All Questions
11
votes
7answers
871 views
What does “image” in Genesis 1:26-27 mean?
Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the ...
11
votes
2answers
375 views
Arguments for early/late date of authorship of Daniel
What are the most significant arguments for an early date of authorship of Daniel (6th century BC)? What are the primary arguments for a late date (2nd century BC)?
11
votes
2answers
526 views
How different is Biblical Hebrew from modern Hebrew?
It's been variously suggested on this site that the difference between Biblical Hebrew and modern Hebrew is like either the difference between:
Old English and modern English
Shakespeare's English ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
Where is the citation of John 7:38 taken from?
Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living
water will flow from his inmost being!" (John 7:38 CJB)
I always read John 7:38 as "If I believe like the scripture ...
11
votes
4answers
656 views
What is “Midrash” and how does it relate to Christian principles of hermeneutics?
What is the Midrash method of interpreting a Biblical verse and what application does it have in Christian studies as a hermeneutic principle?
11
votes
3answers
390 views
Who subjected the creation to futility in Rom. 8:20-21?
Paul says that creation was subjected to futility in Romans 8:20-21 ESV:
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation ...
11
votes
3answers
164 views
When the Bible says “the world”, does that only include Eurasia and Africa?
I've heard this argument a few different times for different verses. (Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly which verses as that would strengthen this question quite a bit.) However, the argument ...
11
votes
4answers
303 views
Is there an English equivalent for Nephilim of Genesis 6:4?
Genesis 6:4 (NIV)Emphasis added
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes ...
11
votes
5answers
2k views
Are the 'ten virgins' told in Jesus' parable multiple brides or just general wedding party?
Jesus told a parable about the kingdom of God involving "ten virgins" and a "bridegroom". It starts out in the beginning of Matthew:
Matthew 25:1-2 (ESV)
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
Does πορνεία mean premarital sex in 1 Corinthians 5-7?
I'm interested in this question because some liberal theologians insist that the Bible does not say anything about premarital sex*. To get a reasonable scope for the question, I limit this to just the ...
11
votes
2answers
244 views
Should John 1:19 read “the only begotten God”?
I was reading my New King James version of the Bible and found a footnote for this verse:
John 1:18 (NKJV)
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,[a] who is in the bosom of the ...
11
votes
3answers
624 views
How is it that Jesus could be “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”?
This verse is usually interpreted as a prophetic word by Jesus about Himself:
Matthew 12:40: For as Jonas was three days and three nights
in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three ...
11
votes
3answers
399 views
How should James 2:18 be translated?
James, when making the argument that faith without works is dead, makes this statement:
James 2:18-19 (ESV)
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith ...
11
votes
1answer
144 views
Does baptizing come after discipling in Matthew 28:19?
Matthew 28:19 (ESV) reads:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
In the Greek, (according to Blue ...
11
votes
4answers
388 views
Why did John take Mary, who was married, into his home?
John 19:26-27
(26) When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved
standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” (27) and
to the disciple, “Here is your ...
11
votes
3answers
238 views
Where does the “slippery slope” of allegorical interpretations start?
Besides the Grammatical Historical Approach to hermeneutics, various allegorical or metaphorical approaches exist. It seems to me that if you approach a text with the assumption that the whole thing ...
11
votes
1answer
195 views
Quotations in 1 Corinthians 6:13
I've noticed that in the 2011 NIV more of 1 Corinthians 6:13 is considered part of a quotation than in the 1984 version.
Obviously Greek did not use quotation marks—so what hints are there for ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
What is meant by “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire”?
In Revelation 20:14 (ESV) we read:
"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the
second death, the lake of fire."
The concept of "fire" is used multiple times in the New ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
What does “Jealous” mean in Exodus 34:14?
Most translations seem to agree that "Jealous" is the best translation for this passage. For example:
Exodus 34:14 (NASB)
—for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is ...
11
votes
1answer
168 views
What word best captures the spirit of לִּילִית in Isaiah 34:14?
Isaiah 34:14 in the Masoretic Text is the following:
גְשׁוּ צִיִּים אֶת-אִיִּים, וְשָׂעִיר עַל-רֵעֵהוּ יִקְרָא; אַךְ-שָׁם הִרְגִּיעָה לִּילִית, וּמָצְאָה לָהּ מָנוֹח
Here, לִּילִית is supposedly ...
11
votes
5answers
4k views
Why did the tabernacle use the colors blue, purple and scarlet?
I see a lot of blue in the tabernacle, and when moving it. For example:
Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in ...
11
votes
1answer
229 views
Definition of Greek γενεά (genea)
What is the definition of the Greek word γενεά (genea)? I have heard that it means "nation", and that it means "generation." I am wondering because I was looking at this list. It says that the work is ...
11
votes
2answers
920 views
Is “wait” in Isaiah 40:31 active or passive?
Some translations have this verse reading "They that wait (up)on the Lord" (eg. NKJV) while others have "They that wait for the Lord" (eg. ESV) and still others "Those that hope in the Lord". (eg NIV)
...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Which 'modern' English translation of the Bible is considered the 'closest' or most accurate translation?
Which 'modern' (anything inclusive of King James Version to date) English translation of the Bible is considered the 'closest' or most accurate translation from the original Hebrew & Greek texts?
...
10
votes
3answers
418 views
If Joshua can be translated why Is the name of Jesus translated “Jesus” but his name in hebrew was Joshua?
This question is in regard to Matthew 1:21, "His name shall be called Jesus for he will save his people from their sins." The question has two parts.
1) Strongs equates the name "Jesus" with the ...
10
votes
3answers
152 views
Based on recent manuscript discoveries, is the LXX more reliable than the MT?
Based on recent manuscript discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, is the text of the LXX more reliable than the MT?
