You Need All You Can Get

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…

Israel’s Open Heart

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…

The Thorn in the Flesh

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…

God of the Living

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…

Silent Running

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…

Days of Future Past

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…

Pass Interference

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…

Relation or Possession (Rewind)

You shall have no other gods before me.  Exodus 20:3  NASB Shall have – In May of 2014 we looked at the important difference between Greek thought and Hebrew thought in this verse.  Usually translated “you shall not have,” the Hebrew verb plus negative, lo-yihye’, reveals an important characteristic of Hebrew thought.  The translation, “shall…

The Introduction

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 There was – Job’s tale is a sad and disturbing one.  It’s sad because none of us want to experience the trauma that Job endures.  It’s disturbing because it appears that…

Relation or Possession

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 NASB Shall have – In May of 2014 we looked at the important difference between Greek thought and Hebrew thought in this verse. Usually translated “you shall not have,” the Hebrew verb plus negative, lo-yihye’, reveals an important characteristic of Hebrew thought. The translation, “shall…