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Category Archives: bible
Psalm 77
We remind ourselves that, for all their piety and scholarship, translators remain captive to their own biases. We should never pretend that we have none, but be conscious of them and strive to make them serve our individual callings. It … Continue reading
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Tagged Asaph, hebrew literature, hebrew poetry, Psalms, worship
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Proverbs 20 (Part 2)
(Recall that the context here is contrasting human justice against God’s divine moral character.) 16. Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger; and take a pledge from him for strangers. Making loans on these terms are … Continue reading
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Tagged covenant of moses, culture, figures of speech, Hebrew language, proverbs, wisdom literature
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Psalm 76
Many scholars are convinced this psalm celebrates the miraculous deliverance of the city during the reign of Hezekiah by slaughtering the besieging Assyrian troops. But regardless of any particular historical reference, this psalm has almost surely been rewritten from it’s … Continue reading
Proverbs 20 (Part 1)
This chapter contrasts the difference between judging on the basis of human perception versus relying on the heart to grasp divine moral justice. 1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whoever goes astray by it is not … Continue reading
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Tagged ANE, hebrew literature, King Solomon, proverbs, wisdom literature
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Psalm 75
Asaph offers us a brief invocation followed by an oracle message from God. The underlying theme is fundamental to the Ancient Near Eastern understanding of how God operates within His Creation. As the feudal Sovereign Lord, He comes to visit … Continue reading
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Tagged Asaph, hebrew poetry, Psalms, symbolic references, worship
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Psalm 74
Attributed to Asaph, it could as easily be simply someone from his clan who wrote this. We do well to remind ourselves that the Hebrew culture saw no reason to be quite so precise about such things. Nor should we … Continue reading
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Tagged hebrew culture, history israel, Israel, Psalms, redemption
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Psalm 73
Book 3: Psalms 73-89 A shorter collection led by Asaph, one of David’s chief musicians, plus a few others from the Sons of Korah (Levitical musicians) without individual attribution, and a handful of others. A general theme tying them together … Continue reading
Psalm 72
Had you never read Solomon’s writing in the context of the broader Hebrew Wisdom Literature, you might mistake this for a smug self-congratulation. Rather, this is typical of the way Solomon writes, not in some description of real events, but … Continue reading
Psalm 71
It seems rather obvious from David’s choice of words that he wrote this rather late in his reign. On the other hand, he hardly offers any clues to the experience that provoked this soulful song. Ever the proper feudal servant … Continue reading
Psalm 70
We have seen these lines before, at the end of Psalm 40. Standing alone, the context is subtly different. As a simple and short call for God’s help, it speaks of someone who has little opportunity to compose a more … Continue reading