Take Two Aspirin

I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, Lord, according to Your word.  Psalm 119:107  NASB Revive – By this time it will come as no surprise that the verb here is ḥāyâ (to live, have life).  The choice of “revive” comes from the tone of the verse, not from the literal translation.  As you can see in the…

Nun

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Psalm 119:105  NASB נֵר־לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ וְ֜א֗וֹר לִנְתִֽיבָתִֽי   105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי וָֽאֲקַיֵּ֑מָה לִ֜שְׁמֹ֗ר מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ 106 I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous judgments. נַֽעֲנֵ֥יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד…

Ears and Eyes

My eyes fail with longing for Your word, while I say, “When will You comfort me?”   Psalm 119:82  NASB Fail – Do you long for God’s Word?  Well then, just pick up the Bible and read.  Right?  That’s what we might assume is the intent of the poet’s cry.  After all, it his eyes that fail.  Perhaps he’s just…

Teth – Keep Your Eyes Open

You have treated Your servant well, Lord, according to Your word.  Psalm 119:65  NASB טוֹב עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֑ יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ ט֚וּב טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת לַמְּדֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י בְמִצְו‍ֹתֶ֣יךָ הֶֽאֱמָֽנְתִּי טֶ֣רֶם אֶֽ֖עֱנֶה אֲנִ֣י שֹׁגֵ֑ג וְ֜עַתָּ֗ה אִמְרָֽתְךָ֥ שָׁמָֽרְתִּי טוֹב אַתָּ֥ה וּמֵטִ֗יב לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ טָֽפְל֚וּ עָלַ֣י שֶׁ֣קֶר זֵדִ֑ים אֲ֜נִ֗י בְּכָל־לֵ֚ב | אֶצֹּ֬ר פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ טָפַ֣שׁ כַּחֵ֣לֶב לִבָּ֑ם אֲ֜נִ֗י תּוֹרָֽתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי טֽוֹב־לִ֥י כִֽי־עֻנֵּ֑יתִי…

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…

The True Foundation

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…

First Things Last

Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Your Law.  Psalm 119:29 NASB False way – dĕrĕk šĕqĕr.  We know dĕrĕk, the common Hebrew word for the pathway of life, the journey we travel from birth to death, and, in particular, the right road of God.  Now we add šĕqĕr.  “šāqar [the root…

The Bible at Large – Rewind

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 NASB Word – Western paradigms focus on answers.  Experience is reduced to principles in order that we may predict and control.  In fact, the entire enterprise of science, a principal characteristic of the Western mind, is an effort to…

Wisdom’s Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1 NASB The Word – Richard Rubenstein’s book, When Jesus Became God, investigates the battle between Arius and Athanasius in the early centuries of the Church.  That battle ended with Athanasius as the victor, and established the Latin Roman Church’s…

The Doomsday Prophet  (1)

to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.  Jeremiah 1:2  NASB In the days of – From Moses to Malachi God sent prophets to provide His people with His point of view.  But something happened about 2500 years ago.  The prophetic…