Today’s Word
One or Two
I sought Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your word. Psalm 119:58 NASB Sought – The Hebrew verb here is ḥālâ. Fairly straightforward. Except – except that ḥālâ has two different semantic domains. ḥālâ I means “to become sick, weak, diseased,” while ḥālâ II means “to beseech, entreat, pray.” How can we tell the…
Heth
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…
Identity Card (2)
This has become mine, that I comply with Your precepts. Psalm 119:56 NASB Comply – Did you think we’ve completely mined this verse after yesterday’s investigation? Well, we learned that “This has become mine” is probably better understood as a statement of identity rather than possession. It’s not something that I have acquired. Rather, it’s a…
Identity Card (1)
This has become mine, that I comply with Your precepts. Psalm 119:56 NASB Has become mine – My wife, Rosanne, carries an Italian identity card. Anywhere she goes in the EU, all she needs is this little card as her identification document. Of course, this is an entirely modern invention. In the past, identity was a…
Wide Awake
Lord, I remember Your name in the night, and keep Your Law. Psalm 119:55 NASB In the night – Does this verse seem a little too pedestrian? Too trivial? Why should we care at all about what we remember in the night? What does it matter when we’re on our way to sleep? Ah, but then there’s…
A Stranger in a Strange Land
Your statutes are my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. Psalm 119:54 NASB Pilgrimage – Have you walked the Camino de Santiago? It takes about thirty-five days to complete. It’s made up of trails, streets, roads, and paths that, according to legend, is the route taken by James. Thousands of people travel this journey every…
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