I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. Psalm 119:7 NASB Uprightness – It’s not a familiar English word although we have no trouble reading it. But what exactly does “uprightness” mean? Alter translates yōšer as “honest.” That’s better if we understand the literal meaning of the term….
Listen to my prayer, God; and do not hide Yourself from my pleading. Give Your attention to me and answer me; Psalm 55:1-2a NASB Attention – Do you want God to pay attention to you? Be careful how you answer. What will it mean if God really takes a look at you? Will He find that obedient servant,…
Happy the man whom Yah chastises, and whom from His teaching He instructs, to make him quiet in evil days until a pit is dug for the wicked. Psalm 94:12-13 Robert Alter Chastises – Are you happy? Maybe today, but what about the days when nothing goes right? What about those days when you truly…
And I will make mere boys their leaders, and mischievous children will rule over them, and the people will be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; the youth will assault the elder, and the contemptible person will assault the one honored. Isaiah 3:4-5 NASB Youth/ contemptible – These two verses in Isaiah could have been the inspiration for…
Therefore, says the Master, LORD of Armies, Israel’s Mighty One: Oh, I will settle scores with my foes and take vengeance on my enemies. Isaiah 1:24 Robert Alter Settle scores – It’s surprising that Alter’s translation employs a modern euphemism, but examination of the actual Hebrew might justify his choice. The NASB 1995 attempts a…
“For the day of the Lord is near for all the nations. Just as you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.” Obadiah 1:15 NASB Done to you – Obadiah is a very tiny book of the Tanakh. Most people probably don’t know anything about it other than the name. …
I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.” Psalm 39:1 NASB In my presence – Listen! We’re surrounded by wickedness. Pick up any newspaper. Turn on any news channel. Listen to the gossip and rumors. …
“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12 NASB Burn up– Very few people in modern society have any sense of history. Yes, we know what happened yesterday, last week, last month. But…
I gave a lecture on institutional terrorism. I used images from famous churches here in Europe, pointing out that from the first time a child entered these sanctuaries he would be confronted with images of terrible torture for all those who did not profess Jesus as Savior. The most powerful of these was in the…
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB According to what he has done – I guess Paul was mistaken. He doesn’t sound very much like…
