And Moses’ hands were heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set. Exodus 17:12 NASB Steady – You might not see the important…
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but wrongdoers will stumble in them. Hosea 14:9 NASB Are right – Our attempts to understand the context of the story of Job suggest that this legend is of late origin,…
“. . . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised on the third day.” Luke 9:22 NASB Must suffer – We investigated the upside-down logic of God’s actions in Job’s inquiry. Sinners are forgiven; the righteous are…
As for that night, may darkness seize it; may it not rejoice among the days of the year; may it not come into the number of the months. Job 3:6 NASB Darkness – Before we continue, we need to note something unusual. Job’s curse over the day of his birth keeps going. Apparently it isn’t enough to…
May that day be darkness; may God above not care for it, nor light shine on it. Job 3:4 NASB Darkness – “Little doubt surrounds the meaning of this denominative verb coming from the noun ḥōšek (darkness). It occurs eighteen times, seventeen times in poetical books. Exodus 10:15 is the only occurrence of ḥāšak in…
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67 NASB Before – Well, before we look at “before,” let’s review what we learned about this verse before. Here are the previous three investigations: April 25, 2005 the word “afflicted” April 26, 2005 the word “astray” April 27, 2005 the…
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…
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…
Happy the man whom Yah chastises, and whom from His teaching He instructs, to make him quiet in evil days until a pit is dug for the wicked. Psalm 94:12-13 Robert Alter Chastises – Are you happy? Maybe today, but what about the days when nothing goes right? What about those days when you truly…
Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. Job 1:22 NASB 1995 Nor did he blame – But the Hebrew isn’t quite what we think of when we read these words in English. We think of “blame” as assigning responsibility or finding fault. So, in our Western theology, if God is…
