Confession and Mercy for Israel

Psalm 9

1 When Israel was led away captive into a foreign land, when they fell away from the Lord who redeemed them, they were cast away from the inheritance, which the Lord had given them. 2 The scattered people of Israel (were) among every nation according to the word of God, so that You might be declared just, God, in Your righteousness because of our sins: For You are a just judge over all the peoples of the earth. 3 For no one who acts unjustly is hidden from Your knowledge, And the righteous deeds of Your faithful people (are) in Your presence, Lord. Where, then, can a man hide himself from Your knowledge, God?

4 Our actions are subject to our own choice and power, to do right or wrong with our hands. And in Your righteousness You attend to human beings. 5 The person who acts righteously stores up life for himself with the Lord;⁠ And the person who does wrong forfeits his life to destruction; For the judgments of the Lord are (given) in righteousness to (every) man and (his) house.⁠ 6 To whom are You good, God, except those who call on the Lord? He cleanses a soul of sins when it confesses and acknowledges them; For shame is upon us and upon our faces because of all these things. 7 And whose sins does He forgive except those who have sinned? You bless the righteous, and do not rebuke them for the sins that they have committed; And Your goodness is upon those who sin, when they repent.

8 And, now, You are our God, and we the people whom You have loved: Look and show pity, God of Israel, for we are Yours; And do not remove Your mercy from us, so that they do not attack us. 9 For You chose Abraham’s descendants above all the nations, and placed Your name on us, Lord, And You will not reject (us) forever. 10 You made a covenant with our ancestors concerning us; And we hope in You, when our soul turns (to You). 11 The mercy of the Lord be upon the house of Israel forever and ever.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalms of Solomon 9:5 and Acts 16:31

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry · New Testament

Summary

The Psalms of Solomon emphasize that divine judgment applies not only to individuals but also to their entire households. This perspective is also found in Acts 16, where the faith of one person extends to the entire family.

Passages

Psalms of Solomon 9:5

Pseudepigrapha, Wisdom and Poetry

4 Our actions are subject to our own choice and power, to do right or wrong with our hands. And in Your righteousness You attend to human beings. 5 The person who acts righteously stores up life for himself with the Lord; And the person who does wrong forfeits his life to destruction; For the judgments of the Lord are (given) in righteousness to (every) man and (his) house. 6 To whom are You good, God, except those who call on the Lord? He cleanses a soul of sins when it confesses and acknowledges them; For shame is upon us and upon our faces because of all these things.

65–30 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Psalms of Solomon

Acts 16:31

New Testament

27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he assumed the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out loudly, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. 33 At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away.

70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Acts

References

"... That God’s name was invoked over God’s people, city, or house was common Old Testament idiom, contrasting with the Gentiles, who lacked this special designation (Isaiah 63:19); it applies to “Israel’s covenant status” in many early Jewish texts (e.g., Sirach 36:17; 2 Maccabees 8:15; Baruch 2:15; Psalms of Solomon 9) ... Paul and Silas expect that the family will convert with the head of the household, which was usually the case (compare Acts 10:2), although other members of the household were sometimes converted first (1 Cor 7:12–16; 1 Pet 3:1). The text is hardly an unconditional guarantee for the conversion of family members (compare Luke 12:51–53; 14:26; 18:29); rather, in context it implies the expectation (again based on the normal cultural pattern) that other members will be saved because they also will believe (Acts 16:31). Thus the missionaries proceed to speak to the members of the household (16:32), who also believe and receive baptism (16:33–34). Respectable patrons of families were to rule their families, and grave embarrassment followed if they failed to do so. The behavior of family members reflected on fathers politically. The paterfamilias in a Roman household had exorbitant legal power, but this was mitigated in practice. Still, people evaluated fathers by their children’s religious decisions ..."

Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014), 206, 488.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Confession and Mercy for Israel

Psalms of Solomon18 psalms

Compare Psalms of Solomon 9:5 and Acts 16:31

Summary

Passages

Psalms of Solomon 9:5

Acts 16:31

References

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