We return to our study on The Lord's Prayer, Avinu shebashamayim, Part Two, where we explore Yitkadash shemekha - "May your name be sanctified"

Updated 2 Aug 2020

Go to Part Three

 …Lessons from the Wilderness Volume Nine … ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

… Avinu shebashamayim …

Part Two

…Yitkadash shemekha…

Avinu shebashamayim, yitkadash shemekha.

Tavo malkhutekha ye’aseh r’tsonekha

ba’arets ka’asher na’asah vashamayim.

Ten-lanu haiyom lechem chukeinu.

u’selach-lanu et-ashmateinu

ka’asher solechim anachnu la’asher ashmulanu.

Ve’al-tevieinu lidei massah,

ki im-hatsileinu min-hara.

Ke lakha, hamamlakha, vehageverah, veha tiferet l’olemei ‘olamim.

Amein.

Matthew 6:9–13 (NASB95)

“^aPray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 ‘^aYour kingdom come.

^bYour will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

                11 ‘^aGive us this day ¹our daily bread.

                12 ‘And ^aforgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

                13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but ^adeliver us from ^1bevil. ²[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’^[5]

Luke 11:1–4 (NASB95)

1 It happened that while ¹Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

2 And He said to them, “^aWhen you pray, say:

‘¹Father, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 ‘Give us ^aeach day our ¹daily bread.

4 ‘And forgive us our sins,

For we ourselves also forgive everyone who ^ais indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.’ ”^[6]

Obviously, if you have been following this blog, events in the world have sidetracked me from my study.  What can I say? That these events don’t affect me? That I can ignore them without comment? That I cannot do. Being silent is not an option. Silence killed six million Jews in the Second World War, along with a staggering number of non-Jews, some estimates now thought to range as high as eleven to fourteen million souls. [7]

One writer puts it this way:

“…The Nazis sought to annihilate all Jews and all enemies of the state. Every Jew was to be wiped out, but not necessarily every Russian, Serb, or Yugoslavian. That millions of non-Jews were also killed demonstrates the determination and magnitude of the Nazi extermination program to eliminate anyone who could even remotely be considered an enemy of the state. Current estimates based on documents from Nazi war records, and official government documents of various countries, place the death toll of people murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust as conservatively over 15 million non-combatant people.[8] One official source estimates the number killed at 26 million.[9] However, "with the mass graves on the eastern front, exact figures will never be known". [10] ^([11])

That is why I cannot be silent when I see the terror that is around the world today – and it involves Christians as well as Jews, Muslims killing Muslims, Jihadists killing anyone in their grasp. It also involves senseless riots in the streets of America, horrible death and carnage in the cities of this land, and the selfless sacrifice of many fine police officers and law enforcement in general. There is a time to address injustice but today, I want to step aside and return to our study on Our Father in Heaven.

I’d first like to take a moment and thank two groups of people that have blessed me with their faithful visits to my blog – and I want to say this to all who come here – thank you for allowing me into your life, to come and just talk to you about the things of God. We don’t have to agree (but I hope we do!) but I pray that what you read gives you food for thought and you ponder upon these great truths and allow the Ruach HaKodesh to bring you to understanding. That said, there are two groups who visit my page frequently (there are others of course – all of you deserve my thanks) that I’d like to address in this post specifically: my Russian readers and my Ukrainian readers. I understand the tensions that may exist between you all – but let the love of Messiah transcend these and draw us all closer to Him. That said – I hope my translations are accurate – please forgive me if they fall short…

К моим братьям в России:

Есть много людей, взять время, чтобы читать мой блог, и я благодарю вас. Я даю всю славу Богу Израиля, который сидит на престоле неба за возможность, которую он открыл, чтобы поговорить с вами и другими по всему миру. Я молюсь за вас ежедневно, что ваши знания о Боге и истине Его слова продолжает расти, и я унижен, чтобы быть небольшая часть этого. Пусть Он благословит всех вас во имя Иешуа, Amein.

