rd ed., 2000, s.v. katav, kata). In Matthew, the petition focuses on “today”: “Give us this day (shvmeron, sēmeron. ‘today’) our daily (ejpiouvsion, epiousion) bread” (Mt. 6:11 = Did. 8:2f). The different emphases are also indicated by the tenses of the verb “give” in the petition. Matthew’s verb “give” (dovV, dos) in the aorist (undefined) tense, agreeing with his time reference, “this day,” emphasizes the present time.

These three versions each use the phrase “our daily bread,” to;n a[rton hJmw:n to;n ejpiouvsion, ton arton hēmon ton epiousion, but there is some debate about the meaning of ejpiouvsioV (nominative case of ejpiouvsion). The term was “according to Origen, De Orat. 27, 7, coined by the evangelists” (BDAG, s.v. ejpiouvsioV, epiousion). The Lexicon, with considerable support for each from ancient and contemporary scholarship, lists four possible derivations and meanings for the word, each worth some consideration:

(2) a substantivizing of ejpi; th;n ou\san sc. hJmevran for the current day, for today

(a) on the analogy of to; ejpiovn = ‘the future’, bread for the future . . .

(e) The petition is referred to the coming Kingdom and its feast by Reisler, ZNW 24, 1925, 190-92 . . .

One would like to see truth in each of these suggested meanings; Luke, perhaps with an eye to needs in his own community, has certainly brought out an emphasis on the day-to-day needs of Christian believers.

In the next petition (# 4), there is some variation in wording. In Matthew, it reads, “And forgive us our debts (ojfeilhvmata, opheilēmata), / as we also have forgiven (ajfhvkamen, aphēkamen, perfect tense) our debtors (toi:V ojfeilevtaiV hJmw:n, tois opheiletais hēmōn)” (Mt. 6:12). The Didache version is similar, but with a different singular noun for “debt, obligation,” that is, ojfeilhv, opheilē, and the present tense verb, ajfivemen, aphiemen, “we forgive.” Luke’s version says, “and forgive us our sins (ta;V aJmartivaV hJmw:n, tas hamartias hēmōn) for Matthew’s “debts”), and his concluding clause differs, “for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us” (Lk. 11:4b). The conjunction “for” (gavr, gar) introduces this clause where Matthew and the Didache have “as” (wJV, hōs). The emphatic pronoun aujtoiv, autoi, stresses the subject in Luke, “we ourselves,” as does the different pronoun hJmei:V, hēmeis, in Matthew and the Didache. Luke’s verb, “we forgive” (ajfivomen, aphiomen), is in the present tense as is the slightly different verb in the Didache, where, as noted, Matthew has the perfect tense, “we have forgiven.” Luke adds “every” to the one forgiven: “everyone (pavnti, panti) indebted to us (cf. “give to everyone [pavnti, panti] who begs from you,” Lk. 6:30a, as compared with “give to the one who asks of you,” Mt. 5:42, my translation, where pavnti, panti, is missing, despite the NRSV translation, “give to everyone who begs from you,” Mt. 5:42 NRSV).

The next petition (#5) is worded identically in the three versions, “and do not bring us to the time of trial” (Mt. 6:13a; Lk. 11:4c; Did. 8:2j), as is the last (#6) in Matthew and the Didache, “but rescue us from the evil one” (Mt. 6:13b; Did. 8:2k). The last petition is missing in Luke. The phrase, “from the evil one” (ajpo; tou: ponhrou:, apo tou ponērou) can be translated as “from the evil one,” as here, taking ponhrou: as the genitive case of ponhrovV, masculine, or taking it as the genitive case of ponhrovn, neuter, it could be translated as “from evil.”

Luke follows the prayer with teaching about persistence in prayer, illustrated by the friend who needs “three loaves of bread” in the middle of the night (Lk. 11:5-6O. Although the neighbor puts him off–“Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything” (v. 7), Jesus says that the friend’s persistence will prevail. “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs” (v. 8). An a fortiori (“all the more”) argument asks, if persistence will prevail with the reluctant neighbor, how much more will God respond to one’s persistence in prayer?

