This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. Jeremiah 22:3 NIV Just and right – mišpāṭ and ṣĕdāqâ. We know both these concepts. The first, mišpāṭ, isn’t just about…
Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me. Psalm 5:8 NASB Because – What is the psalmist’s solution to an enemy attack? “Lead me in Your righteousness.” Doesn’t that seem strange? How can God’s guidance in justice and ethical behavior make any difference in an enemy’s assault? Wouldn’t it be…
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. Psalm 5:4 NASB No evil – Mercy is important. In fact, mercy is essential. Without it, we would all be ruined. Why? Because there’s another side of the mercy coin. That other side of the coin is wrath, judgment,…
What is man, that he would be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he would be righteous? Job 15:14 NASB Pure – Baruch Levine emphasizes one of the most important characteristics of the Hebrew view of law when he writes: . . . the laws of the Torah did not permit Israelites to…
If I am wicked, woe to me! But if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. Job 10:15a NASB Dare not – Doesn’t Job teach us that it’s better not to be too religious? After all, if Job were just an ordinary person like us, God would not have pointed him out. He wouldn’t have gone through…
“Can mankind be righteous [h]before God? Can a man be pure [i]before his Maker?” Job 4:17 NASB Mankind/ man – As we learned yesterday, the Hebrew verse encompasses three important parallels. We have isolated two of them for investigation. We discovered that ʾĕnôš and geber, both translated “mankind,” actually reveal ethical and ontological distinctions that bolster Eliphaz’ argument. But…
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth. Psalm 119:142 NASB Everlasting – How long is everlasting? Wait, don’t give me a naïve answer, “Well, forever, of course.” Think deeper. The word is ʿôlām. Macrae makes the following remark about this Hebrew word: Probably derived from ʿālam I, “to hide,” thus pointing to what…
I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors. Psalm 119:121 NASB Ayin 121 I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors. עָשִׂיתִי מִשְׁפָּ֣ט וָצֶ֑דֶק בַּל־תַּ֜נִּיחֵ֗נִי לְעֹֽשְׁקָֽי 122 Be a guarantor for Your servant for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me. עֲרֹ֣ב עַבְדְּךָ֣ לְט֑וֹב אַל־יַֽעַשְׁקֻ֥נִי זֵדִֽים 123 My eyes…
Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness. Psalm 119:40 NASB Long – Well, it’s not exactly a hapax legomenon, but it might as well be. tāʾeb, translated “long for,” is used only twice; once here and once in verse 174 (which we will eventually examine). Since it is only found in this…
How then can mankind be righteous with God? Or how can anyone who is born of woman be pure? If even the moon has no brightness and the stars are not pure in His sight, Job 25:4-5 NASB Righteous – Perhaps Moses was delusional. Or maybe just egotistical. He certainly seems to have been affected by some mental mistake when he…