Для братів своїх в Україні:

Саме з великою радістю, що я можу вітати вас сьогодні, і спасибі, що знайшли час, щоб відвідати і прочитати слова, які Бог дав мені. З мого серця я вдячний за можливість бути невелика частина вашого дня - і вони хвалу Богові Всевишньому і його син Ієшуа для всіх вас і бажаю вам шалом. Будь благословенний, Amein.

I hope my attempt at translation worked – it’s on me if it didn’t! But here we go:

In Part One, I wrote these words:

“I am the LORD your God.”

-  Ex. 20:2a  -

“…It is here that we first begin – if we cannot accept and truthfully believe in this fundamental foundation that there is a G-d and He is our G-d, then we are unlikely to ever come to the place of obedience and the place where our heart and our mind comes to acknowledge 

Avinu shebashamayim…”

“Avinu shebashamayim.” “Our Father in heaven.” Not only is He that – but as He stated in Exodus – “I am the LORD your God”. This is the starting point.

Can we agree if we do not completely wrap ourselves around the concept that He is our G-d, then any attempt to come to an understanding of Him and His ways will ultimately fail, and instead of truly understanding the kavanah[12] of Scripture and thus misunderstanding the Father Himself.  

What did Yeshua say?

John 5:36-40 (NET)

^5:36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds⁶³ that the Father has assigned me to complete – the deeds⁶⁴ I am now doing – testify about me that the Father has sent me.

^5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people⁶⁵ have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time,⁶⁶

^5:38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent.

^5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly⁶⁷ because you think in them you possess eternal life,⁶⁸ and it is these same scriptures⁶⁹ that testify about me, ^5:40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. ^[13]

John 14:6-10 (NET)

^14:6 Jesus replied,¹³ “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.¹⁴ No one comes to the Father except through me.

^14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too.¹⁵ And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

^14:8 Philip said,¹⁶ “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.”¹⁷

^14:9 Jesus replied,¹⁸ “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known¹⁹ me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ^14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?²⁰ The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative,²¹ but the Father residing in me performs²² his miraculous deeds.^{23 ([14])}

 Our first sure glimpse of the Father comes by our acceptance of the Messiah. Yes, we can know of Him through the Hebrew Scriptures, but truthfully? There might be a disconnect there…

Tehillim (Psalms) 103:6-7 (CJB)

⁶  Adonai brings vindication and justice to all who are oppressed.

⁷  He made his ways known to Moshe, his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el. ^[15]

Tehillim (Psalms) 147:19-20 (CJB)

¹⁹ He reveals his words to Ya‘akov, his laws and rulings to Isra’el.

²⁰ He has not done this for other nations; they do not know his rulings.

Halleluyah! ^[16]

To know His ways and His words – you must know Him. His Torah, His deeds were known by the people, but He was known to Moshe and Ya’akov. There is a difference. So I ask it again – is He your God, and you His people? Grasp this and the mysteries of God become yours. I’m not talking about some “esoteric, super-secret knowledge” that is only revealed to a “certain” few – I’m talking a relationship in which you will know God face to face: this relationship is open to all who hear Him knock, and then seek His face.

Many are on a journey. With the uncertainties that exist within our world today, many are fearful of what is to come. Many see unrest, hate, war. Many feel that injustice, intolerance and apathy are the norm. Many look for solutions outside of themselves, in drugs, alcohol, sex, violence or a government program – all addictions of the soul. Many do not see the “solutions” that they reach for are simply symptoms of a greater problem – a void, a void within their hearts, a void within themselves that only G-d can fill. Many shun this idea – yet no matter what they do – they are empty, they are afraid, they are confused as which way to go.

Only when we find “Avinu shebashamayim” can we begin to be whole.

That is why we created – why we were each formed in the womb. It is why the world is aflame, why hatred and darkness keep us at bay, away from any knowledge of the One G-d that can solve this barrenness of the soul.

Psalm 14 (HCSB)

For the choir director; by David.

¹ The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.” ^a

They are corrupt; their actions are revolting.

There is no one who does good.

² The Lord looks down from heaven on the ^•human race ^b to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.

³ All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good, not even one. ^c d

⁴ Will evildoers never understand?

