Sunday, July 18, 2021

Readings for July 18, 2021 annotated, lectionary 107, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context. 

Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. That information is provided beneath the specific reading the words are contained in. 

Excerpts collected in yellow  at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature, His ways, or our relationship to Him. 

Excerpts collected in green  at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do. 

Excerpts collected in red  at the end of this post tell us about something God does not want us to do. 

 

Reading I

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD.  Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. 

 

I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they shall increase and multiply. 

 

I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the LORD.

    

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land.

    

In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: “The LORD our justice.”

 

cared = פָּקַד= pāqaḏ

Blue Letter Bible

to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after; to pay attention to, observe;observe (with care, practical interest); to go to; search

 

gather = קָבַץ= qāḇaṣ

Blue Letter Bible

collect, assemble; gather (bring) (together, selves together, up); usually of gathering his dispersed people; to take, grasp with the hand; congregate, collect, take hold of; receive

 

This has the element of fellowship that we see in the gospel re the disciples gathering together around Jesus 

 

shepherd (as verb) = רָעָה= rāʿâ

Blue Letter Bible

to pasture, tend, graze, feed; to associate with, be a friend of; to be a special friend; keep company with; guard; nourish; to delight in; to hold; intercourse

 

act as a fiduciary 

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.

 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.

 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; 

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

 

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

shepherd (as verb) = רָעָה= rāʿâ

See above

 

leads = נָהַל= nahal

Blue Letter Bible

to lead, give rest, lead with care, guide to a watering place or station, cause to rest, bring to a station or place of rest, guide, refresh; sustain: —carry, feed, guide, lead (gently, on); to guard

refreshes = שׁוּב= shuwb

Blue Letter Bible

to restore, refresh, repair (fig); to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore; feed, lay down, lie down, lodge; relieve; rescue; to bring back anyone’s life

guidesנָחָה= nachah

Blue Letter Bible

to lead, guide; by implication, to transport; govern 

give me courage = נָחַם= nacham

Blue Letter Bible

to comfort oneself, ease oneself; be consoled

spreadעָרַךְ= `arak 

Blue Letter Bible

to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish 

anoint = דָּשֵׁן= dashen

Blue Letter Bible

to make fat, anoint; to be made fat; to satisfy; accept; to be satiated abundantly

overflowsרְוָיָה= rĕvayah

Blue Letter Bible

saturation;satisfaction:—runneth over, wealthy  

dwellיָשַׁב= yashab

Blue Letter Bible

remain, sit, abide; to settle; remain, tarry; inhabit

 

Reading II

Ephesians 2:13-18

Brothers and sisters:

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.

 

For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. 

 

He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.


Peace = ερνη = eirēnē

Blue Letter Bible

harmonious relationships between men; friendliness; the sense of rest and contentment; The corresponding Heb. word shalom primarily signifies "wholeness";quietness; harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity; quietness, rest; way leading to peace, a course of life promoting harmony; a formula of wishing well, blessing, addressed by the Hebrews to departing friends

 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

profound peace 

 

Alleluia

John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

listen/hear = κοω = akouō

Blue Letter Bible

Harkin to; to attend to, consider what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is said; to give ear to a teaching or a teacher; to comprehend; to perceive anyone's voice; to yield to, hear and obey; have regard to; to perceive the distinct words of a voice; to yield obedience to the voice; to perceive in the soul

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon

hearken, give ear; listen to; obey; hear and understand; 

follow = κολουθω = akoloutheō

Blue Letter Bible

to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him; to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple; to be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (specially, as a disciple); to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example

 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon  

follow one, go after or with him, freq. of soldiers and slaves; be guided by

 

 

Gospel

Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 

 

He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.  So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 

 

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.  They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

 

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.


rest = ναπαω = anapauō

Blue Letter Bible

to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength; indicative of unnecessary, self-indulgent relaxation; to refresh; an agricultural term, e.g., of giving land "rest" by sowing light crops upon it; to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation; take ease

 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

make to cease, stop; to relieve; put an end to;make to halt; lay it in reposing posture; cause to lie fallow; take one's rest, sleep; regain strength;  settle upon an object

 

moved with pity = σπλαγχνζομαι = splagchnizomai

Blue Letter Bible

to be moved as to one's bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have compassion (for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity); feel sympathy

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

feel pity, compassion, or mercy 

shepherd = ποιμν = poimēn

Blue Letter Bible

one who tends herds or flocks" (not merely one who feeds them); he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon 

Herdsman; captain, chief; pastor, teacher

teach = διδσκω = didaskō

Blue Letter Bible

to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them; to impart instruction

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

instruct a person, or teach a thing; explain, show by argument; prove

What these readings tell us about God/His ways:

cared for them

I myself will gather the remnant 

I will appoint shepherds for them shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble

none shall be missing, says the LORD

I will raise up a righteous shoot to David

he shall reign and govern wisely

he shall do what is just and right 

The LORD our justice

The Lord is my shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd

he gives me repose

he leads me

he refreshes my soul.

The Lord is my shepherd

He guides me in right paths

you are at my side

[you] give me courage.

The Lord is my shepherd

You spread the table before me

you anoint my head with oil

The Lord is my shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd

In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near

he is our peace

made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity

establishing peace

reconcile

putting that enmity to death

He came and preached peace

I know them

He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while”

his heart was moved with pity for them

he began to teach them many things.

 

What these readings tell us to do:

Care[] for them, 

Lead[] me

fear no evil

at my side

courage

dwell in the house of the LORD 

hear my voice

follow me

gathered together with Jesus

reported [to Jesus] all they had done 

Come away by yourselves to a deserted place 

rest a while

 

What these readings tell us not to do:

Scatter[] my sheep

Drive[] them away

enmity

No comments: