It is You who know my reproach, and my shame and disgrace before all my foes. Psalm 69:20 [Hebrew Bible] Robert Alter Reproach – “In a White House eager to distance itself from allegations of nepotism, corruption and grifting, Hunter Biden is the problem that simply won’t go away.”[1] We’re not so familiar with the word “reproach,”…
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called [a]Gilgal to this day. Joshua 5:9 NASB Shame – Recently we investigated the two Hebrew words, ḥerpâ (reproach) and gālal (to roll away). We discovered that the request to circumcise the male population a…
So their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way. Joshua 5:7 NASB They had not circumcised them – Who did (or didn’t) do what to whom? Careful. It’s a bit more complicated than it looks. In this story, Joshua…
At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.” Joshua 5:2 NASB Second time – Paradigms are limiting factors in explanation. That’s why a group of physicists who held tightly to the Bohr model of the atom (the nucleus being the smallest building block…
May those who are enemies of my soul be put to shame and consumed; may they be covered with disgrace and dishonor, who seek to injure me. Psalm 71:13 NASB Shame/ disgrace/ dishonor – Before the Greeks invented reward and punishment in the afterlife, Semitic societies focused ethical attention on contemporary experience. Cut off from the Egyptian preoccupation with the…
Who slanders not with his tongue nor does to his fellow man evil nor bears reproach for his kin. Psalm 15:3 Robert Alter Bears reproach – The English isn’t common. “Reproach,” what is that? Other translations attempt to explain: “casts slur,” “cast scorn,” “brings shame,” “discredits,” “bribes,” “spreads rumors,” “defames” are some of the synonyms…
“for the word of YHWH has been to me a reproach and derision all the day.” Jeremiah 20:8 Reproach – Jeremiah tells us that he desperately tried not to speak God’s words. He tried to shut them up within his heart. But it was no use. They became a burning fire that had to be…
