Author: Skip Moen, Ph.D.

  • Essential Midrash

    And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.  Genesis 2:7 Chabad Formed – Let’s consider the crucial role of midrash in Jewish thought.  We can do this by taking an example for Genesis Rabbah.  Here is…

  • The Raw Data (2)

    All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17  NASB All Scripture – Lawrence Schiffman offers some much needed insights into the development of Judaism, insights that can be applied to other…

  • The Raw Data (1)

    All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17  NASB All Scripture – The meaning of “all Scripture” in this verse has certainly been debated.  Christians tend to expand Paul’s words to…

  • Extra-Ordinary

    So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley. Joshua 8:13 NASB Stationed/ rear guard – The verse makes perfect sense in English, but in Hebrew…

  • Removing the Mystery

    My soul waits in silence for God alone; from Him comes my salvation.  Psalm 62:1  NASB Waits in/ comes – Because I typically place the text under investigation in italics, you are not able to see that “waits in” and “comes” are actually in italics in the NASB translation.  This indicates that these words are not in the original. …

  • Solitude

    My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my hope is from Him.  Psalm 62:5  NASB Topical Index: photo, sea, solitude. Psalm 62:5

  • Who Decides?

    And Moses’ hands were heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set.  Exodus 17:12  NASB Steady – You might not see the important…

  • Some Notes on Torah Reading

    Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”  Exodus 19:5-6  NASB My…

  • Job Applied

    Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them.  For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but wrongdoers will stumble in them. Hosea 14:9  NASB Are right – Our attempts to understand the context of the story of Job suggest that this legend is of late origin,…