Heth

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

The Lord is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.  Psalm 119:57  NASB חֶלְקִ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה אָמַ֗רְתִּי לִשְׁמֹ֥ר דְּבָרֶֽיךָ חִלִּ֣יתִי פָנֶ֣יךָ בְכָל־לֵ֑ב חָ֜נֵּ֗נִי כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ חִשַּׁ֥בְתִּי דְרָכָ֑י וָֽאָשִׁ֥יבָה רַ֜גְלַ֗י אֶל־עֵֽדֹתֶֽיךָ חַשְׁתִּי וְלֹ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְתִּי לִ֜שְׁמֹ֗ר מִצְו‍ֹתֶֽיךָ חֶבְלֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים עִוְּדֻ֑נִי תּ֜וֹרָֽתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי חֲצ֥וֹת לַ֗יְלָה אָ֖קוּם לְהוֹד֣וֹת לָ֑ךְ עַ֜֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ חָבֵ֣ר אָ֖נִי לְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְרֵא֑וּךָ וּ֜לְשֹֽׁמְרֵ֗י פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְ֖הֹוָה מָֽלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֑֗רֶץ…

The True Foundation

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Establish Your [m]word to Your servant as that which produces reverence for You.  Psalm 119:38  NASB [m]word – Notice the footnote attached to this translation.  That note is to tell you that the usual Hebrew isn’t what we have in this verse.  Instead of dābār we find ʾimrâ, both translated “word” in English so you wouldn’t…

Why?

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

You shall also teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.  Deuteronomy 11:19  NASB Speaking – It should be obvious that Moses expects the people to instruct their children audibly.  He doesn’t direct them…

Silent Consent

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

One who walks with integrity, practices righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart.  Psalm 15:2 NASB In his heart – “Speaks truth in his heart.”  What is that?  Unvoiced agreement?  Inner affirmation?  What good is it in the public arena to speak the truth in the heart?  If you don’t say a word, who would know?  What…

Sincerely Yours

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;  Isaiah 33:15 NASB Speaks with sincerity – Sometimes a translation, even if correct, is so loaded with…

An Audible Universe

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  Genesis 1:3  NASB Said – Why is the Genesis account of creation so radically different than other ancient accounts?  It’s not because the Genesis story is the only story of creation.  All the ancient societies had creation myths.  The difference is the mechanics of creation.  Genesis portrays the beginning of the world with sounds.  God…

Where Are You?

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,  Numbers 1:1  NASB In the wilderness– ye’dibber’ YHVH el moshe bemidbar.  Where did this conversation occur?  Bemidbar—in the wilderness.  That setting…

Happy Today

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Happy those who keep justice, who do righteousness at all times.  Psalm 106:3 (Robert Alter translation) At all times – “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.  If you’re happy and you know it then your life will surely show it.”  So…

Speak Easy

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the sons of Israel Numbers 15:37-38 Spoke – Speak – What you don’t see can hurt you. And what you don’t see are two different Hebrew verbs translated by one English verb. God speaks (‘amar) to Moses but He tells Moses to speak (dibber) to the…