Category Archives: bible

Song of Solomon 3

Western scholars heavily favor the notion that the first section here is a dream sequence. That would almost be missing the point, as the whole work is a dramatic parable. It is enough to recognize the symbols. On the night … Continue reading

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Psalm 12

Some days it feels like your world has tumbled into the pits of Hell. Hyperbole is a common feature of the dramatic and symbolic Hebrew narrative. David begins with a common cry equivalent to our modern “God help us!” Have … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon 2

The bride and groom tell the whole world of their devotion to each other. The treasure here is the collection of images in the unique Hebrew context. The woman opens with a measure of self-denigration. She’s nothing but a common … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon 1

The primary characters are a king and his bride. She is of noble birth, but presented here as a country girl, familiar with the urban scene, but previously not at home in it. A recurring role is the choir of … Continue reading

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Psalm 11

David was born in a noble household, fully educated in Hebrew culture. It is preposterous to suggest he would have been so shallow as to have written these songs from a silly, Westernized literal mindset. We enter a series of … Continue reading

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Song of Solomon Intro

Aside from the weekly Bible studies, we will add this series so I can get another book ready for publication. Among King Solomon’s many talents we can include poet and playwright. This book is pure fiction. To the degree it … Continue reading

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Psalm 10

As noted before, this continues the acrostic order of the previous psalm. However, in a sort of parallel, while the previous addressed external enemies, this one mourns over internal enemies. It is unlikely David failed to understand, at least in … Continue reading

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Psalm 9

This psalm appears to have originally been published as the first half and Psalm 10 as the second half. Together the two form a Hebrew acrostic, each verse beginning with one of the 22 Hebrew letters in alphabetic order. At … Continue reading

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Psalm 8

Not only do we have several modern songs taken from this, but it stands as a prophetic message. Not prophetic in the popular Western notion of literal meanings hidden in the words as if by magic, this hymn asserts fundamental … Continue reading

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Psalm 7

People who don’t understand the Hebrew style of logic regard this psalm as wandering from one idea to another. They even imagine it might be several short bits thrown together, as if Hebrew scholars were no wiser than half-grown children. … Continue reading

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