They consume my people as they consume bread; ^e

they do not call on the Lord. ^f

⁵ Then ^g they will be filled with terror,

for God is with those who are ^h righteous. ⁱ

⁶ You _⌊sinners_⌋ frustrate the plans of the afflicted, ^j

but the Lord is his refuge. ^k

⁷ Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!

When the Lord restores His captive people,

Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad. ^{l m ([17])}

That is why I say we must come to the understanding of “I am the Lord your God”. Are we his? Are we a part of his family – His mispachah[18]? Is He truly our Father? And do we believe that He exists – outside of our time and space – in that place called eternity, in shebashamayim? G-d is the consummate extra-terrestrial – He was perfect in His glory, full in His place and being, yet from out of Himself He took a piece of Himself and created a place for us, this cosmos we call home, gave it laws of physics, and of gravity, and set in place the galaxies and the rotations of the same, and made for us a finite world, carved out of the infinite so that He could dwell with us and be our G-d. Our transgressions separated us from Him – and we have been struggling ever since – with one of two aims: to keep the separation, or to breach it and return to Him. To keep the separation is to suffer the consequences of our transgressions – madness, war, death, loneliness, a disconnect from the eternal; to breach the separation is to acknowledge our sins, bow to His right rulings, His precepts, His Law, His offer of salvation through Yeshua the Messiah – and to once again connect to the eternal, for life and purpose.

What comes next?

…Yitkadash shemekha…

“Hallowed be thy name”

In the Hebrew, it is better translated as

“May Your Name be sanctified”

What does it mean to sanctify His Name?

What is said in His Word?

Psalm 108:6-8 (Tanakh)

⁶Exalt Yourself over the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth!

^7bThat those whom You love may be rescued, deliver with Your right hand and answer me.

⁸God promised ^c-in His sanctuary^-c

that I would exultingly divide up Shechem, and measure the Valley of Sukkoth; ^[19]

2 Samuel 7:25-26 (Tanakh)

²⁵“And now, O Lord God, fulfill Your promise to Your servant and his house forever; and do as You have promised. ²⁶And may Your name be glorified forever, in that men will say, ‘The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel’; 

and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. ^[20]

Isaiah 6:1-4 (NASB95)

     1     In the year of ^aKing Uzziah’s death

^bI saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

2     Seraphim stood above Him, ^aeach having six wings: with two he covered his face,

and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3     And one called out to another and said,

“^aHoly, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,

The ^1bwhole earth is full of His glory.”

4     And the ¹foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out,

while the ^2atemple was filling with smoke. ^[21]

There are many other examples we could cite, such as Lev_10:3, 1Ki_8:43, 1Ch_17:24, Neh_9:5, Psa_72:18, Psa_111:9, Isa_37:20, Eze_36:23, Eze_38:23, Hab_2:14, Zec_14:9, Mal_1:11, Luk_2:14, Luk_11:2, 1Ti_6:16, Rev_4:11, Rev_5:12, to list a few. The point is to “sanctify” the Name of the Father is to set it apart, to count it as sacred. It means we attach weight to it – we hold it in awe, reverence and honor. When we call upon this Name – we don’t use just any book to learn of Him – we use the Scriptures He gave to the Jews – for to them were entrusted the oracles of G-d. To do anything else is to say His word does not mean whatever He said it meant – we have chosen another G-d over Him. There are many “extra-biblical” books out there – some are used by various denominations, other are used said to be “new revelations”, but only the Hebrew Scriptures have stood the test of time and history – and have revealed the Truth of the Living G-d. No other book can make that claim – they are penned by men who want to divert mankind from the knowledge of the Living G-d and blaspheme His name. Even He declared it from old:

Ezekiel 36:23 (NET)

^36:23 I will magnify¹⁶ my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the sovereign Lord, when I magnify myself among you in their sight. ^[22]

Isaiah 46:3-13 (Tanakh)

³Listen to Me, O House of Jacob, All that are left of the House of Israel,

Who have been carried since birth, Supported since leaving the womb:

⁴Till you grow old, I will still be the same; When you turn gray, it is I who will carry;

I was the Maker, and I will be the Bearer; And I will carry and rescue [you].

