Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Everlasting Punishment
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Meanings for se dāqâ (the Hebrew noun rendered righteousness) can include justice, rectitude, and virtue. Nation (gôy) refers to non-Hebrews, or Gentiles. The writer expects Jew and Gentile alike to benefit by embracing a righteous life. A commentary explains: “Not power, not wealth, not a noble tradition, not a large population—none of these is the secret of a great nation. Only when justice and righteousness make power responsible and loyalty wise does a nation achieve a high status of nationhood.”
Verse 34 is an example of antithetical parallelism, a poetic form in which one clause is offset by its opposite. Used for emphasis, this device appears throughout scriptural poetry (see other instances in Psalms 1:6; Proverbs 10:2; 19:16; Ecclesiastes 10:2).
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Resources quoted in this issue
GT: Buttrick, George Arthur, Nolan B. Harmon, et al., eds. The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 4, Psalms, Proverbs. Nashville: Abingdon, 1951–57.
RR: New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cit. 3: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 1, Introduction to the Pentateuch. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.
Cit. 6: Johnson, Thomas Floyd. New International Biblical Commentary—1, 2, and 3 John. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993.
Cit. 21: Buttrick, George Arthur, Nolan B. Harmon, et al., eds. The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 8, Luke, John. Nashville: Abingdon, 1951–57.
Cit. 23: Barnes, Albert. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible. New York, 1834–85. Also available at biblehub.com/commentaries.
Cit. 24: Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary Collection. Vol. 10, Proverbs–Ecclesiastes. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys, 2000–2016.
COPYRIGHT
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible are taken from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
Scriptural quotations marked Contemporary English Version are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptural quotations marked Common English Bible are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright © 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked Good News Translation are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition, copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked New Century Version are taken from the New Century Version®, copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 2022 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
