וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, קֻם לָךְ; לָמָּה זֶּה, אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל-פָּנֶיךָ So the Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? Joshua 7:10 NASB וַיֹּאמֶר – “What is the best translation?” Perhaps this is the most frequent question I am asked. In the past I have often replied, “Every translation…
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Matthew 1:1 NASB Record – “It is obvious that the Torah contains much idiomatic usage, and translating it literally (as do most translations) distorts the meaning of the text. To a large degree, the ‘Oral Torah’ consists of a tradition as…
On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel. Isaiah 4:2 NASB The survivors – Who are the survivors? Who are the pĕlêṭât? TWOT provides some linguistic analysis: the primary use of this noun is to refer to the remnant…
If you assent and listen, the land’s bounty you shall eat. But if you refuse and rebel, by the sword you shall be eaten, for the Lord’s mouth has spoken. Isaiah 1:19-20 Robert Alter If – Do you remember the examination of the previous verse? The conjunction ʾim? Remember that the NASB rendered ʾim as…
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 KJV God – The King James translation of the Bible held sway over Protestant Christendom for 400…
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him [a]not even one thing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3 NASB Apart – chōris is an important Greek word, not only because it shows up in a critical text in John’s gospel but also because it is pivotal in Paul’s statements…
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.” Genesis 41:39 NRSVA God – English doesn’t quite reveal what is happening in this story. Why? Because the English translation “God” can cover both elohim and YHVH. And in this case, it’s important…
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 is curious and significant that the Hebrew word for “male” (zākār) comes from the root zākar meaning…
All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16 NASB All Scripture – How many times have we investigated the nuances and implications of this single verse? A dozen? Two dozen? It seems that Paul’s statement in a letter to a pupil just…
Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Exodus 24:9-10 NASB Saw – There’s just one little problem. “‘But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face,…
