More numerous than the hairs of my head are my unprovoked foes. My destroyers grow strong, my lying foes. What I have not stolen should I then give back? Psalm 69:5 [Hebrew Bible] Robert Alter Give back – David knew his enemies, at least most of them. His poem is addressed to real, tangible foes,…
For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. Titus 3:3 NASB Spending our life – “To behave in a certain way.” That’s the meaning of Paul’s Greek word diagō. It’s about a lifestyle, a constant behavior, a way of conducting oneself. The verb is…
I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4 NASB Every – One of the claims of some religious systems is that only those actions taken “in the Spirit” and only…
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. Psalm 73:2-3 ESV Almost stumbled – Asaph proclaims that God is good to Israel and all who are Israel are known by their “clean heart” actions. But he quickly realizes that his steps court disaster. As much as he wants clean…
Do not fret because of evil doers, do not be envious of the workers of unrighteousness. Psalm 37:1 Fret/ Envious – Paper burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. What is your burn temperature? When do the circumstances of life set you on fire? That’s the imagery behind harah (fret – to burn, kindle, glow) and the…
