Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:11 NASB Fear – There are basically two kinds of ethical systems in the world. They both have long histories. The first is the one we are most familiar with in the modern world, although it is not the most ancient…
Look. Wisdom calls out, and Discernment lifts her voice. Proverbs 8:1 Robert Alter Calls out – Since the discovery of significant archeological artifacts in the late 19th Century, biblical scholars have had to face the question, “How does archeological evidence impact biblical faith?” The answers have not been easy. As Haggai Misgav points out, “The…
Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, *said to him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6 NASB Get well – I want to be human. That means I need to be in conversation with You. I want to be fulfilled. That means I need…
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. Proverbs 16:16 NASB Wisdom – Proverbs commends obtaining wisdom. What it doesn’t tell you is that there is a price to pay. You have to learn the hard way. Others who have chosen this path offer…
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Sorrow – Yesterday we asked, “How can wisdom, a good thing, generate sorrow, a bad thing?” Maybe we should have questioned the translation before we questioned the ethics. In Hebrew, the word translated “sorrow” (NIV) is kaʿas. Other English…
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Wisdom – “The Sages promulgated the principle ‘Not the study of but the performance of mitzvot is the essence of virtue.’ ‘One whose wisdom is more abundant than his deeds—to what is he compared? To a tree whose branches…
“Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 8:34-35 NASB Finds me– In the famous eighth chapter of Proverbs, Wisdom speaks. Actually, Woman Wisdom speaks. The gender is specific and important. According to Woman Wisdom, YHVH created all that…
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up and the skies drip with dew. Proverbs 3:19-20 NASB Wisdom/understanding/knowledge – Turn to a dictionary. Oh, not a dictionary like the TDNT or the TDOT, but a dictionary of contemporary English usage. Look up “wisdom,” “understanding,” and “knowledge.” You…
The king reflected and said, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” Daniel 4:30 NASB The great – “Since the culture of ancient times tended to value a person in light of the role…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 NASB The Word – What a complicated text! The NASB’s heading for this part of John’s gospel is “The Deity of Jesus Christ,” but this is an editorial theological addition. The text itself does not make…