⁵To whom can you compare Me Or declare Me similar?

To whom can you liken Me, So that we seem comparable?

⁶Those who squander gold from the purse And weigh out silver on the balance,^d

They hire a metal worker to make it into a god, To which they bow down and prostrate themselves.

⁷They must carry it on their backs and transport it; When they put it down, it stands,

It does not budge from its place.

If they cry out to it, it does not answer; It cannot save them from their distress.

⁸Keep this in mind, and ^e-stand firm!^-e

Take this to heart, you sinners!

⁹Bear in mind what happened of old; For I am God, and there is none else,

I am divine, and there is none like Me.

¹⁰I foretell the end from the beginning, And from the start, things that had not occurred.

I say: My plan shall be fulfilled; I will do all I have purposed.

¹¹I summoned that swooping bird from the East;^f From a distant land, the man for My purpose.

I have spoken, so I will bring it to pass; I have designed it, so I will complete it.

¹²Listen to Me, you ^g-stubborn of heart,^-g Who are far from victory:

¹³I am bringing My victory close; It shall not be far,

And My triumph shall not be delayed.

I will grant triumph in Zion To Israel, in whom I glory. ^[23]

None have the right to add to or detract from His words – those He set down from old. None have the right to declare another G-d for He has already declared Himself – you do so at your own folly. His Name – Yahveh Tzva’ot – shall be glorified on the earth sanctified as in the heavens.

And what name is to be sanctified?

The Son of God, holy and spotless Lamb, Everlasting Father or by another?

 Who is He that defies my vain attempts to understand Him?

Who can know the mind of God?

Who can fathom the depth, the richness of His mercy and grace, the validity of ALL His commandments, the wonders that He has prepared for those who love Him, and the place of eternal death and separation for those who do not?

O but to know this God, this King of Glory, Elohim Tzva’ot, the Lord of Hosts!

Who is He, this One, full of grace and glory that goes by countless names:

• Adonai Elohei Tzva’ot “Lord God of Hosts”
• Adonai Eloheinu “Lord our God”
• Adonai “The LORD our God”
• Adonai Elohim “the LORD GOD”
• Adonai Elohim Elohei-Tzva’ot “the LORD GOD, GOD of Hosts”
• Adonai Elohim Tzva’ot “the LORD GOD of Hosts”
• Adonai Sabaoth “The LORD of Shabbot”
• Adonai Yir’eh “The Lord will see to it/Our Provider”
• Abir — "Strong One".
• Avinu Malkeinu — "Our Father, our King".
• Boreh — "the Creator".
• Ehiyeh sh'Ehiyeh — "I Am That I Am": (A modern Hebrew version of "Ehyeh asher Ehyeh")
• Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak ve Elohei Ya`akov — "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob".
• El ha-Gibbor — "God the hero" or "God the strong one".
• Emet — "Truth".
• Ein Sof — "endless, infinite", Kabbalistic name of God.
• Ro'eh Yisrael — "Shepherd of Israel".
• Ha-Kaddosh, Baruch Hu — "The Holy One, Blessed be He".
• Kaddosh Israel — "Holy One of Isarel".
• Melech ha-Melachim — "The King of Kings".
• Makom — literally "the place", meaning "The Omnipresent".
• Magen Avraham — "Shield of Abraham".
• YHVH-Rapha — "The Lord that healeth" (Exodus 15:26).
• YHVH-Nissi (Jehovah-Nissi) — "The Lord our Banner" (Exodus 17:8-15).
• YHVH-Shalom — "The Lord our Peace" (Judges 6:24).
• YHVH-Ra-ah — "The Lord my Shepherd" (Psalms 23:1).
• YHVH-Tsidkenu — "The Lord our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6).
• YHVH-Shammah — "The Lord is present" (Ezekiel 48:35).
• Tzur Israel — "Rock of Israel".

