My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. Psalm 119:167 NASB My soul – It’s no surprise that the English translations of this verse use a word that is thoroughly Greek. “Soul” came into English through Greek philosophy, and as such, represented that invisible, eternal element of human being that eventually left the corrupt material…
And do not take out utterly from my mouth a word of truth, because I hoped for Your words. Psalm 119:43 Chabad Utterly – The English seems a little jilted, doesn’t it? We just don’t speak this way. The NASB offers little more: “And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my…
For He has satisfied the [a]thirsty soul, and He has filled the hungry soul with what is good. Psalm 107:9 NASB Soul – Did you see that tiny footnote before the word “thirsty”? I hoped that the footnote would explain that the Hebrew word nepeš does not mean “soul,” ah, but not a chance. The footnote merely says…
Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the people which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; so they came to the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:5 NASB People – Language evolves. Words that used to mean one thing now mean…
For He sates the thirsting throat and the hungry throat He fills with good. Psalm 107:9 Robert Alter Throat – Robert Alter stresses the need to translate Hebrew terms consistently. His point is simple. Hebrew has a rather sparse vocabulary. Often a single Hebrew word has many different potential English translations. Since English style tends…
And in their heart they put God to the test by asking for food [g]that suited their taste. Psalm 78:18 That suited their taste – The Bible has a lot to say about the tongue, most of it not very pleasant. The tongue is a source of disagreement, the power of life and death, the instrument of “binding…
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. Psalm 121:7 NASB You – I suppose there are two questions to be asked about this verse. The first is, “Who is the Lord going to protect from all evil?” Who’s “you”? The second is “When is God going to do this?” If we…
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:13 NASB End – telos, the Greek word translated “end,” is a particularly knotty problem. Why? Because after Aquinas we have been theologically convinced that telos is directly connected to gnosis, that God knows the end because…
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 NASB Without blame – Are we making excuses or striving for a result? We all know the phrase, “It’s not my…
He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 Hebrew World Restores – David was just out of touch. If he really wanted restoring, he would have grabbed a PowerAde or an energy bar. He might have taken extra multi-vitamins or gone to the doctor to…
