Greatest Hits

6 votes
4 answers
82k views

In John 1:35, who were the two disciples of John the Baptist?

The Greek text of John 1:35 according to the Textus Receptus states, ΛΕʹ Τῇ ἐπαύριον πάλιν εἱστήκει ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο TR, 1550 which is translated as, 35 On the day after, ...
user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
42k views

"Lilith" in Isaiah 34:14

In the New American Bible translation I see these for Isaiah 34:14 (12) Her nobles shall be no more, nor shall kings be proclaimed there; all her princes are gone. (13) Her castles shall be overgrown ...
Gopal Anantharaman's user avatar
9 votes
9 answers
39k views

Why does Matthew include these women in Jesus' genealogy?

One of the unique features of Jesus genealogy in the book of Matthew is the inclusion of four women, not counting Mary. Matthew 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar ...
Matthew Miller's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
57k views

Who is the intended audience of Matthew 5-7?

Matthew 5 begins: 1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ESV and Matthew 7 ends: 28And ...
Jack Douglas's user avatar
  • 12.3k
10 votes
8 answers
41k views

What is the purpose of Elijah's travels?

At the beginning of 2 Kings 2, Elijah travels from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to the Jordan before being taken up in the whirlwind. Elisha then mostly reverses this course crossing back over the ...
Soldarnal's user avatar
  • 36.3k
4 votes
7 answers
50k views

In Hebrews 13:2 what does "entertained angels unawares" mean?

KJV Hebrews 13:2 says, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." The tendency is 'gloss past' this passage; it's a reminder to be hospitable, ...
Tau's user avatar
  • 6,734
17 votes
3 answers
46k views

How did the shadow move back ten steps in 2 Kings 20:8-11?

There are several things I'd like to know about this passage: And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the ...
Jon 'links in bio' Ericson's user avatar
28 votes
8 answers
47k views

What does "born again" from John 3:3 mean?

John 3:3 (NIV) Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” A note for this verse in the NIV says, "The Greek for again also means from ...
joshdick's user avatar
  • 482
8 votes
7 answers
47k views

What does the word "world" mean in John 3:16, in the light of John 17:9?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only ...
John Unsworth's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
52k views

In Ecclesiastes 4:12 what is the meaning of the "three strands not quickly broken"?

My small group was looking at this verse in Ecclesiastes 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. I was curious the meaning ...
Brian Mains's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
41k views

What does the Gesture of "uncovering feet" and "laying to Boas feet" mean?

In Ruth 3,4 it is written: When he gets ready to go to sleep, take careful notice of the place where he lies down. Then go, uncover his legs, and lie down beside him. He will tell you what you should ...
telion's user avatar
  • 150
16 votes
4 answers
61k views

Why is Wisdom personified as a woman?

Regardless of interpretation, I find it intriguing that Proverbs 8:22 mentions how Wisdom was the first created by the LORD (apparently even before mankind). This Wisdom is present as a feminine ...
user3236's user avatar
  • 169
17 votes
9 answers
60k views

What are the teraphim (household gods) Rachel stole from Laban?

When Jacob flees from Laban, Rachel steals his household gods. When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. Genesis 31:19 (NIV) Jacob seems pretty serious ...
styfle's user avatar
  • 355
16 votes
10 answers
55k views

What does 'Salt of the Earth' mean?

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless." - Matthew 5:13 (NLT) ...
alvas's user avatar
  • 213
13 votes
8 answers
60k views

Who is being "taken" in Matthew 24:40-41?

Matthew 24:40-41 (ESV) Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding oat at the mill; one will be taken and one left. One of the interpretations I'...
Soldarnal's user avatar
  • 36.3k
8 votes
3 answers
63k views

What is the meaning of "In the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18)?

I am reading from the Gospel of John, chapter 18 verse 1, KJV, where it is written, No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared ...
Bagpipes's user avatar
  • 2,827
11 votes
7 answers
49k views

Is the translation "rib" for the Hebrew צֵלָע (*tsela*) in Genesis 2:22 justified?

Why is it that Biblical translators choose to translate the Hebrew word צֵלָע (tsela) as "rib" when referring to the formation of Eve from Adam in Genesis 2:22? Never is this word translated as rib ...
sonofnoman's user avatar
22 votes
6 answers
59k views

Why is the genealogy in Luke attributed to Mary?

When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, the son of... - Luke 3:23 (NASB) There seems to be a widely held ...
Kevin Aenmey's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
38k views

Who were the Pharisees?

Many times in the New Testament, Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Apostles interact with Jewish men called the Pharisees. At other times, the Sadducees are prominent. Several Pharisees are named in ...
Frank Luke's user avatar
  • 22.2k
11 votes
5 answers
56k views

What does "put the branch to their nose" in Ezekiel 8:17 mean?

Reading Ezekiel 8 in the ESV I came across verse 17 today and was puzzled by phrase there: Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they ...
Kazark's user avatar
  • 10.3k
33 votes
12 answers
55k 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 ...
brilliant's user avatar
  • 4,938
19 votes
8 answers
33k views

What does Paul mean by "unworthy manner" in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32?