There are more for sure, more names than we will know in this life time, but all matter for the describe who this G-d is. For those of us who believe in Messiah, there is one other name, the name above all other names, Yeshua Ha’Machiach. But there comes a day when even He, our Messiah, gives all back to Avinu shebashamayim:

1 Corinthians 15:13-28 (JNT)

¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised; ¹⁴ and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain; ¹⁵ furthermore, we are shown up as false witnesses for God in having testified that God raised up the Messiah, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah has not been raised either; ¹⁷ and if the Messiah has not been raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Also, if this is the case, those who died in union with the Messiah are lost. ¹⁹ If it is only for this life that we have put our hope in the Messiah, we are more pitiable than anyone.

²⁰ But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have died. ²¹ For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man.

²² For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: The Messiah is the first-fruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming;

²⁴ then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father,

after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power.

²⁵ For he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet.

²⁶ The last enemy to be done away with will be death,

²⁷ for “He put everything in subjection under his feet.”^m

But when it says that “everything” has been subjected, obviously the word does not include God,

who is Himself the one subjecting everything to the Messiah.

²⁸ Now when everything has been subjected to the Son,

then he will subject himself to God,

who subjected everything to him;

so that God may be everything in everyone. ^[24]

Father is and always has been supreme; Messiah will reign as His vassal, in full power and authority to conquer all of Father’s enemies, till at last shalom reigns and Avinu shebashamayim will be all in all to the cosmos He created.

May He haste the day.

Till then, bless Israel and her people, Father

And we shall meet again for Part Three of our study.

May He richly bless you all, my beloved, Amein.

---

[1] Authors note: Use of information from Jewish-themed websites should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed. The inverse is also true – by using these sites in no way confirms or denies that this author holds to all things found on these sites – but brethren, we all can learn from one another, Jew and Gentile; may it be so in shalom and love and respect.

[2]  Author’s note:  Throughout this study I’ll be using the Net® Bible and  the Net® Notes: within the notes you’ll see symbols like this: ( א B Ψ 892* 2427 sy^s). These are abbreviations used by the NetBible© for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NetBible©)  used in translating the New Testament. Please go to  https://bible.org/netbible/ and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them.

[3] Author’s Note: In these studies I have used the notes that come along with the passages I cite from the sources that I cite: these need a bit of a disclaimer though. As in all things, not everything that is footnoted is something that I necessarily agree with, especially if it contradicts what I believe pertains to any matters of the Torah or the commandments of G-d. I give you the notes as they are written by the authors of the material I cite from, so that you can see the information contained within them. It truly is not my place to edit or correct them; if they state anything that is in opposition to what I teach, then so be it. I will address these issues if requested, but for the sake of brevity (as if any of these posts of mine are brief ☺ ) I insert them and let them stand as they are. If I don’t agree with them, why do I include them you might ask? I don’t believe in censuring anyone’s opinions or scholarship; as I would not want mine censured, so I will not do to that to another. As Rabbi Hillel once stated, “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the whole Torah. Go and learn it.” Torah leads me to respect others, even if I disagree; it leads me to present both sides of the coin, even if it could mean I’d lose part of the argument. That is not to say I should not challenge something I believe contradicts the truth of G-d’s word; that I will do in the main body of my epistles; that is where my gentle dissent belongs. Most (but not all) of the differences will come when I quote from the NET® Bible (but not exclusively); it has a decidedly Western/Greek mindset to it, but as a wise man once said “How do you eat chicken? Swallow the meat and spit out the bones…” I do though want to present the NET® notes because there is a wealth of information and research contained within them that I hope you find helpful.

[4] One may wonder why I omit the “o” when I write the title “G-d”. While there are many who say that to leave out the “o” is a sign of being under the influence of the Rabbis who forbid saying the name of Yahveh, I say, one must come to a conclusion on their own, and do as their heart convicts them (within the bounds of G-d’s word of course). I believe in the power of the name of the Most High – the name of Yahveh – and in uttering it in awe and reverence, yet find no contradiction in my soul for the hyphenated title “G-d”. I have written it both ways – stopped doing it, and now I have returned to the practice – as I said, one must follow the conviction of their heart. I do not disrespect anyone else’s opinion on this matter, and regardless if you think it wrong or right, I ask for the same respect. Let each be fully persuaded in their own mind and heart – and let G-d sort it out with each believer. For now, this is right for me, till the Father corrects - or confirms; I am after all, a work in progress. Shalom. 