10
votes
4answers
2k views
Why is the “give to Caesar what is Caesar's” answer so great?
After being asked whether it was right to pax taxes, Jesus repies:
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Why is that an answer that "amazed" them? To a modern person, it ...
10
votes
3answers
490 views
Was Deborah considered a sub-optimal leader?
I've sometimes heard that Deborah was allowed to be a leader of Israel only because no man stepped up to the responsibility. However, when she is introduced there is no indication of that:
...
10
votes
4answers
447 views
Is there a modern English translation of the Bible that uses the second-person plural pronoun?
I'm looking for a modern translation of the Bible (ideally in the public domain) that retains the distinction between second-person plural and second-person singular. In Early Modern English (the ...
10
votes
4answers
462 views
What translation best translates the word “vanity” (in the KJV) in Ecclesiastes?
The word "vanity" (KJV) in Ecclesiastes has been mistranslated in the NIV as "meaningless".
Is "vanity" the best translation for the hebrew word hebel (Strongs 1892), does a newer version do it more ...
10
votes
2answers
104 views
Does Rashi's interpretation of Jephthah's fate hold water?
When Rashi looks back on the life of Jephthah, he notes:
Jephthah was afflicted with boils and dismemberment as it is stated, (below 12:7) “And he was buried in the cities [pl.] of Gilead.” (His ...
10
votes
4answers
759 views
What exactly was the “death in the pot”
2 Kings 4:38-41 (NIV)
.. One of them .. found a wild vine and picked
... its gourds ... he cut them up into the pot of stew... they cried
out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And ...
10
votes
6answers
346 views
How should we understand the “Cleansing of the Temple”?
As a preface, I was talking with some good friends last night and this passage came up. On of my friends contributed an interpretation that made my blood boil. He was clearly wrong and clearly ...
10
votes
4answers
297 views
Does Paul refer to his past or present evil/sin in Romans 7
In Romans 7:19, Paul says this:
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ESV
Is Paul talking about "doing evil" in his present, converted state, or ...
10
votes
1answer
94 views
How did Aaron avoid Pharaoh?
The famous story of Moses in Exodus 2 shows how, as a baby, he avoided Pharaoh's demand that baby boys be put to death.
Maybe it is somewhere in the text and I've missed it, but I'm wondering how ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
Translation of “abba” (Αββα, אבא)
What is the best English translation of abba (Greek: Αββα, Aramaic: אבא)? What are its senses in the original languages, and are those best captured by father, dad, daddy, or something else in ...
10
votes
3answers
139 views
Why does the Septuagint contain non-Tanakh books?
The deuterocanonical books, treated as part of the Bible by the Orthodox and Catholic churches, are accepted because they appear in the Septuagint. However, they are excluded from the Jewish Bible, ...
10
votes
4answers
309 views
Did Moses have an Egyptian name?
Moses got his name from Pharaoh's daughter:
When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of ...
10
votes
2answers
175 views
How Is the Date of Composition of the Gospels Estimated?
So considering that the oldest copies of the gospels are dated to around 400 AD (I'm thinking of the Codex Sinaiticus), how do scholars go about estimating the date of composition of the gospels? I ...
10
votes
2answers
500 views
Why does the Scripture say that Abraham sacrificed his “only-begotten son”?
Why does the Scripture say that Abraham sacrificed his "only-begotten son" (Heb. 11:17, Gen. 22:2) despite the fact that Isaac had a step-brother Ishmael who was 14 years older than Isaac and was in ...
10
votes
3answers
123 views
To what extent is Psalm 51:4 poetic exaggeration?
The context of Psalm 51 is clear:
To the choirmaster. A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
These events are described in 2nd Samuel ...
10
votes
2answers
222 views
Is there any significance behind Jesus' use of the word “love” in “John 21:15-17”
In John 21:15-17 (ESV), we read:
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him,
“Yes, Lord; you know that ...
10
votes
3answers
611 views
Why does Matthew double people?
Matthew seems to mention two people (or animals) where other Gospels mention just one, e.g.
two demon possessed men, in Matthew 8:28-34 (compare Mark 5:1-17 and Luke 8:26-39)
two blind men, in ...
10
votes
2answers
159 views
Did Jephthah have pets?
Judges 11:29-40 tells the story of Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites. Before the battle he promises, "whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the ...
10
votes
2answers
299 views
What is a Horizon of Understanding and how can it be applied to understanding the Bible?
Hans-Georg Gadamer uses Horizons of Understanding as a model for communication, and the concept of fusion of horizons is sometimes put forth as a way of explaining how one can approach a "text", but ...
10
votes
1answer
371 views
Exodus 6:3 - what is the significance of God's different names in the Tanakh?
Exodus 6:3:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of
God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (KJV)
This is a strange and unique verse in the ...
10
votes
4answers
581 views
What was Noah thinking when he sent a raven from the ark?
In tablet 11 of the epic of Gilgamesh, after Utnapishtim's ark lodges on a rock, he releases a dove, a swallow, and a raven, in that order. The first two birds return when they fail to find a resting ...
10
votes
2answers
344 views
Who is the woman in Revelation 12?
She is introduced:
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.—Revelation 12:1 (NIV)
Who is the ...
10
votes
1answer
96 views
Why is the tribe of Dan missing from Revelation 7:5-8?
We have been studying the book of Revelation and it was noted that the tribe of Dan was missing from the list of tribes of Israel listed in Revelation 7:5-8. Is there any biblical explanation why Dan ...
10
votes
2answers
184 views
Why isn't there a taxonomic distinction between clean and unclean birds?
Leviticus 11:13-19 has a list of non-kosher birds that match a list in Deuteronomy 14:11-18 (NJPS):
You may eat any clean bird. The following you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, and the black ...
