Live-Wire Bible Study - Day 52 - Numbers 30–33 · Luke 3 · Psalm 35 - FeedTheGoodHorse
A year-long cultural and psychological reading of the entire Bible. An enduring human text.
← Day 51 | About | Day 53 →
Day 52: Numbers 30–33 · Luke 3 · Psalm 35 · Commentary · Commentary² · Audio
The Bible text is included for reading continuity; it is accurate in substance, aligned with major modern translations, and may be read alongside any Bible you prefer.1
Special Note about the following Bible text: The following translation uses the Hebrew terms tamé (טָמֵא) and tahor (טָהוֹר) instead of the traditional “unclean” and “clean.” These terms describe ritual status in relation to sanctuary access, not moral fault, shame, or physical dirtiness. A fuller explanation will follow in a dedicated article.
Numbers 30
Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying:
This is the word that Jehovah has commanded:
If a man makes a vow to Jehovah or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that has gone out of his mouth.
If a woman makes a vow to Jehovah and binds herself by a pledge while in her father’s house in her youth, and her father hears her vow and the pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand.
But if her father forbids her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. Jehovah will forgive her, because her father forbade her.
If she marries while under her vows or under a rash utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges shall stand.
But if her husband forbids her on the day he hears of it, he nullifies the vow that is upon her and the rash utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself. Jehovah will forgive her.
But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman—everything by which she has bound herself—shall stand against her.
If she vowed in her husband’s house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath, and her husband heard it and said nothing to her and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand.
But if her husband nullifies them on the day he hears them, then whatever has gone out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has nullified them, and Jehovah will forgive her.
Every vow and every binding oath by which she afflicts herself—her husband may establish it, or her husband may nullify it.
But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges that are upon her. He establishes them because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them.
But if he nullifies them after he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity.
These are the statutes that Jehovah commanded Moses concerning a man and his wife, and concerning a father and his daughter while she is in her youth in her father’s house.
Numbers 31
Jehovah spoke to Moses:
Take vengeance for the sons of Israel against the Midianites. After that you shall be gathered to your people.
Moses spoke to the people:
Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to carry out Jehovah’s vengeance on Midian. From each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send a thousand to the war.
So a thousand from each tribe were supplied from the thousands of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war. Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
They waged war against Midian, as Jehovah commanded Moses, and killed every male. They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
The sons of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones. They plundered all their cattle, their flocks, and their goods. All their cities where they lived and all their encampments they burned with fire. They took all the spoil and all the plunder, both of man and of beast.
They brought the captives, the plunder, and the spoil to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel at the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp. Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds—who had come from the service of the war.
Moses said to them:
Have you let all the women live? Look, these, at the word of Balaam, caused the sons of Israel to act unfaithfully against Jehovah in the matter of Peor, and the plague came among the congregation of Jehovah.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known a man by lying with him you shall keep alive for yourselves.
Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain shall purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he and his captives.
You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, everything made of goats’ hair, and every article of wood.
Eleazar the priest said to the men of the army who had gone to the war:
This is the statute of the law that Jehovah commanded Moses:
Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead—everything that can withstand fire—you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Yet it shall also be purified with the water for impurity. Whatever cannot withstand fire you shall pass through the water. You shall wash your garments on the seventh day and be clean; afterward you may come into the camp.
Jehovah spoke to Moses:
Take a count of the plunder that was taken, of man and of beast, you and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the congregation.
Divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.
Levy a tribute for Jehovah from the men of war who went out to battle: one out of five hundred of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks. Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a contribution to Jehovah.
From the sons of Israel’s half you shall take one out of fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah.
Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
The plunder remaining from the spoil that the men of war had taken was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep, seventy-two thousand cattle, sixty-one thousand donkeys, and thirty-two thousand persons in all, women who had not known a man by lying with him.
The half that belonged to those who had gone out to war was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep.
The tribute for Jehovah from the sheep was six hundred seventy-five; from the cattle, seventy-two; from the donkeys, sixty-one; and from the persons, thirty-two persons.
