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. It is provided beneath the specific reading the words appear in.
Additional resources related to some of the readings are hyperlinked after those readings and the definitions of key words in those readings.
Excerpts collected in yellow at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do.
These readings as a group are also considered at Lectionary 20: Jesus' Wonderful Kingship and our Response.
Reading I: Isaiah 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Rise up = קוּם= qûm Blue Letter Bible torise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up; after lying down (sleep, sickness, mourning, etc.), after falling, after being smitten, wounded, etc., from sitting, reclining, especially at meals; be clearer; get up; pitch;rouse up; stir up; go forth; flourish; persevere; arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed; bring on the scene
splendor = אוֹר= 'ôr Blue Letter Bibleto be or become light, shine; to become bright;to be illuminated;to give light, shine; luminous (literally and metaphorically); set on fire; to kindle
glory = כָּבוֹד= kāḇôḏ Blue Letter Bible glory, honour, glorious, abundance; weight, but only figuratively in a good sense; heaviness; splendor or copiousness; dignity of position; reputation, of character; majesty
shine = זָרַח= zāraḥBlue Letter Bible to rise, come forth, break out, arise, rise up, shine; to come out, appear; to irradiate (or shoot forth beams); scatter rays
shining = זֶרַח= zeraḥ Blue Letter Bible dawning, shining; a rising of light
radiance = נֹגַהּ= nōḡah Blue Letter Bible brightness; brilliancy (literally or figuratively); shining; shining splendor
Scriptures using similar imagery are collected at Wisdom Principles: God = Light, Departure from God = Darkness
Responsorial Psalm:Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice* shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
adore = עָבַד=ʿāḇaḏ Blue Letter Bible to labour, work, do work; to work for another, serve another by labour; to serve as subjects; to be worked, be tilled (of land); to make oneself a servant;to be led or enticed to serve;be bondmen, bond-service; do, dress, execute, husbandman; performs acts of worship; work his work
justice=צְדָקָה= ṣᵊḏāqâ Blue Letter Bible righteousness; righteousness (as vindicated); justification, salvation; truthfulness; ethically right; rectitude; virtue
justice= צֶדֶק= ṣeḏeq Blue Letter Bible rightness, righteousness; justness; justness (of weights and measures); righteousness (in government)
judgment =מִשְׁפָּט= mišpāṭ Blue Letter Bible judgment, justice, ordinance; process, procedure, litigation; sentence, decision;execution; decision; verdict;sentence or formal decree; determination
justice* = צַדִּיק= ṣadîq Blue Letter Bible just, lawful, righteous;righteous (in government); righteous (in conduct and character);righteous (as justified and vindicated by God); honest, virtuous, pious
peace = שָׁלוֹם= šālôm Blue Letter Bible completeness, soundness, welfare, peace; safety; health, prosperity; quiet, tranquility, contentment; friendship, concord
homage = שָׁחָה= šāḥâ Blue Letter Bible to bow down; to depress; prostrate oneself; fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship; bow down, prostrate oneself, before a monarch or superior, in homage, etc.; sink down; honor God with prayers; to submit oneself
rescue = נָצַל= nāṣal Blue Letter Bible to snatch away, deliver, rescue; to be torn out or away; defend; preserve; draw out, pull out
pity = חוּס= ḥûs Blue Letter Bible have compassion, spare, look upon with compassion; to cover; regard;to be grieved on account of
Scriptures addressing similar principles are collected at:
- Praying for Leaders: That They Be Sensitive to the Weak and Disadvantaged
- Praying for Leaders: That They Truly "Serve" and That They Do So with Humility
Reading II:Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship ofGod’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
***
It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
stewardship = οἰκονομία = oikonomia Blue Letter Bible the management of a household or of household affairs; the management or administration of the property of others; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon management of a household or family, husbandry, thrift; administration
Alleluia:Matthew 2:2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
come = ἔρχομαι = erchomai Blue Letter Bible denoting either "to come, or to go," signifies the act, in contrast with heko, which stresses the arrival; to come from one place to another; to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence; to come to a thing; to go; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon start, set out; come or go; to go a journey; any kind of motion
homage= προσκυνέω = proskyneō Blue Letter Bible to make obeisance, do reverence to; an act of homage or reverence; to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence; to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication; homage shown to men and beings of superior rank: absolutely; do reverence to, adore; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon make obeisance to; do reverence to; prostrating oneself before kings and superiors
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.
Theyprostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
come—See above
homage—See above
search = ἐξετάζω = exetazō Blue Letter Bible to examine, seek out, inquire thoroughly;to examine closely, inquire carefully; to examine strictly, enquire; to test thoroughly (by questions), i.e. ascertain;
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon examine well or closely, scrutinize, review; make inquiries into a thing; examine or question a person closely; prove by scrutiny or test
diligently = ἀκριβῶς = akribōs Blue Letter Bible Accurately; carefully; circumspectly; exactly, accurately, diligently; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon make exact or accurate; arrange precisely; investigate accurately, understand thoroughly; describe accurately
prostrated = πίπτω = piptō Blue Letter Bible to fall; losing its authority or ceasing to have force; to reduce to inactivity; to faint; to "fall" down from; to descend from a higher place to a lower; overcome by terror or astonishment; used of suppliants and persons rendering homage or worship to one; to lose authority, no longer have force; to be thrust down; to be cast down from a state of prosperity; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon fall down, and (when intentional) cast oneself down; throw oneself down, fall down; sink
This incident is further considered at What We Can Learn from Jesus' Nativity: The Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12)
What do these readings tell us about God/His ways?
the glory of the Lord
darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory
Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
your judgment
your justice
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justiceshall flower in his days, and profound peace
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor
the lives of the poor he shall save.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit
the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
king of the Jews
What do these readings tell us to do?
Rise up in splendor
walk by your light
adore you
justice
judgment
adore you
Justice
adore you
offer gifts
bring tribute
pay him homage
serve him
adore you
rescue the poor
have pity for the lowly and the poor
the lives of the poor [you] shall save
adore you
the stewardship of God’s grace
come to do him homage
come to do him homage
go and search diligently for the child
go and do him homage
prostrated themselves
did him homage
offered him gifts
No comments:
Post a Comment