Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” Exodus 3:13 NASB What – What a stupid question! …
A merciful person does himself good, but the cruel person does himself harm. Proverbs 11:17 NASB Merciful – It should come as no surprise that the word translated “mercy” is really ḥesed. The translation relies on the way ḥesed is treated in the LXX, but as you know, even there we find eight different Greek words for…
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…
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…
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…
Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Genesis 13:12 NASB Moved – Lot didn’t start out corrupted. In fact, there are Jewish legends that he attempted to demonstrate a life of righteousness even while living in Sodom. Perhaps…
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1 NASB Blot out – When a scribe writes a Torah scroll, meticulousness is absolutely required. Not one extra mark or mistake is allowed. Today the sofer stam follows strict guidelines regarding the size…
But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:11 Greatest – Yeshua was a great rabbi; the greatest rabbi who ever lived. But he wasn’t famous. The difference is crucial if we are going to understand our role in the Kingdom. The rabbis taught that “authority buries those who assume it.” They exhorted…
No one serving as a soldier tangles with the affairs of this life, so that he might please the one enlisting him. 2 Timothy 2:4 Tangles – You’re in the army now! If you’re committed to following the Messiah, you made a voluntary decision to join His ranks. That decision has some very big implications. …
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good reputation Philippians 4:8 Whatever – In the end, it’s the little things that count. That’s particularly true when it comes to character. Character is the focus of Paul’s…