Another paragraph, this time with a parallel version in Matthew and similar admonitions in John, tells us to “Ask . . . search . . . and knock” (Lk. 11:9; cf. Mt. 7:7; Jn. 16:24). Assurance that God will hear and respond is given, as Jesus says, “For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Lk 11:10 = Mt. 7:8). The Greek text of these verses is identical in Matthew and Luke, though in Luke, some manuscripts have ajnoivgetai (anoigetai, present tense, “is opened”) for ajnoighvsetai (anoigēsetai, future tense, “will be opened”). If the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (4^th rev. ed., 1993) is correct in using the future tense here, though marking it with “C,” that is, with “a considerable degree of doubt,” then the verses are identical in the Greek of Matthew and Luke as well. Further assurance is given by comparing a human father’s response to his child’s request to that of God, our heavenly Father. This again is an a fortiori (“all the more”) argument. In Luke’s account, Jesus first rhetorical question, “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?” (Lk. 11:11), is similar to the second in Matthew’s account, “Or if the the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?” (Mt. 7:10). Luke’s second rhetorical question, “Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?” (Lk. 11:12), can be compared to Matthew’s first–though the request and the response differ, “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone?” With different objects, bread and a stone in Matthew, an egg and a scorpion in Luke, the point is the same, though Luke’s image is sharper. Of the terms “fish” and “snake,” Robert H. Stein says, “these are similar in appearance, as are the egg-scorpion, for a scorpion with its claws and tail rolled up resembles an egg” (Luke, The New American Commentary, vol. 24, 1992, p. 328, on Lk. 11:11-12). Stein also refers to earlier comments, where he says snakes and scorpions “were both well-known symbols for evil” (ibid., p. 310, Lk. 10:19). The conclusion Jesus draws indicates assurance that God will hear and respond to our prayers. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven (Mt.), the heavenly Father (Lk.), give good things (Mt.), give the Holy Spirit (Lk.), to those who ask him” (Mt. 6:11; Lk. 11:13). Luke finds ways to emphasize the Holy Spirit throughout the two volume set, Luke-Acts. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit will provide for many other “good things” in our lives. The instruction, “Ask and you will receive” (Jn. 16:24; cf. Mt. 7:7-8; Lk. 11:9-10), assumes that one will ask in accord with God’s will. The one who asks must ask in Jesus’ name (Jn. 14:14) and abide in him (Jn. 15:7). It’s not a kind of open-ended blank check.

Daily Scripture Readings
Sunday (June 13, 2010)*
Daily Office Lectionary, The Book of Common Prayer, the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A., 1979; cf. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), Abingdon Press, 1992	Daily Lectionary, Book of Common Worship, the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1993	Daily Lectionary, Book of Worship Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship, c. 1978 (2002 printing) ‡
http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
‡ Daily Lectionary, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, ELCA, 2006. In the Evangelical Lutheran Worship book of 2006, the Daily Lectionary (pp. 1121-1153) is revised to correlate with the Sunday Lectionary (the Revised Common Lectionary) on the three year cycle: Year A, Year B, Year C (now current). “The readings are chosen so that the days leading up to Sunday (Thursday through Saturday) prepare for the Sunday readings. The days flowing out from Sunday (Monday through Wednesday) reflect upon the Sunday readings” (p. 1121).
Unless otherwise indicated, the scripture texts quoted are from The New Revised Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers), 1989.
Sunday AM Psalm 93, 96 PM Psalm 34 Numbers 6:22-27 Acts 13:1-12 Luke 12:41-48 From the Sunday Lectionary: (Cf. the RCL) 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a & Psalm 5:1-8 or 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 & Psalm 32; Galatians 2:15-21; Luke 7:36-8:3	Sunday Morning: Psalms 103; 150 Numbers 6:22-27 Acts 13:1-12 Luke 12:41-48 Evening: Psalms 117; 139	Sunday Morning Pss.: 108, 150 Eccles.1:1-11 Acts 8:26-40 Luke 11:1-13 Evening Pss.: 66, 23
	11^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a Psalm 5:1-8 Psalm 32; Galatians 2:15-21 Luke 7:36-8:3	Sunday, June 12-18, Year C 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 Psalm 32 (5) Galatians 2:15-21 Luke 7:36-8:3 Semicontinuous reading and psalm 1 Kings 21:1-10 [11-14] 15-21a Psalm 5:1-8 (8)
* The Third Sunday after Pentecost, references for the Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two