^a  Matt 6:9–13: Luke 11:2–4

^a  Matt 3:2; 4:17

^b  Matt 26:42; Luke 22:42; Acts 21:14

^a  Prov 30:8; Is 33:16; Luke 11:3

¹  Or our bread for tomorrow

^a  Ex 34:7; Ps 32:1; 130:4; Matt 9:2; 26:28; Eph 1:7; 1 John 1:7–9

^a  John 17:15; 1 Cor 10:13; 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 4:18; 2 Pet 2:9; 1 John 5:18

¹  Or the evil one

^b  Matt 5:37

²  This clause not found in early mss

^[5]  New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mt 6:9–13). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

¹  Lit He

^a  Luke 11:2–4: Matt 6:9–13

¹  Later mss add phrases from Matt 6:9–13 to make the two passages closely similar

^a  Acts 17:11

¹  Or bread for the coming day or needful bread

^a  Luke 13:4 mg

^[6]  New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Lk 11:1–4). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[7] http://www.businessinsider.com/shocking-new-holocaust-study-claims-nazis-killed-up-to-20-million-people-2013-3

[8]Martin Gilbert, The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe during the Second World War (New York, 1985), 824. 

[9] Service d'Information des Crimes de Guerre: Crimes contre la Personne Humain, Camps de Concentration (Paris, 1946), 197.

[10] Sybil Milton, Telephone interview, 16 April 1997. 

[11] http://www.ukemonde.com/holocaust/victims.html

[12] intent, focus, direction or understanding

·         [The following notes are taken from the NET Bible® footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org, n.d. Numbering system is unique to NET® Notes.  For more information, see footnote #2and 3.

 ⁶³ tn Or “works.”

⁶⁴ tn Grk “complete, which I am now doing”; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating “deeds” from the previous clause.

⁶⁵ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.

⁶⁶ sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Compare Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer - their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.

⁶⁷ tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655–57.

⁶⁸ sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

⁶⁹ tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

^·          End NET® Bible Notes

^[13]  Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.

·         [The following notes are taken from the NET Bible® footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org, n.d. Numbering system is unique to NET® Notes.  For more information, see footnote #2and 3.

¹³ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

¹⁴ tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”

¹⁵ tc There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnōkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnōsesthe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnōkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnōkeite an or an ēdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The mss that have the perfect ἐγνώκατε in the protasis (P⁶⁶ [א D* W] 579 pc it) also have, for the most part, the future indicative γνώσεσθε in the apodosis (P⁶⁶ א D W [579] pc sa bo), rendering Jesus’ statement as a first-class condition. The mss that have the pluperfect ἐγνώκειτε in the protasis (A B C D¹ L Θ Ψ f^{1, 13} 33 M) also have, for the most part, a pluperfect in the apodosis (either ἂν ἤδειτε in B C* [L] Q Ψ 1 33 565 al, or ἐγνώκειτε ἄν in A C³ Θ f¹³ M), rendering Jesus’ statement a contrary-to-fact second-class condition. The external evidence slightly favors the first-class condition, since there is an Alexandrian-Western alliance supported by P⁶⁶. As well, the fact that the readings with a second-class condition utilize two different verbs with ἄν in different positions suggests that these readings are secondary. However, it could be argued that the second-class conditions are harder readings in that they speak negatively of the apostles (so K. Aland in TCGNT 207); in this case, the ἐγνώκειτε…ἐγνώκειτε ἄν reading should be given preference. Although a decision is difficult, the first-class condition is to be slightly preferred. In this case Jesus promises the disciples that, assuming they have known him, they will know the Father. Contextually this fits better with the following phrase (v. 7b) which asserts that “from the present time you know him and have seen him” (cf. John 1:18).

¹⁶ tn Grk “said to him.”

¹⁷ tn Or “and that is enough for us.”

¹⁸ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

¹⁹ tn Or “recognized.”

