I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart. Psalm 119:111 NASB Inherited – Two or three words matter here. The first is nāḥal (to inherit), the second is the familiar ʿēdût (testimony), and the third is joy (śāśôn). First, nāḥal. “The verb nāḥal basically signifies giving or receiving property which is…
Blessed are those who comply with His [b]testimonies, And seek Him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2 NASB With all – It’s the last bit that counts. bechol-lev yidreshoohoo—“with all their heart.” “All their heart” is interesting in itself because we would expect the plural “with all their hearts” but we get the singular bechol-lev. It’s a common heart, that is,…
Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your action as long ago approved by God. Ecclesiastes 9:7 JPS Go – Walk the path. Take the journey. Move along. Hālak is the Hebrew term here. You are the traveler on your life’s path, and there are some good things along…
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 NASB The desire of the flesh – “We are defined by the way in which we orient ourselves to desire.”[1] Paul wasn’t a Platonist. At times he certainly sounds like he believes in two separate worlds: the…
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5 NASB Shall love – How are we supposed to express our love toward God? You will notice that I did not ask, “How are we supposed to express our love for God?” That is the…
In the evening one beds down weeping, and in the morning, glad song. Psalm 30:6b [Hebrew text] Robert Alter In the morning – The Gnostic thinks that this world is a place of bondage, of ignorant slumber, a prison house of matter deceiving the soul. Of course, his view emanates from philosophical assumptions derived from…
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB Sorrow – A few days ago we investigated a Greek word in Luke 18:23. That word was perílypos . It comes from the root lýpē. We noticed that Greek…
But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy. Luke 18:23 NASB Very sad – Let’s talk about sad. Not the most comfortable topic, but I’m sure it’s one we have experienced. Grief might be a disease that cannot be seen, but sadness has a face. Unfortunately, those…
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews 12:2 NASB Joy set before him– Our final example of joy connects the ideas we found in the Pauline writings to…
For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. Philemon 1:7 NASB Joy and comfort – We return to the Greek term chará in Paul’s letter to Philemon. Now we are equipped with a broader appreciation for the Hebraic background of Paul’s Greek. Paul attaches joy to comfort. …