From the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from that of the men who had served in the war—the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, thirty-six thousand cattle, thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, and sixteen thousand persons—
Moses took one out of every fifty, of man and of beast, and gave them to the Levites who kept charge of the tabernacle of Jehovah, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
The officers over the thousands of the army—the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds—came near to Moses and said:
Your servants have taken the count of the men of war under our command, and not a man of us is missing.
So we have brought near Jehovah’s offering, what each man found—articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads—to make atonement for ourselves before Jehovah.
Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them the gold, all the crafted articles.
All the gold of the contribution that they offered to Jehovah from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels. The men of war had taken plunder, each man for himself.
Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before Jehovah.
Numbers 32
The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a very great number of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and look—the place was suitable for livestock.
So the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying:
Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon—the land that Jehovah struck down before the congregation of Israel—is land suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock.
They said:
If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.
Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben:
Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? Why would you discourage the heart of the sons of Israel from crossing into the land that Jehovah has given them?
This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. They went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, and they discouraged the heart of the sons of Israel so that they did not enter the land that Jehovah had given them.
Jehovah’s anger burned that day, and he swore: Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not followed me fully—except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they followed Jehovah fully.
Jehovah’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of Jehovah was finished.
And now look—you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the burning anger of Jehovah against Israel.
If you turn back from following him, he will again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.
They came near to him and said:
We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for our little ones. But we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their place.
Our little ones will live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our houses until each of the sons of Israel has received his inheritance.
We will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.
Moses said to them:
If you will do this—if you arm yourselves before Jehovah for the war, and each of you armed will cross the Jordan before Jehovah until he has driven out his enemies from before him and the land is subdued before Jehovah—
then afterward you may return and be clear before Jehovah and before Israel, and this land shall be yours as a possession before Jehovah.
But if you do not do so, then you have sinned against Jehovah, and know that your sin will find you out.
Build cities for your little ones and sheepfolds for your flocks, and do what has gone out of your mouth.
The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke to Moses:
Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain in the cities of Gilead. But your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before Jehovah to battle, as my lord says.
So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel.
Moses said to them:
If the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before Jehovah, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession.
But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben answered:
What Jehovah has spoken to your servants, so we will do.
We will cross over armed before Jehovah into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.
So Moses gave to them—to the sons of Gad, to the sons of Reuben, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities by territory, the cities of the surrounding land.
The sons of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran—fortified cities—and folds for sheep.
The sons of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, Nebo, and Baal-meon—their names being changed—and Sibmah. They gave other names to the cities that they built.
The sons of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled in it.
Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair. Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Numbers 33
These are the stages of the sons of Israel when they went out from the land of Egypt by their divisions under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Moses wrote down their starting places according to their journeys at the command of Jehovah. These are their journeys according to their starting places.
They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover the sons of Israel went out boldly before the eyes of all Egypt, while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom Jehovah had struck down among them. Jehovah had also executed judgments on their gods.
The sons of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon, and camped before Migdol.
They set out from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness. They went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. They set out from Marah and came to Elim, and at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.
They set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. They set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. They set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. They set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. They set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. They set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. They set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. They set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. They set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. They set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. They set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. They set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.
They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom. Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of Jehovah and died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the sons of Israel were coming.
They set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab. They set out from Iye-abarim and camped at Dibon-gad. They set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
Jehovah spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho:
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them:
When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their carved images and destroy all their cast images and demolish all their high places.
You shall take possession of the land and dwell in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. You shall divide the land by lot according to your clans. To the larger group you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller group you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit.
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. Then it shall be that as I intended to do to them, so I will do to you.
Luke 3
In the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governing Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
He went through the whole region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, just as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
Prepare the way of Jehovah,
make his paths straight.
Every valley will be filled,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked places will become straight,
and the rough ways smooth.
All flesh will see the salvation of God.”
