Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, Titus 1:1-2 NASB Hope of eternal life – “CHRISTIANITY is mainly wishful thinking. Even the part about Judgment and…
Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches? Psalm 49:6 NASB Boast – If you read this verse in Hebrew, you’ll discover that “boast” is the last word in the text. You’ll also discover that “those who trust” is the first word. The verse creates a kind of verbal envelope. First these people trust in wealth, then in the abundance…
No verse today. Just some personal reflections. For many years now, you and I have been exploring the origins of our faith. That means investigating the history of the ideas that we once accepted as part of our religious beliefs. What I’ve learned, and perhaps what you have also learned, is that most of my…
Blessed be the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord becomes his trust. Jeremiah 17:7 Robert Alter Trusts/ trust – The NASB translates Jeremiah’s words from YHVH with pretty much the same idea, but notice that the syntax (the word order) changes. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is…
We lost! I don’t mean Biden won or Trump won. It doesn’t really matter because the real loss is far greater than who will be President for the next four years. What we lost is bāṭaḥ. You know the word (I hope). It is translated “trust,” and in every circumstance except Proverbs 31:11, whenever it describes human…
The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Genesis 6:6 NASB Was sorry – This verse is a problem for most theologians. It’s not a problem because we can’t understand the words. It’s a problem because theology doesn’t think of God in biblical terms. Theology is the victim…
My God, in You I trust. Let me be not shamed, let my enemies not gloat over me. Psalm 25:2 Robert Alter translation [First, an apology. Since the death of Rosanne’s mother, our lives have been in continuing chaos. We have been staying in Rosanne’s mother’s condo in Florida. That is part of a trust…
But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14 NASB Trust– By now we should be quite familiar with bāṭaḥ (trust). TWOT’s reminder is important: in Hebrew, bāṭaḥ expresses that sense of well-being and security which results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is significant…
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:11 NASB Trusts – What does it mean to “trust” your wife? How will that turn out to be prosperous for the husband? In the past we examined the Hebrew word bāṭaḥ in the context of the ‘ezer kenegdo, God’s design for…
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. Psalm 56:3 NASB Afraid – We know this Hebrew word. yārēʾ, “to fear, be afraid, revere.” Yes, it’s the same word used in the verse about the “fear of the Lord.” But yārēʾ has five different nuances, and one of them is simply the psychological experience…
