For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5 NASB Ready to forgive – There’s a lot of action in this verse. It combines words like ṭôb (good), ḥesed (lovingkindness) and sālaḥ (forgive). We’ve looked at ṭôb and spent considerable time with ḥesed,…
Make glad the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Psalm 86:4 NASB Make glad – How do you interpret this request? If you’re encumbered by the typical Western paradigm, you might think the psalmist is asking God to gladden his inner, spiritual self. If you view man…
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to You I cry all day long. Psalm 86:3 NASB Be gracious – Some days it just feels like the world is conspiring against us. Some days we are overwhelmed with troubles. They might be the result of our own mistakes or they might seem to be the…
Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You. Psalm 86:2 NASB Godly man – The ESV corrects some of the NASB translation by rendering nephesh as “life,” not “soul.” This prayer is about saving life, not about preserving a “soul” as some sort…
Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me for I am afflicted and needy. Psalm 86:1 NASB Incline – English translators have a tough time with the Hebrew verb nāṭâ. “The 215 occurrences of this verb, excluding derivatives, are translated some thirty-five different ways in the KJV alone. The ASV and RSV add other renderings…
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16 NASB Scripture – Sometimes the truth overpowers paradigm assumptions. Sometimes men who stand theologically apart nevertheless see the same revelation. Jacques Ellul and Abraham Heschel both come to the same conclusion when they consider…
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8 NASB Shall see – Now that we have some appreciation for the meaning behind these words (see yesterday’s edition of Today’s Word), let’s ask another question. If purity of heart is a gift, why do we struggle so much to see God…
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matthew 5:8 NASB Shall see – Years ago I wrote something about this verse. It’s probably time to look at it again. We can begin with a comment on the Greek word horáō. The translation “they shall see God” uses this verb. Here it is…
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB You might be so familiar with the three categories that you’ve never asked what’s missing from Paul’s list? But a first century Mediterranean person would immediately spot the problem. What’s missing is gnosis—knowledge. In fact, in…
The Deity of Jesus Christ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 NASB The Deity of Jesus Christ – Of course, this little phrase is not in the verse. That doesn’t prevent most Christian translators from adding it, just to make sure the reader understands what…
