“Blessed is
Anyone
Who takes
No offense at me.”
καὶ μακάριός ἐστιν ὃς ἐὰν μὴ σκανδαλισθῇ ἐν ἐμοί.
Luke said that the blessed people were anyone who did not take any offense at him (καὶ μακάριός ἐστιν ὃς ἐὰν μὴ σκανδαλισθῇ ἐν ἐμοί). This is exactly the same as Matthew, chapter 11:6. The blessed, happy, and fortunate people were not scandalized, offended, or stumbled because of Jesus (καὶ μακάριός ἐστιν ὃς ἐὰν μὴ σκανδαλισθῇ ἐν ἐμοί). Are you bothered by Jesus and some of his followers?
“A people provoke me
To my face continually.
They sacrifice in gardens.
They offer incense on bricks.
They sit inside tombs.
They spend the night in secret places.
They eat swine’s flesh.
They have broth of abominable things
In their vessels.
They say.
‘Keep to yourself.
Do not come near me.
I am too holy for you.’
These are a smoke
In my nostrils.
They are a fire
That burns all the day.”
These Israelites were practicing false worship right in front of Yahweh, instead of the true Yahweh worship. They were sacrificing in the gardens in some sort of a nature cult. They burned incense on bricks that was both a pagan and Israelite practice. Sitting inside tombs was an attempt to consult with the dead. If they spent the night in a secret place they were trying to conjure up a vision. Obviously eating pork was forbidden to the Israelites. Others drank some kind of terrible abominable broth. Some even wanted to keep Yahweh away because they were already part of some unknown rite or cult that made them holy. They were like smoke in Yahweh’s nose. They were like a continually burning fire. They really bothered Yahweh with their false worship practices.
“Do not be afraid
When one becomes rich!
Do not be afraid
When the wealth of their houses increases!
When they die,
They will carry nothing away.
Their wealth will not go down after them.
Even though in their lifetime,
They count themselves happy.
You are praised,
When you do well for yourself.
They will go to the company of their ancestors.
They will never again see the light.
Mortals cannot abide in their pomp.
They are like the animals that perish.”
This psalm ends with a warning about richness. You should never be afraid of the rich people. Even if someone’s wealth increases, they cannot take it with them. Their wealth stays here on earth while they go down to death. They can take nothing with them. Even if they had a happy life, they still have to live with their ancestors in eternal death where they will never see the light of day. No matter how pompous one was, they still die like animals. This is a repeat of what was said earlier. The message was clear. Do not be bothered by rich men since they are going to die anyway.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 