But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Exodus 33:20 NIV One – Let’s begin this investigation by noticing an important change in the English translation. The NIV (as above) uses the phrase “no one,” rather than the direct Hebrew “no man.” The actual Hebrew word is ʾādām, but the NIV translators have offered…
Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:135 NASB Shine upon – An idiom, of course. But a nice one with a long, long history. The idiom is based on the verb ʾôr, found first is the fifth verse of Genesis. It means “to become light, to shine.” “Light is…
You have granted me life and goodness; and Your care has guarded my spirit. Job 10:12 NASB Life – Yesterday we examined the Qohelet’s claim that the animating spirit returns to God at death. This idea is an important correction to the popular Western conception of eternal life. It is important to note that this correction…
He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave woman, from where have you come, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” Genesis 16:8 NASB From the presence – How easy it is to forget that Hebrew is concrete! Removing the physical element by translating according to our social…
A Prayer of the afflicted when he is weak and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Psalm 102 NASB Before – A curious thing has happened in this verse. The English order doesn’t follow the Hebrew order. In Hebrew, the phrase “before the Lord” comes after “is weak (is faint).” The Hebrew verse reads: “A…
Then they will cry out to the Lord, but He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time because they have practiced evil deeds. Micah 3:4 NASB Hide His face – Hebrew is a tactile, idiomatic language. It uses common life experiences to describe crucial religious concepts. Salvation is described as a…
How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? Psalm 13:1 NASB Hide Your face – I understand the absence of the Landlord when the tenant deserves judgment. Feeling the brokenness of relationship is a powerful incentive for repentance and restitution, as every parent knows. Children who need to…
You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20 NASB Secret place– Now that we’re searching for the hints of those promised elements of ṭôb, where is the first place to look? David’s song doesn’t leave us in the…
Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness. Psalm 31:16 NASB Shine upon– Facebook is a failure. So is texting, and any other form of personal communication that diminishes the human requirement of face-to-face relationship. Yes, all of those electronic (and other) forms of communication convey information, but they do not allow real…
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Psalm 25:16 NASB Turn to me – The Hebrew word for “face” is the plural word pānîm. In a culture that views relationship as the fundamental element of existence, perhaps this plural word recognizes that we are always more than a single…
