If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. Psalm 130:3-4 NASB Feared– Let’s fix this translation. Yes, the word is yārēʾ and it can be translated “fear” but is that what the psalmist is really saying? Is he saying that because YHVH overlooks our guilt…
“O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, and chasten me not in Your burning anger.” Psalm 38:1 NASB O LORD – The Hebrew text does not use the word “Lord.” It uses the personal name of God, a name that is never spoken among the Jews today. Worshippers were careful to substitute the word “Lord” whenever…
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB According to what he has done – I guess Paul was mistaken. He doesn’t sound very much like…
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NASB Confess – This verse was standard protocol while I was growing up. I heard it over and over, perhaps because I used it so much to wash away my guilty…
But when the multitudes saw this, they were filled with awe, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:8 NASB 1977 Filled With Awe – Matthew is fond of expressions of amazement, but his fondness is not simply a literary device. Long before Abraham Heschel mentioned it, Matthew recognized that the…
See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. 1 John 3:1 NASB Bestowed – In the New Testament this Greek word (dedoken) belongs to the same cognate group as the word for gift. It could be translated as giving, granting,…
“For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Luke 7:47-48 NASB Love much – What does Yeshua mean with this odd statement? What does it mean…
“For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Luke 7:47-48 NASB Forgiven – Leviticus tells us exactly what to do when we discover after the fact…
By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Psalm 51:18 NASB Do good – What is this verse doing in this poem? For the last seventeen verses, David has been dealing with personal confession and the agony of his own sin. Suddenly, without warning, the text shifts to a statement about…
“For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47 NASB Much – All or just a lot? That’s the question with the Greek adjective polli. Is the use of this word in the gospel inclusive…
