Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not failed in His kindness to the living or to the dead!” Ruth 2:20 JPS Has not failed – What does Ruth have to do with Rebekah? If you read the two stories in Hebrew, you would be struck by the repeated…
They broke into weeping and said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” Ruth 1:9-10 JPS Return – Literally this verse reads, “No, it is with you that we return to your people.” Eskenazi points out that the focus of the women’s concern is Naomi, not their personal plight nor their…
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Turn back, each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.” Ruth 1:8 JPS The dead – Why should God express hesed toward Ruth and Orpah? Naomi’s answer demonstrates that she isn’t an…
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 NASB Good Works – It seems reasonable to suggest that Yeshua anticipated the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. It’s hard to read His teaching in Matthew 24 and…
If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, and he shall bear…
Return, O LORD, rescue my soul, save me because of Your lovingkindness. Psalm 6:4 NASB Rescue – The word translated “rescue” in this verse is halats. In its various forms it can mean “to draw away, to take off, to withdraw, to plunder.” It means “to rescue” only in one form found only in the…
or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:8 NASB Mercy/ cheerfulness – Paul completes his inventory of charismata with the phrase ho eleon en hilaroteti (“he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness”). But the typical English translation presents us…
the one who does not love does not know God for God is love 1 John 4:8 NASB Not – This is a harsh verse. It may not seem harsh because we are likely to modify its meaning. We want to feel better about our efforts to meet its demands, so we lessen the impact…
[The Lord] Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion. Psalm 103:4 NASB Lovingkindness – This Hebrew word (hesed) has a great deal more in its full meaning than we can capture in an English word. Our studies in the past have shown us its richer character. It is…
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:8 NASB Found favor – Now this is important, so pay close attention. We have examined the Hebrew word hesed, discovering that it isn’t accurately portrayed by the single idea of “lovingkindness” or “mercy.” That’s because hesed presupposes obligation established by mutual relationship. Hesed,…
