This is my comfort in my misery, that Your word has [s]revived me. Psalm 119:50 NASB Comfort/misery – The NASB translation renders the Hebrew ʿŏnî as misery. This derivative comes from the root (ʿānâ) III, afflict, oppress, humble.[1] “The primary meaning of ʿānâ III is ‘to force,’ or ‘to try to force submission,’ and ‘to punish or…
Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness. Psalm 119:40 NASB Long – Well, it’s not exactly a hapax legomenon, but it might as well be. tāʾeb, translated “long for,” is used only twice; once here and once in verse 174 (which we will eventually examine). Since it is only found in this…
My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25 NASB Clings – Before we start the next “chapter” of this poem, let’s take a quick look at the letter Daleth. Here’s the text of this section: דָּֽבְקָ֣ה לֶֽעָפָ֣ר נַפְשִׁ֑י חַ֜יֵּ֗נִי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ דְּרָכַ֣י סִ֖פַּרְתִּי וַֽ֜תַּֽעֲנֵ֗נִי לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ דֶּֽרֶךְ־פִּקּוּדֶ֥יךָ הֲבִינֵ֑נִי וְ֜אָשִׂ֗יחָה בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ דָּֽלְפָ֣ה נַ֖פְשִׁי…
The lowly have seen and rejoiced, those who seek God, let their hearts be strong. Psalm 69:33 [Hebrew Bible] Robert Alter Let – There are at least two ways to read this verse. It depends on which meaning you attach to the wide umbrella Hebrew word ḥāyâ. Here are some choices: “live, have life, remain…
However, Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua 6:25 NASB Spared – English nuances often make big differences in translated Hebrew. In this verse, the Hebrew…
You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Psalm 71:20 NASB Revive – Don’t jump too quickly to those comforting thoughts about revival. Pay attention to the beginning of this verse. Who is the one who showed the poet’s many troubles…
For the sake of Your name, LORD, give me life, in Your bounty bring me out from the straits. Psalm 143:11 Robert Alter Give me life – The NASB translates this single Hebrew word as “revive me,” but that implies I only need resuscitation. Alter’s translation is more fundamental. “Give me life,” implies that I…
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Genesis 1:3 NASB Let there be – I suppose this is a bit better than Paul McCartney’s version (“Let It Be”), but it still sends us in the wrong direction. The English suggests that God was involved in some kind of command bringing light into…
Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, Joshua 1:1 NASB It came about – Once more I ask you recall that odd Hebrew verb tense called the waw-conversive. You remember the discussion from Genesis 3:10 where Adam says (in…
It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. Esther 1:1 JPS It happened – Some time ago we investigated the Hebrew phrase miqreh (see Today’s Word on Ruth 2:3).[1] It’s used for “happy accidents,” accidents that are really somehow orchestrated by the invisible…
