Then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:5 NASB Fear – In Hebrew the word is yare. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) tells us that this word is used in five different senses: 1) the emotion of being afraid, 2) the anticipation of…
Jabez called upon the God of Israel saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 ESV Pain – The key Hebrew word encompassing the verbal…
Jabez called upon the God of Israel saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border . . . ” 1 Chronicles 4:10 ESV Enlarge – The Hebrew word is raba. In most cases this word is about multiplying physical assets. We find it first in God’s command to His creation, “be fruitful…
Jabez called upon the God of Israel saying, “Oh that you would bless me . . .” 1 Chronicles 4:10 ESV Bless – This word is barak. Examining it as a noun, we find that receiving a blessing in the Old Testament means getting something favorable from someone greater. The paradigm case is the transmission…
Return, O LORD, rescue my soul, save me because of Your lovingkindness. Psalm 6:4 NASB Rescue – The word translated “rescue” in this verse is halats. In its various forms it can mean “to draw away, to take off, to withdraw, to plunder.” It means “to rescue” only in one form found only in the…
But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth. Mark 5:33 NASB Fearing and trembling – What is the relationship between sin and healing? That question plays a significant role in the gospel accounts. The disciples voice their opinion…
Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence. Leviticus 18:22 JPS Abhorrence – When it comes to the Hebrew word to’evah (abomination, abhorrence), most discussions move immediately to this verse. Why? Because homosexuality is such a hot political/religious topic. The incendiary comments on both sides offer plenty…
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Genesis 3:16 ESV Pain – We have examined this verse in some detail in the past (it is also analyzed in my book, Guardian Angel). We pointed out that a small emendation in the syllabication…
Concerning Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?” Jeremiah 49:7 ESV Vanished – In Sanhedrin 38b the rabbis describe sin with the word sarah. The implication is insightful. Sarah is a word that describes putrification, corruption and decay. The…
And they say, “How could God know, and is there knowledge with the Most High?” Psalm 73:11 (Robert Alter translation) Know – Put this verse into the ancient near-Eastern world. Is there any doubt that God knows? Of course not. God knows everything that happens. But in the ancient near-East, God (and the gods) doesn’t…