Crowds were coming out to be baptized by him, and he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming judgment? Produce fruit that matches repentance. Do not begin saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor.’ I tell you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
He answered them, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the one who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been authorized.”
Soldiers also asked him, “And we—what should we do?”
He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or accusation, and be satisfied with your pay.”
The people were waiting expectantly, and all were wondering in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with fire that cannot be put out.”
With many other exhortations he proclaimed good news to the people.
But Herod the tetrarch, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things Herod had done, added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.
Now when all the people were being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened and the holy spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. A voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am pleased.”
Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala, son of Nahshon, son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalalel, son of Cainan, son of Enosh, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.
Psalm 35
Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armor
and rise to help me.
Draw the spear and the javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to my life,
“I am your rescue.”
Let those who seek my life
be put to shame and brought to disgrace;
let those who plot my harm
turn back and be humiliated.
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away.
Let their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
Let destruction come upon them without warning;
let the net they hid catch them;
let them fall into it—to their destruction.
Then my life will rejoice in the Lord;
it will be glad in his rescue.
All my bones will say,
“Lord, who is like you,
rescuing the weak from one stronger than they,
the weak and the needy from those who rob them?”
Hostile witnesses rise up;
they ask me about things I do not know.
They repay me evil for good;
my life is left desolate.
But when they were sick,
I wore sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting.
My prayer returned to my own heart.
I walked about as though for a friend or a brother;
I bowed down in grief
as one who mourns for a mother.
But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered.
Attackers gathered against me without my knowledge.
They tore at me without stopping.
Like profane mockers at a feast,
they gnashed their teeth at me.
Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my life from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions.
Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among many people I will praise you.
Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
do not let those who hate me without cause
wink the eye.
For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
They open their mouths wide against me;
they say, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it!”
You have seen, Lord; do not be silent.
Lord, do not be far from me.
Wake and rise to defend me,
my God and my Lord, for my cause.
Judge me according to your righteousness,
Lord my God,
and do not let them rejoice over me.
Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say,
“We have swallowed him up.”
Let those who rejoice at my harm
be put to shame and confusion together;
let those who exalt themselves against me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
Let those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and be glad,
and always say,
“The Lord is great,
who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
Then my tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of your praise all day long.
Commentary - Day 52
Numbers 30–33 · Luke 3 · Psalm 35
Numbers 30 records instructions concerning vows. Moses speaks to the heads of the tribes and sets out the rule that a vow spoken to Jehovah must be carried out. The chapter then traces how vows function within households. A vow spoken by a woman in her father’s house may stand if her father says nothing, but it may be nullified if he forbids it when he hears it. Similar provisions appear for vows made by a woman who is married. If her husband hears and remains silent, the vow stands; if he nullifies it on the day he hears it, the vow does not stand. Vows made by a widow or a divorced woman remain binding. The section closes by summarizing these statutes as governing a man and his wife, and a father and his daughter in her youth.
Numbers 31 turns to the campaign against Midian. A thousand men from each tribe are sent to war, and Phinehas goes with them carrying the holy vessels and the trumpets. The Midianite kings are killed, and Balaam son of Beor is also slain. The captives, animals, and goods are brought back to the camp in the plains of Moab. Moses meets the returning army outside the camp and speaks to the officers about the women who had been connected with the events at Peor. Instructions then follow for purification after the battle and for the cleansing of garments and objects.
Eleazar the priest sets out how metal objects that can endure fire are to pass through fire and then be purified with water, while other materials are washed. Afterward the plunder is counted and divided. Half goes to those who fought in the battle and half to the congregation. A portion from the warriors’ share is given to Eleazar as a contribution to Jehovah, and a portion from the congregation’s share is given to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle. The commanders later bring additional gold articles as an offering, and the gold is placed in the tent of meeting as a memorial before Jehovah.
