But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 NASB Looking back – What do you think Yeshua is saying when He gives this warning? Most of us read the verse as if it were Greek. Therefore, we…
April 1 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Exodus 1:7 NASB Increased greatly – April Fool’s Day seems like a good day for us to examine our own foolishness. For example, the sixth letter of the Hebrew…
Thank you for a great time in London. So much dialogue and learning. What a pleasure it was.
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:23 NASB Never knew you – Rosh Hashanah is gone. Yom Kippur is over. The Feasts will wait for another year. We have studied many words, examined many concepts, learned some theological truths. There is a…
but deliver us from evil Matthew 6:13 NASB Deliver – But do we really want to be delivered? Delivered means facing reality as it is, no fantasies, no Band-Aids, no idol protection. Maybe we aren’t so quick to be delivered because it’s so frightening. Isn’t that exactly what happens when we turn back to the…
Redeem, God, Israel from all its straits. Psalm 25:22 Robert Alter translation Israel – The etymology of the Hebrew word yisra’el is unusual and important. TWOT makes the following observation: “The verb śārâ limits itself to contexts which discuss the struggle of Jacob as he wrestled with the Angel of Yahweh at Peniel in Transjordan,…
May uprightness, wholeness, preserve me, for in You do I hope. Psalm 25:21 Robert Alter translation Uprightness – “Two problems of ot theology concern the verb tāmam: self-righteousness and perfectionism. Illustrating the former, David expresses the resolve, ‘I will walk within my house with a perfect (tōm) heart’ (Ps 101:2b KJV, ASV margin and RSV…
Guard my life and save me. Let me be not ashamed, for I shelter in You. Psalm 25:20 Robert Alter translation Ashamed – You know it must be a big deal if David brings it up twice, once at the beginning and now at the end of his song. The word is bosh, and it…
See my enemies who are many and with outrageous hatred despise me. Psalm 25:19 Robert Alter translation Despise – Buried in the Hebrew text is a powerful repetition not evident in Alter’s translation (but clear in the ESV). “Hatred” and “despise” are from the same Hebrew root, sane. To hate describes an emotional reaction of…
