The Rationale for Suffering (2)

Happy the man whom Yah chastises, and whom from His teaching He instructs, to make him quiet in evil days until a pit is dug for the wicked.  Psalm 94:12-13  Robert Alter Quiet – I’d like the NASB version to be true.  “So that You may grant him relief from the days of adversity, until a pit is…

The Rationale for Suffering (1)

Happy the man whom Yah chastises, and whom from His teaching He instructs, to make him quiet in evil days until a pit is dug for the wicked.  Psalm 94:12-13  Robert Alter Chastises – Are you happy?  Maybe today, but what about the days when nothing goes right?  What about those days when you truly…

Third Time’s a Charm

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14  NASB Became flesh – Suppose for just a moment that John is thoroughly Jewish.  Suppose he is operating in the typical way Jews handled the Tanakh in the first century.  Suppose he’s writing…

Rules of Engagement (2)

Then God spoke all these words, saying,  Exodus 20:1  NASB All these words – Modern Jewish biblical scholars draw our attention to some difficult paradoxes.  Nachmanides is an example: Our teacher Moses wrote this book of Genesis together with the entire Torah as dictated by the holy One, blessed is He. . . . It…

Rules of Engagement (1)

Then God spoke all these words, saying,  Exodus 20:1  NASB All these words – kāl dābārim, “all words.”  But what is the meaning of “all”?  This verse precedes the recitation of the ten commandments.  Are just the Ten Commandments included in “all”?  What about the rest of God’s words to Moses? Orthodox Rabbinic Judaism has a…

Prophecy and Prediction

On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel.  Isaiah 4:2  NASB The survivors – Who are the survivors?  Who are the pĕlêṭât?  TWOT provides some linguistic analysis: the primary use of this noun is to refer to the remnant…

Damage Control

For seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our disgrace!”  Isaiah 4:1  NASB Disgrace – What will happen once God begins His judgment of Israel.  Well, a whole lot of men…