The Hebrew Stutter

then you shall say to them, ‘That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So, these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:7 NASB Were cut off – Remember…

Sirmione

So I went to the little peninsula of Sirmione, jutting out into Lake Guarda.  Not quite what I expected, but I did take a few photos.

Just Messing with You

to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?”  Joshua 4:6  NIV Ask – Don’t you just love the messiness of Hebrew?  It’s so pedestrian.  No Greek eloquence.  No tight specifications for definitions.  Sloppy translations suffice because the language is so flexible.  And filled with…

August 16, 2011

For this is what the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses!” Therefore you shall flee!  “And we will ride on swift horses!” Therefore those who pursue you…

Peshat Problems

There is no Scripture except according to its literal sense.  Sefer Ha-Mitsvot (Maimonides) Literal sense – In his article, “The Authority and Interpretation of Scripture in Jewish Tradition,” Nahum Sarna examines the idea that the biblical writers wrote exclusively for their contemporary audiences.  He cites Maimonides’ statement to the effect that the Peshat layer of…

Experience Matters

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the lord your God is giving you.  Exodus 20:12  ESV Experience Matters by Michael Moen My son, Michael, wrote this on his birthday nine years ago.  I think it’s time to read it again. Honor – The word kābēd…

Head of Household

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 1 Timothy 3:4  NIV Family – The NIV translates the word oíkou as “family.”  The NASB uses “household.”  The Greek term is quite flexible, stretching from “family” to “house”…

Unraveling the Confusion

God is the Master of war, God is His name.  Exodus 15:3 Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (The Living Torah) God – Kaplan’s translation retains the Jewish practice of not speaking the letters Yod Hey Vav Hey as God’s personal name.  But English translations fare no better, simply substituting “the LORD” for the Hebrew יְהוָה, out of respect…