All Questions
8
votes
2answers
129 views
Was Balaam a true follower of Yahweh?
The idea that Balaam may have been a true follower (or even prophet) of Yahweh seems troubling on a number of fronts:
How could there be a pre-Mosaic Yahweh-worshipper living near the Euphrates (Num ...
3
votes
2answers
92 views
Is “Children of Israel” the only way to read Deuteronomy 32:8?
I asked a Jew and this is what she said:
As for Deut 32:8, there is not a single Hebrew text that does not say
'bnei Yisrael'. Every Jewish translation of this verse says children
[or sons] ...
3
votes
1answer
90 views
What is the temple that Paul refers to in 2 Thessalonians 2:4?
2 Thessalonians 2:4 talks about the man of lawlessness, "who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming ...
6
votes
1answer
101 views
Women and chief men stirred up - Acts 13:50
Acts 13:50 says in part that the Jews "stirred up the devout and prominent women AND the chief men of the city" raising up persecution against Paul and Barnabus, causing them to be expelled from the ...
6
votes
3answers
118 views
Is the phrase “sin shall no longer be your master” in Romans 6:14 a command?
Paul in his letter to the Romans writes in 6:12-13:
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument ...
5
votes
1answer
3k views
What Is The Aorist Tense Of A Verb?
I've read that one of the difficulties of translating New Testament Greek is the presence of the aorist tense of verbs in Greek. I think I understand what is meant by "aorist tense" in that it seems ...
6
votes
1answer
92 views
Do the righteous flourish or perish?
For example:
Psalm 92:12 (KJV)
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
compared to:
Isaiah 57:1 (KJV)
1 The righteous perisheth, and no ...
4
votes
3answers
254 views
How should John 1 be interpreted?
The first chapter of the Gospel of John seems to contrast with the rest of the book, in style and purpose. It seems very abstract and poetic, while the rest of John seems to be a more traditional ...
4
votes
2answers
119 views
Was the gospel mystery “secret” or “revealed through the prophets”?
In the doxology of Romans, Paul writes:
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery that was ...
3
votes
1answer
43 views
What exactly does מִכְנָס (miknac) mean?
Researching a related question, I came across passages like:
You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs.—Exodus 28:42 ...
12
votes
4answers
584 views
Is John 7:53-8:11 inspired?
I've read several recent commentaries on John 8 and all agree that the story of the woman caught in adultery almost certainly wasn't there in the original manuscript. Yet they all go on to explain the ...
3
votes
1answer
50 views
Does Paul allude to the context of Psalm 19:4 in Romans 10:18?
In Romans 10:17, Paul says that hearing comes through the word of Christ. Then in verse 18, he quotes the Psalmist in response to the question, "But I ask, have they [the Israelites] not heard?"
...
4
votes
1answer
144 views
How is Romans 10:17 a consequence of 10:16?
I'm having trouble understanding the flow of the argument in Romans 10:16-18. It seems to say that because Israel did not accept the good news (10:16), therefore faith comes from hearing the message ...
4
votes
2answers
257 views
What's Paul (of Tarsus)'s view on the bodily resurrection?
In 1st Corinthians 15 Paul records the eyewitness accounts of Jesus' resurrection:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance ...
5
votes
3answers
116 views
What does Exodus 26:27 say?
I was reading through Exodus the other day and thought that the translation of Exodus 26:26-27 was odd.
OSB:
"You shall make bars of incorruptible wood: five for the posts on one side of the ...
2
votes
3answers
113 views
How did Manoah know his visitor was the angel of the LORD?
Judges 13 strongly parallels Genesis 18. I my question about that passage was how Abraham was able to determine that the person he was talking to was God so quickly. This time, I have the opposite ...
1
vote
2answers
207 views
Was the discounting by the manager in Luke 16 a dishonest act?
The shrewd manager in Luke 16 discounted the debts in order to win favor with the debtors. What hermeneutic principle should be used to determine if this was an evil act, or just good business?
12
votes
1answer
321 views
Is Keller's view of the father in the Prodigal Son parable a reasonable interpretation?
In Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God", Keller points out a fairly incredible dichotomy between older and younger brothers - and the parallels between these categories and our society.
In the final ...
7
votes
1answer
114 views
Can we date Mark without first committing to an interpretation of the Olivet Discourse?
Most scholars believe Mark is the earliest biography of Jesus. (Paul's writings and perhaps one or two other New Testament letters are earlier, but they include very little biographical material ...
7
votes
1answer
264 views
Jesus's genealogy: 28 generations or 41 since David?
These questions keep me wondering:
Firstly, how is it possible that Matthew and Luke came up with completely different genealogies of Jesus ancestors, if they are both following the masculine line?
...
2
votes
0answers
65 views
Genealogies of Jesus by Matthew and Lucas (Luke) [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Jesus's genealogy: 28 generations or 41 since David?
Can anyone explain me why the difference between the two genealogies of Jesus give by theses two authors?
3
votes
1answer
160 views
What does “lawlessness” refer to in 1 John 3:4?
In 1 John 3:4 (ESV), we read:
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
My understanding is that in the LXX, the Greek word ἀνομία usually refers ...
5
votes
1answer
94 views
Who are the people God sent to deliver Israel in 1 Samuel 12:11?
The NET gives the following information about the list of names found in 1 Samuel 12:11:
In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the ...
3
votes
1answer
217 views
What was Onan's sin?
Genesis 38:6-11 (NJPS):
Judah got a wife for Er his first-born; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s first-born, was displeasing to the Lord, and the Lord took his life. Then Judah said to Onan, ...
6
votes
3answers
385 views
What was Er's sin?
In response to this question asked by JonEricson.
