Today’s Word
The Minds of God
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Isaiah 1:18a KJV Reason – Despite the later translation corrections of this Hebrew verb (yākaḥ rendered in the NASB as “debate” and in the NIV as “settle”), most believers of a certain age recall this verse in its King James vernacular, “let us reasontogether.” We won’t…
No Aspirins, Please
My voice to God—let me cry out. My voice to God—and hearken to me. In the day of my straits I sought the Master. My eye flows at night, it will not stop. I refused to be consoled. Psalm 77:2-3 (Hebrew Bible) Robert Alter Refused – “You’ll feel better in the morning.” “This too will…
Says Who?
“The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good [a]for that man if he had not been born.” Matthew 26:24 NASB As it is written – I recently engaged in a lively interchange with someone…
A Pessimist’s Requiem
Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your action as long ago approved by God. Ecclesiastes 9:7 JPS Go – Walk the path. Take the journey. Move along. Hālak is the Hebrew term here. You are the traveler on your life’s path, and there are some good things along…
Reel Life
Utter futility!—said Kohelet—utter futility! All is futile! Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 JPS Utter futility – bavel bavalim. Literally, “vapor of vapors.” “Utter senselessness” translates Michael Fox in the JPS commentary. “Ecclesiastes is a strange and disquieting book. It gives voice to an experience not usually thought of as religious: the pain and frustration engendered by an unblinking…
Shut Up (Times Two)
And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place. Psalm 31:8 NASB Not given me over – What does it mean to fall into the hands of the enemy? Pay attention to David’s parallelism and you will understand just how much Hebrew is…
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