“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…
Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes. Psalm 119:83 NASB In the smoke – What is a wineskin in the smoke? If we don’t understand this metaphor, we won’t understand why the psalmist connects it with obedience. So, in order to comprehend his phrase, we need to know…
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 NIV Teach us – Do you find it odd that the disciples asked Yeshua to teach them to pray? We know, of course, that they…
And He said: ‘Incline thine heart to every word which I shall speak to thee on this mount, and write them in a book in order that their generations may see how I have not forsaken them for all the evil which they have wrought in transgressing the covenant which I establish between Me and…
so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:4 NASB So that – Before we can figure out what the consequences of perí hamartías (“for sin” Hebrew ʾāšam) meant for Paul, we’ll need to determine who the pronoun refers…
My eyes at all times to the LORD, for He draws my feet from the net. Psalm 25:15 Robert Alter translation At all times to – David’s declaration raises some significant questions. Did he always look to the Lord? Do we? Who among us can say that our eyes are always looking toward God? Who…
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, Isaiah 1:16 ESV Wash yourselves – In the days of Isaiah the prophet, Israel was an idolatrous nation, filled with disobedience and bound for chastisement. YHWH sent a message to His people, warning them that if…
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 NASB Pure – The Greek word hagnos is an uncommon word in the…
but the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith 1 Timothy 1:5 NASB Pure – The real translation of this word is not “pure” but “clean.” It comes from the Greek word katharos. We get the English word “catharsis” from this Greek root. It…
But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. James 3:17 Pure – Want peace in your life? Want gentleness, mercy and integrity? Want clear reason and satisfying production? Then start with hagnos (Greek for pure). Of course, it’s important to know what “pure”…
