The Other Side of the Coin

But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.  Job 2:10 NASB Actually accept – The Hebrew combination here is gam plus qābal.  Two things need to be mentioned.  First…

The Lowly Preposition

Even though rulers sit and speak against me, your servant meditates on Your statutes.  Psalm 119:23  NASB Against – You will translate this tiny preposition according to the way you read the previous verse.  Why?  Because bĕhas a very wide range of meanings and context is often the only way to tell which English word to use.  Harris notes:…

Interpolation and Explanation

Both low and high, rich and poor together.  Psalm 49:2  NASB Both – By now you realize that translations are often interpretations rather than textual communication.  Remember Robert Alters’ warning: “ . . . modern English versions, impelled by the misconception that modern readers cannot make sense of parataxis and that everything in the biblical text…