Rise up, O Judge of the earth, bring down on the proud requital. Psalm 94:2 Robert Alter Requital – The biblical idea of justice is summarized in the phrase “measure for measure.” In legal parlance, this is lex talionis, the principle of exact retaliation or reciprocal justice. For example, in biblical justice, if a man…
God of vengeance, O LORD, God of vengeance, shine forth. Psalm 94:1 Robert Alter Vengeance – Robert Alter’s translation comes with a footnote. “This boldly aggressive characterization of God, ‘el naqamot, which occurs only here, is fudged by the modern translations that render it in mitigating language as ‘God of retribution.’ As in many psalms…
On 2 July I offered a free seminar, “50 years of questions,” a personal reflection on my spiritual journey. Here is the link for the audio or video of that session. Audio https://ivebeenskipped.s3.amazonaws.com/Fifty-years-of-questions/Audio/Fifty-years-of-questions.mp3 Video https://ivebeenskipped.s3.amazonaws.com/Fifty-years-of-questions/Video/Fifty-years-of-questions.mp4 We are disembarking today and traveling by train back to Parma. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new series on…
Today we are sailing the Amalfi Coast on the way back to Rome – and a train home after 30 days on the ship. No text investigation today. I need some recovery time. But I will leave you with a few citations from Jewish scholars that should encourage you to think about things. “ ….
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NASB Believes – In an online document entitled, “How to Motivate Anyone to Become a Christian,” the author offers the following as “compelling” proof (I will not cite this source) that…
But I confess this to you, that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets; Acts 24:14 NASB The Way – After these recent studies about the development of heresy as a tool…
But I confess this to you, that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets; Acts 24:14 NASB Sect – If you’ve been following my comments on Daniel Boyarin’s book Border Lines, you…
Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am wretched. Heal me, for my limbs are stricken. Psalm 6:2 Robert Alter My limbs – On the 30th of April of this year, I wrote a piece about the excruciating pain I was experiencing in my left knee. I asked for your prayers (thank you). I wrote…
However, Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua 6:25 NASB Spared – English nuances often make big differences in translated Hebrew. In this verse, the Hebrew…
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7 NIV Wait patiently – What do you do with a messy grammar? Do you stick with traditional readings? Or do you entertain alternatives? And what do you do when there’s no…
