This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. Genesis 2:4 NASB The account of – The King James renders this verse as “these are the generations of.” This represents the Hebrew tôlēdôt, but it misdirects us in English. The English word…
the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; Joshua 3:16a NASB At Adam – As you know, sometimes the text of the Tanakh is written one way but read another. Here is an example (in red): וַיַּעַמְדוּ הַמַּיִם הַיֹּרְדִים מִלְמַעְלָה…
You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception. Amidah (Ashkenazi version) Man/ mankind – Before we begin to explore the subtle changes in the Sephardic and Ashkenazi versions of the Amidah, let’s look at translation consistency. Robert Alter makes…
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; with [a]hard labor you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Genesis 3:17 NASB Listened…
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8 NASB The sound – You’ll remember Avivah Kushner’s brilliant exegesis of this unusual verse (CLICK HERE). She points out that…
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NASB Face to face – “You don’t know me.” Have you heard that expression? Maybe you were the one saying…
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.Genesis 2:25 NASB Not ashamed– We like to think that before the Fall the world was perfect. There was no sin. Human beings (only two of them) lived in the Garden of delight. Everything was wonderful. In fact, we think if we could just get…
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NASB Man– He was never born. He had no mother, no father. He didn’t come from a family. He had no cultural DNA. He had no country, no ethnicity, no expectations. He knew no…
He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10 NASB Was naked–The Genesis narrative tells us why we are filled with fears, regrets, anxieties and hope. It is ancient psychological diagnosis, complete with the appropriate prescription. But we will miss…
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9 NASB Curse – Job’s wife has only a few words to say, but, according to David Penchansky, what she says summarizes the entire story of this suffering, righteous man. She speaks sarcastically, telling Job, “Curse God…
