And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. Galatians 4:28 NASB Children of promise – The movie Pi (not the movie The Life of Pi) is the story of Max, the Jewish mathematician and his involvement with a Torah sect that seeks the code of God’s name in the letter-numbers of the Hebrew Tanakh. …
Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Deuteronomy 4:1 NASB To perform – “The Torah was not given to angels. …
You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long. Deuteronomy 22:7 ESV Live long – What is the relationship between sparing the life of a mother bird and how long I live? The Torah tells me that…
In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. Psalm 109:4 ESV I give myself to – Reading this verse presents a dilemma. Are we to accept the gloss (the additional words) of the translation because it makes sense to us or are we to reject the gloss and end…
Recently I offered a critique of Dwight Pryor’s lectures on Paul and the Law. It caused quite a stir. Most people who objected reminded me that Dwight was a leader in understanding the Jewishness of Jesus (Yeshua). But none offered in direct rebuttal about what he said in those lectures. Now I am here to…
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! Psalm 57:11 ESV Over – As we know very well, in languages without punctuation, emphasis is indicated by word order. What matters most usually comes first. So when we translate Hebrew expressions into English, the word order is often rearranged…
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 57:10 ESV Heavens/ Clouds – shamayim and shehaqim describe David’s new perspective. But considering the circumstances, this is quite a shock. David is sitting in a cave! Is he viewing the clouds, enjoying the sun, gazing at the heavens? No. …
On Friday I flew to Kansas City for the scheduled seminar. How wonderful it was to see everyone, many who have been readers for years but whom I have never met in person. And what a thrill to find that one couple drove all the way from Idaho and another from Texas to come to…
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. Psalm 57:9 ESV Peoples/ nations – What’s the difference? People or nation? Why make this distinction, especially when we realize in Hebrew it is only the difference between Ayin and Aleph (Ayin-Mem = people, Aleph-Mem…
