Let It Be

Let my soul live that it may praise You, and let Your ordinances help me.  Psalm 119:175  NASB Live/ help – We don’t need to mention the mistaken translation “soul.”  You certainly know that nepeš isn’t “soul,” which is the Greek term psyche.  But we should note the idea that praise can only happen while we…

The Psychology of Exegesis

This is my comfort in my misery, that Your word has [s]revived me.  Psalm 119:50 NASB Comfort/misery – The NASB translation renders the Hebrew ʿŏnî as misery.  This derivative comes from the root (ʿānâ) III, afflict, oppress, humble.[1]  “The primary meaning of ʿānâ III is ‘to force,’ or ‘to try to force submission,’ and ‘to punish or…

Silent Running

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  Genesis 1:3  NASB Let there be – I suppose this is a bit better than Paul McCartney’s version (“Let It Be”), but it still sends us in the wrong direction.  The English suggests that God was involved in some kind of command bringing light into…

Hebrew Manifestations

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ John 1:17 NASB Were Realized – Previously we looked at the theological propaganda hidden in some translations of this verse.   Now we need to turn to the Hebraic character of John’s syntax.  A footnote to the NASB translation tells us…