Numbers 32 describes the request made by the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Seeing that the land of Jazer and Gilead is suitable for livestock, they ask to receive this region rather than crossing the Jordan. Moses recalls the earlier generation that discouraged the people at Kadesh-barnea and warns them not to repeat that pattern. The tribes answer that they will build cities for their families and folds for their flocks but will go armed with the rest of Israel until the land west of the Jordan is subdued. Moses accepts the arrangement on the condition that they cross the Jordan for the war. The land of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og is then given to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and the chapter ends with the naming and building of cities in the region.
Numbers 33 lists the stages of Israel’s journey from Egypt. Moses records the departures and encampments beginning at Rameses and continuing through locations such as Succoth, the passage through the sea, Marah, Elim with its springs and palm trees, the wilderness of Sinai, Kadesh, and Mount Hor where Aaron dies. The sequence continues until the camps in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
From this place instructions are given concerning the land of Canaan. The inhabitants of the land and their images are to be driven out and destroyed, and the land is to be possessed and divided by lot according to the tribes. The passage closes with a warning that if the inhabitants remain, they will become like barbs in the eyes and thorns in the sides of those dwelling in the land.
Luke 3 opens by locating the events within the rule of Tiberius Caesar and the administrations of Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, and Lysanias, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. The word of God comes to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. John moves through the region of the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance and quoting the words of Isaiah about preparing the way of Jehovah and making the paths straight.
Crowds come to him for baptism. He speaks sharply to them, warning against relying on descent from Abraham and calling for fruit that corresponds to repentance. When people ask what they should do, he answers with examples involving sharing clothing and food, collecting taxes honestly, and avoiding extortion.
As the people wait expectantly, John speaks about one who is coming after him, more powerful than he is, who will baptize with the holy spirit and fire. The imagery of the threshing floor appears as he speaks of gathering wheat and burning chaff. The narrative notes that Herod later imprisons John.
Jesus is then baptized along with the people. While he is praying, heaven opens and the holy spirit descends in bodily form like a dove. A voice from heaven declares him to be the beloved Son.
The chapter ends with a genealogy listing the generations backward from Jesus through David and Abraham and continuing through earlier ancestors until it reaches Adam, who is described as the son of God.
Psalm 35 presents a prayer asking Jehovah to contend with those who contend against the speaker. The prayer speaks of shields, spears, pursuit, nets, and pits set for the speaker. It describes enemies who set traps without cause and witnesses who repay evil for good. It recalls the speaker’s earlier prayers for them when they were sick and contrasts that with their present hostility. The prayer asks for judgment according to righteousness and for shame to fall on those who rejoice at harm. The closing lines turn to praise, anticipating thanksgiving among the assembly and continual speech about Jehovah’s righteousness.
Numbers 30 sets rules for vows, describing when vows spoken to Jehovah must stand and when a father or husband may nullify them. Numbers 31 recounts the campaign against Midian, followed by purification procedures and the counting and division of plunder between the warriors, the congregation, the priests, and the Levites. Numbers 32 records the request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad to settle east of the Jordan, which Moses permits on the condition that they fight alongside the rest of Israel. Numbers 33 lists the stages of Israel’s journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab and gives instructions to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan when the land is entered.
Luke 3 introduces John the Baptist preaching repentance near the Jordan and calling for fruit that matches repentance. Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends like a dove, and a voice declares him the beloved Son. The chapter ends with a genealogy tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Adam. Psalm 35 is a prayer asking Jehovah to contend with enemies and to bring justice and deliverance.
← Day 51 | About | How-To | Schedule | Day 53 →
The Bible text provided in the daily readings is included so readers can follow the commentary without interruption or needing to choose between various versions. It is accurate in substance and consistent with all major modern translations.
The longer-term aim of this project is a more fully natural modern-English rendering, one not filtered through inherited Bible-specific language nor centuries of various divergent interpretations. That work is ongoing and deliberately unrushed.
You don’t have to know anything about Bible translations to read here. You are free to use any Bible you prefer, or to read the text provided.
For a brief explanation of why this translation is provided and why it appears as it does, see So… What Bible Is This?