patah

  • The Rule of Compassion

    but you shall fully open your hand to him, and generously lend him enough for his need in whatever he lacks.  Deuteronomy 15:8  NASB Fully open –  Today is Yom Kippur, a day to reflect on God’s forgiveness.  It’s easy to recall our obvious faults, those behaviors that pulled us away from God in this last year, but…

  • Sons of Men

    For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord looked upon the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free those who were doomed to death,  Psalm 102:19-20 NASB Those who were doomed – There’s a little footnote next to these words in the NASB.  Read it!  Why?  Because the Hebrew text is not “those…

  • Divine Rape

    O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed.  I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20:7  NASB Deceived/overcome – Sometimes the translator’s morality gets in the way of communicating the crass and deliberately offensive speech of the Bible’s prophets.  Of course, since…

  • Spiritual Assault

    O YHWH, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed.  I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20:7 Overcome – Jeremiah employs extraordinary imagery in his description of God’s claim on his life.  This is the man who pleaded with God not to choose…