Kaf

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

My soul languishes for Your salvation; I [ah]wait for Your word.  Psalm 119:81  NASB כָּֽלְתָ֣ה לִתְשׁוּעָֽתְךָ֣ נַפְשִׁ֑י לִדְבָֽרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי כָּל֣וּ עֵ֖ינַי לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ לֵ֜אמֹ֗ר מָתַ֥י תְּֽנַֽחֲמֵֽנִי כִּֽי־הָ֖יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר חֻ֜קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי כַּמָּה יְמֵ֣י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ מָתַ֬י תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה בְרֹֽדְפַ֣י מִשְׁפָּֽט כָּֽרוּ־לִ֣י זֵדִ֣ים שִׁיח֑וֹת אֲ֜שֶׁ֗ר לֹ֣א כְתֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ כָּל־מִצְו‍ֹתֶ֥יךָ אֱמוּנָ֑ה שֶׁ֖קֶר רְדָפ֣וּנִי עָזְרֵֽנִי כִּמְעַט כִּלּ֣וּנִי בָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽ֜אֲנִ֗י לֹֽא־עָזַ֥בְתִּי פִקֻּדֶֽיךָ כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ חַיֵּ֑נִי…

On to Bet

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.  Psalm 119:9  NASB How – The poet continues the acrostic with a sequence where every verse begins with bet.  You won’t see this in the English translation, so here it is in Hebrew: בַּמֶּ֣ה יְזַכֶּה־נַּ֖עַר אֶת־אָרְח֑וֹ לִ֜שְׁמֹ֗ר כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ בְּכָל־לִבִּ֥י דְרַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ אַל־תַּ֜שְׁגֵּ֗נִי מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶֽיךָ…

Tears on Your Shoulder (2)

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You.  Psalm 88:1 (English)  NASB Lord, the God – Make sure you realize why both of these words are found at the beginning of this poem.  YHVH, of course, and ʾĕlōhîm.  Today we consider both of these as designations of…

The Other Shoe (Rewind)

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  Romans 10:10  NASB Resulting – You’ll need to read a few other English translations of this verse to see the issue. “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses…

Saving Grace

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

But I am lowly and hurting.  Your rescue, O LORD, will protect me.  Psalm 69:30 [Hebrew Bible]  Robert Alter Rescue – By far the most common English rendition of this word is “salvation.”  Virtually all the popular English Bible use “May Your salvation” or something similar.  Given that the Hebrew is yĕšûʿât, it’s easy to…

The Usual

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.  2 Timothy 4:2  NASB The word – A Christian website sent me a story about instructing pastors.  The elder wrote: I thought about Paul’s instruction to the young preacher, Timothy, as he spoke in 2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB) “preach the word;…

The Cure

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

But sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me [m]coveting of every kind; for apart [n]from the Law sin is dead.  Romans 7:8  NASB Is dead – Want the absolutely guaranteed way to stop sinning?  Die!  Problem solved.  Oh, wait.  That’s not very convenient.  Paul offers another “solution.”  Live apart from the Law.  Apart from the Law, sin is dead. …

Saving Grace

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

But God will redeem my soul from the [a]power of [b]Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah  Psalm 49:15 NASB Will redeem – “I am redeemed,” said the new convert.  “I am free at last.”  Is that how you felt when you realized your sins were forgiven?  Was there an emotional experience of relief?  Did you feel like a new…

Salvation Synonyms

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Do not abandon me, Lord;  My God, do not be far from me!  Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation!  Psalm 38:21-22  NASB Salvation – What does tĕšûʿâ mean?  It’s commonly translated “salvation,” but the ancient Hebrew idea isn’t loaded with theological content in the way we use the English word today.  In our world, salvation tows in…

Heaven Can Wait

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Save me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the wrongdoer and the ruthless,  Psalm 71:4  NASB Save me – The first thing we should notice in the Hebrew text is that the call of the poet isn’t the first thing in the Hebrew text.  The first thing is the…