There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Job 1:1 NASB Fearing God – We are familiar with the Hebrew verb yārēʾ. Used hundreds of times, this word has a wide umbrella of related meanings: biblical usages of yārēʾ are divided into…
“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 NASB Knowing good and evil – Read the text again. What does the serpent claim will happen? Sometimes we think that the serpent offers eternal life (“You will be like God”), but that…
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9 NIV Right and wrong – The translators of the NIV completely ignore the Hebrew connection between Solomon and Adam. I suspect it is deliberate. The Hebrew text…
“Though he piles up silver like dust and prepares garments as plentiful as the clay, He may prepare it, but the just will wear it and the innocent will divide the silver. Job 27:16-17 NASB Though – It’s a simple conjunction, ʾim—“if, not, whether, since.” It’s used hundreds of times. Context has to determine the meaning. But no matter which one…
I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, and my sorrow grew worse; Psalm 39:2 NASB Grew worse – Let’s make sure we read this in a Hebraic context. In the Western world, sorrow is usually an internal, personal experience. It would probably be located in the “sad” dimension of the “feelings wheel,” right along with stupid, inferior,…
“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Job 1:11 NASB Your hand– yadeka. Your hand. The pronoun carries a lot of weight here. This isn’t just any external force. This is the hand of God. That is uncomfortable. Do we ignore the bad in order…
The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these. Isaiah 45:7 NASB Calamity – By now you are aware that this verse has been radically changed in order to be consistent with Greek philosophical Christian doctrine. The original verse does not use the word “calamity.” It uses the word ‘ra,…
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20 NASB Woe to those – hoy ha ‘omerim. “Woe to those who call.” Isaiah’s pronouncement pushes us back to Genesis. And it’s not just Havvah who stands before…
How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Habakkuk 1:2-3a NASB You make me see – James Bond. Yup, that’s right. James Bond introduced the general public to depleted…
It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. Judges 1:28 NASB Completely – What happens when God’s people don’t finish the job? The book of Judges answers that question with a very dismal and discouraging portrait of incomplete performance. From…
