The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the Lord who does all these things. Isaiah 45:7 NASB Creating Disaster – If Isaiah 45:7 just said that God is behind the various calamities in the world, we might—maybe—be able live with this. Maybe. At least that’s the way most Christian commentators have tried to skirt the implication that God…
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 King 3:9 NIV Right and wrong – Scholars notice that the stories found in Kings are often modified in Chronicles. Sometimes the details are changed. Sometimes the claims…
We need a reminder. We read (and prayed) this a nine days ago. Has it made a difference? Topical Index: Tachanun
So the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” And they became gatherers of firewood and labor to draw water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them. Joshua 9:21 NASB Had spoken – Read it slowly. The leaders tell the people to let the Gibeonites live, punishing their duplicity by proclaiming that they will be “choppers” of…
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. Nahum 1:3 KJV Not at all acquit – The KJV choses to translate doubled verb wenāqqeh yenāqqeh in the legal negative sense (“acquit”) but the verb is usually translated in the positive “leave unpunished.” In addition, as you can see in the Hebrew, the phrase uses the…
Far be it from You to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” Genesis 18:25 NASB Justly – Rabbi Sacks recognized just how crucial Abraham’s question was—and is. “‘Shall the judge of…
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV Desires – Before we dig deeper into this verse, let’s consider the typical Christian interpretation. Here’s an example: Psalm 37:3–4 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD,…
Of what can any living mortal, or any man, complain in view of his sins? Lamentations 3:39 NASB Living mortal/ man – On the face of it, this translation doesn’t make a lot of sense. Do the terms for “living mortal” and “man” delineate two different classes of being? If they do, as suggested by the “or,” then what are these two groups? Aren’t “living mortals” also “men”? Do…
Of what can any living mortal, or any man, complain in view of his sins? Lamentations 3:39 NASB Complain – My Italian friend told me, “All Italians know they are guilty. They just don’t know why?” But we do, don’t we? We, who are followers of the One True and Holy God know very well what it means to…
It seems appropriate today to read this prayer from the Siddur. Our God and God of our fathers, let our prayer come before you and do not ignore our supplication. For we are not so brazen-faced and stiff-necked to say to you, Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, We are righteous and…
