Punitive Damages

Add guilt upon their guilt, and let them have no part in Your bounty.  Psalm 69:28 [Hebrew Bible]  Robert Alter Guilt – In order to understand the ramifications of this Hebrew word—ʿāwōn—we need to read the explanation provided by Schultz: We note in the first place that the noun is a collective. Thus God says…

The True Judge

God, You know my folly, and my guilt is not hidden from You.  Psalm 69:6 [Hebrew Bible]  Robert Alter Not hidden – True confession.  David admits his “folly.”  God knows all about this ʾiwwelet.  These are acts that display moral stupidity, not simply ignorance.  This man actually knows what he is doing isn’t proper.  He’s…

Not My Problem (1) Rewind

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God  Romans 3:23  NASB Fall short – Just how far do you think you’ll get with modern men and women by telling them that they are sinners?  Can I suggest that unless you are speaking to people who have some sort of connection with…

The Cure

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. …

Underworld

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under [a]the Law but under grace? [b]Far from it!  Romans 6:15 NASB Not under the Law – When we took a long look at Romans 6:14 (March 12 and 13), we discovered that the English translation reveals serious theological bias.  There’s that capital “L,” the treatment of nómos…

Capital Crimes

for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.  Romans 4:15  NASB Law – Paul is often credited with separating Law and grace.  At least that’s the view of the Reformation Church.  According to Church doctrine, Paul explained that once Jesus died for our sins, the penalty was paid…

Hurrying Too Much

Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and one who hurries [a]his footsteps [b]errs.  Proverbs 19:2  NASB Errs – “Err” is a funny word.  Just the look of it is odd.  In this biblical translation, it’s used for the Hebrew ḥāṭāʾ (חָטָא), the most common word for “sin.”  That causes the NKJV…

Epigenetics

yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, inflicting the punishment of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”  Exodus 34:7b  NASB Inflicting – I like the NASB.  I use it as my standard English Bible text.  But in this verse, the translation couldn’t be worse!  There is simply no…

The Bigger Picture

For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me.  For I admit my guilt; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.  Psalm 38:17-18  NASB Sin – Before we can understand the psalmist’s anxiety, we need to know what he means by the Hebrew term ḥaṭṭāʾt, translated “sin.”  As we’ve mentioned, sin is a religious…

Bent Out of Shape

For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me.  For I admit my guilt; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.  Psalm 38:17-18  NASB Admit my guilt – The Hebrew verb nāgad means “to make known.”  TWOT elaborates, “to place a matter high, conspicuous before a person.”[1]  In the social context of Israel, this…