Genesis 38:6-11 (NJPS):
Judah got a wife for Er his first-born; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s first-born, was displeasing to the Lord, and ...
3
votes
1answer
177 views
Did Saul intend to offer a peace offering in 1st Samuel 13?
When Samuel rebuked Saul for improperly making an offering before the Lord, he asks for both a burnt offering and a "sacrifice of well-being":
He waited seven days, the time that Samuel [had set]. ...
8
votes
2answers
236 views
What was Ruth's legal status?
I apologize in advance for the length of the question.
The book of Ruth is incredibly romantic and powerful, but I don't understand the legal portion of the drama:
Now Boaz had gone up to the ...
0
votes
2answers
143 views
Who is an authority on what can be called a “Bible”?
(I'm not entirely sure whether this question is in scope of this SE, but this appears to be the SE closest to the issue)
In Poland, there is a region called Silesia, which is inhabited by people ...
18
votes
2answers
289 views
Did John know about the Synoptics?
What evidence is there that John was aware of the Synoptics when he wrote the Fourth Gospel?
1
vote
2answers
136 views
Are biblical texts concerning slavery transcultural or finite? [closed]
This question concerns cultural analysis as a principle in biblical hermeneutics, specifically the determination if a biblical statement has a finite application or if it is transcultural. But rather ...
5
votes
2answers
562 views
Is 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 an interpolation?
One of the answers to the question about what 1st Corinthians 14:34-35 means suggests that the passage is a later interpolation. From the quote by J.W. Wartick, included in the answer, there are ...
6
votes
1answer
72 views
To whom did God subject everything in Hebrews 2:8?
In most translations, the verse goes something like "In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subjected to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him." (NIV 1984, ...
5
votes
1answer
104 views
Do some of the manuscripts have a blank spot in Ephesians 1:1?
The NIV footnotes indicate that some early manuscripts do not have "in Ephesus" in then. The NET has extensive notes on this, but they only state the the earliest and most important MSS "omit" the ...
8
votes
3answers
257 views
Does the Hebrew in Judges 4:4 explicitly identify Deborah as a woman?
I have no skill at reading Hebrew, so I was using some tool to try and parse the sentence in Judges 4:4. I noticed that the definition given for the second word (אִשָּׁה) is "woman"; but what I'm ...
4
votes
2answers
924 views
How did the Thanksgiving offering work?
A thanksgiving offering is mentioned in Leviticus 7:11-15 (NJPS):
This is the ritual of the sacrifice of well-being that one may offer to the Lord:
If he offers it for thanksgiving, he shall ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
Did Barak already know what he was supposed to do in Judges 4:6-7?
Since we're on a Deborah kick lately:
The ESV renders Deborah's statement to Barak in Judges 4:6-7 as a question:
Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, "Go, gather your
men at ...
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:
...
9
votes
1answer
179 views
What role should textual (lower) criticism play in biblical hermeneutics (if any)?
A recent comment on another question demonstrated a common perspective, namely that textual criticism is usually a bad thing when interpreting scripture (some would even go so far as to say that it is ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
In Romans 2:4, is καταφρονέω more properly translated as 'presume' or 'despise'?
Question:
In Romans 2:4, is καταφρονέω more properly translated into English as 'presume' or 'despise'?
Details:
This is a key point that Paul is making, but since 'presume' and 'despise' are two ...
4
votes
2answers
503 views
Was the Beloved Disciple the author of the Fourth Gospel?
One very common interpretation of the Gospel of John is that the Beloved Disciple was the author of the book. (Presumably, he was interested in obscuring his identity for some reason.) But other ...
0
votes
0answers
608 views
Should Christians get tattoos or avoid them (biblically) [closed]
Many denominations of Christianity look down on tattoos and tattooing as a practice. Some look down on it because it's a "worldly practice", other's I've talked to say they are against tattoo's ...
5
votes
3answers
331 views
Why is Moses' reference to God's promise in Exodus 32 effective?
Exodus 32:9-14 (NIV quoted):
9 “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may ...
9
votes
3answers
229 views
What hermeneutical approach does Hebrews use on the Old Testament
Psalm 2:7 is quoted in two different contexts in Hebrews, seeming to be used to support two vastly different arguments.
In Hebrews 1:5, we read
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
...
9
votes
4answers
752 views
Can we tell from the text who wrote Hebrews?
I have pondered who wrote Hebrews for some time. In my studies, I have eliminated Paul for two reasons.
1) The style of Greek is different than the way Paul writes in his letters. It's a higher ...
9
votes
1answer
123 views
Does the Shibboleth story help us date the book of Judges?
This story has always fascinated me:
Judges 12:4-6 (ESV)
4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are ...
12
votes
3answers
241 views
Was Noah absolutely blameless or relatively good?
This is the line of Noah.—Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age; Noah walked with God.—Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The earth became corrupt ...
7
votes
1answer
814 views
Why pray, “lead us not into temptation”?
Those famous words from The Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:13:
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
I find puzzling. Why would anyone ask God not to lead is into ...
4
votes
1answer
89 views
What sort of disaster is Joel addressing?
In the first two chapters, Joel seems to be talking about an ecological disaster.
Joel 1:20 (NJPS):
The very beasts of the field
Cry out to You;
For the watercourses are dried up,
And fire ...
2
votes
2answers
308 views
Translation of “ἐλπίς”
Ἐλπίς is a theologically important word in the New Testament. It is glossed hope, but I have often heard it emphasized that this does not mean hope in the sense of a positive wish or feeling which is ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Original meaning of the expression “sexual immorality” in modern translations of Old Testament
For the Old Testament, a modern tool will translate the hebrew ערוה as “unchastity”, “nakedness” or “incest”.
This term is translated in modern versions as “sexual immorality”, but that expression is ...