²⁰ tn The mutual interrelationship of the Father and the Son (ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν, egō en tō patri kai ho patēr en emoi estin) is something that Jesus expected even his opponents to recognize (cf. John 10:38). The question Jesus asks of Philip (οὐ πιστεύεις, ou pisteueis) expects the answer “yes.” Note that the following statement is addressed to all the disciples, however, because the plural pronoun (ὑμῖν, humin) is used. Jesus says that his teaching (the words he spoke to them all) did not originate from himself, but the Father, who permanently remains (μένων, menōn) in relationship with Jesus, performs his works. One would have expected “speaks his words” here rather than “performs his works”; many of the church fathers (e.g., Augustine and Chrysostom) identified the two by saying that Jesus’ words were works. But there is an implicit contrast in the next verse between words and works, and v. 12 seems to demand that the works are real works, not just words. It is probably best to see the two terms as related but not identical; there is a progression in the idea here. Both Jesus’ words (recall the Samaritans’ response in John 4:42) and Jesus’ works are revelatory of who he is, but as the next verse indicates, works have greater confirmatory power than words.

²¹ tn Grk “I do not speak from myself.”

²² tn Or “does.”

²³ tn Or “his mighty acts”; Grk “his works.”

sn Miraculous deeds is most likely a reference to the miraculous signs Jesus had performed, which he viewed as a manifestation of the mighty acts of God. Those he performed in the presence of the disciples served as a basis for faith (although a secondary basis to their personal relationship to him; see the following verse).

·         End NET® Bible Notes

^[14]  Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.

^[15] Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., Ps 103:6–7). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.

^[16] Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible: an English version of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and B’rit Hadashah (New Testament) (1st ed., Ps 147:19–20). Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications.

^a  14:1 Ps 10:4; 53:1

•  Literally, sons of man or sons of Adam

^b  14:2 Ps 33:13-15

^c  14:1-3 Ps 12:1; 53:1-3; Mc 7:2; Rm 3:10-12

^d  14:3 Two Hb mss, some LXX mss add the material found in Rm 3:13–18

^e  14:4 Ps 27:2; Mc 3:3

^f  14:4 Is 64:7

^g  14:5 Or There

^h  14:5 Lit with the generation of the

ⁱ  14:5 Ps 53:5

^j  14:6 Ezr 4:5

^k  14:6 Ps 9:9; 94:22

^l  14:7 Ps 53:6

^m  14:7 Or let Jacob rejoice; let Israel be glad.

^[17]  The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

[18] http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/The_Lord_s_Prayer_1/the_lord_s_prayer_1.html

b  With vv. 7–14, cf. Ps. 60.7–14.

c-  Or “by His holiness.”

-c  Or “by His holiness.”

[19]  Jewish Publication Society. (1997, c1985). Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures : A new translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the traditional Hebrew text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

[20]  Jewish Publication Society. (1997, c1985). Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures : A new translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the traditional Hebrew text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

a  2 Kin 15:7; 2 Chr 26:23; Is 1:1

b  John 12:41; Rev 4:2, 3; 20:11

a  Rev 4:8

a  Rev 4:8

1  Lit fullness of the whole earth is His glory

b  Num 14:21; Ps 72:19

1  Lit door sockets

2  Lit house

a  Rev 15:8

[21]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

·         [The following notes are taken from the NET Bible® footnotes, copyright (c) 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press L.L.C. All rights reserved. Used by permission from www.bible.org, n.d. Numbering system is unique to NET® Notes.  For more information, see footnote #2and 3.

 16 tn Or “sanctify,” Heb “make holy.”

·         End NET® Bible Notes

[22]  Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.

d  Lit. “beam [of the balance].”

e-  Meaning of Heb. uncertain

-e  Meaning of Heb. uncertain

f  I.e., Cyrus; cf. 41.2–3; 44.28—45.1.

g-  Septuagint reads, “who have lost heart.”

-g  Septuagint reads, “who have lost heart.”

[23]  Jewish Publication Society. (1997, c1985). Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures : A new translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the traditional Hebrew text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

^m  Psalm 8:7(6)

^[24]  Stern, D. H. (1989). Jewish New Testament : A translation of the New Testament that expresses its Jewishness (1st ed.). Jerusalem, Israel; Clarksville, Md., USA: Jewish New Testament Publications.