In 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 (NKJV) : 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man ...
Paul Vargas's user avatar
  • 3,248
12 votes
14 answers
69k views

In Matthew 12:34 what did Jesus mean when he called the Pharisees "a brood of vipers"?

In Matthew 12:34 when Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees it is written, (NIV) You brood of vipers,how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth ...
Bagpipes's user avatar
  • 2,827
16 votes
6 answers
39k views

Who is "that (the) Prophet" in John 1:21? Is "that Prophet" Muhammad, as Islam teaches?

Refer to John 1:21: 19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who art thou?” 20 And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, “...
Graviton's user avatar
  • 434
9 votes
5 answers
52k views

What is a "quickening spirit" (1 Cor 15:45) and how is it different from a "living soul"?

1st Corinthians makes a distinction between the first Adam and Jesus Christ and it also distinguishes between the soul and the spirit. What does the expression a "quickening spirit" mean here and how ...
Rick's user avatar
  • 239
12 votes
6 answers
47k views

Where was Jesus when he received word of Lazarus' illness?

John 11:6 has Jesus receiving word of Lazarus' illness and then staying put for two days. When Jesus reaches Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days (11:17). So when the messengers reached Jesus ...
SaganRitual's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
54k views

Why Were there 12 Baskets of Leftovers when feeding 5000?

Mathew 14:16-20 (NIV) says: 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring ...
Joachin Joseph's user avatar
24 votes
9 answers
48k views

In Revelation 20:14, 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 ...
Jed's user avatar
  • 1,280
8 votes
7 answers
44k views

KJV Romans 12:3 according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith

In the King James Bible Romans 12:3 states ... "according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith"... Does this mean his followers were given a different "measure of faith"; that each ...
aallord's user avatar
  • 193
11 votes
3 answers
44k views

What is the significance of Ezekiel's description of God's heavenly chariot in chapter 1?

Chapter 1 of Ezekiel contains a famous description of God's heavenly chariot (the maaseh merkava): ...as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions ...
Amichai's user avatar
  • 6,441
8 votes
5 answers
43k views

Job1:6: Who are the "sons of God"?

Who are the sons of God in the following verse? Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (KJV, Job 1:6)
brilliant's user avatar
  • 4,938
8 votes
5 answers
41k views

Do the specific gifts the father gives to the prodigal son have any special significance?

What is the significance of the robe, ring & sandals in Luke 15:22? ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
16 votes
8 answers
38k views

Are Simon the Pharisee (in Luke) and Simon the leper (in other Gospels) the same person?

Quoting from the ESV: Luke 7:37-38 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment......
R. THOMAS's user avatar
  • 171
9 votes
2 answers
53k views

Where was Daniel when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fire?

In chapter 3 of book of Daniel we find the story of the three young men that are thrown in fire because they refused to worship the image of gold that Nebuchadnezzar made. King Nebuchadnezzar made an ...
Ionică Bizău's user avatar
13 votes
5 answers
44k views

What is the meaning behind the parable of Children in the Marketplace in Luke 7:31-35?

Can you shed some light over the intended meaning of the parable of the Children in the Marketplace? Is there more context or any words in the parable that have special meaning? Also, are there any ...
Leonardo's user avatar
  • 233
9 votes
3 answers
33k views

John 12:3 why would Mary wipe Jesus' feet with her hair?

John 12:3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. I ...
Linda Lawson-Bruton's user avatar
11 votes
10 answers
35k views

What did Jesus mean by "on this rock, I will build my church"?

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 What does Jesus mean by "on this rock, I will build My ...
phil-al-sophy's user avatar
11 votes
9 answers
64k views

Did Paul take the Nazarite vow in Cenchreae? If so, why this vow?

In Acts 18:18 the English Standard Version states: At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. The cross-references for this point to Numbers 6:2, 18 which describe the Nazarite vow. ...
cm20g12's user avatar
  • 495
19 votes
5 answers
54k views

What was the lesson Elisha wanted to teach Joash using the arrows?

In 2 Kings 13:14–17 we find that Joash, the king of Israel, took a bow and some arrows as Elisha told him. And the 17th verse: Elisha said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. Elisha said, “Shoot!”...
Ionică Bizău's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
49k views

In Acts 15:20 why does James prohibit the gentiles to eat strangled animals?

I don't see anything in the Torah that says an animal must be slaughtered before eating it instead of strangled to death. Acts 15:20 (KJV) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from ...
brewpixels's user avatar
  • 1,762
8 votes
1 answer
43k views

Is the 1500-Year-Old Gospel of Barnabas found in Turkey claiming Jesus was never crucified genuine or a hoax?

A Bible which is reported to be at least 1500 years old was discovered in Turkey and inside it there is a Gospel of Barnabas. The book was moved by Turkish government to one of their museums by ...
kenorb's user avatar
  • 545
9 votes
4 answers
30k views

What is "apocalyptic" literature?

What are the characteristics of what is called "apocalyptic" literature? Why would an author use this literary style? Does apocalyptic literature envision the end of the cosmos? If not, what kind(s) ...
Soldarnal's user avatar
  • 36.3k
13 votes
3 answers
31k views

In Ecclesiastes 7:28 why are there no upright women?

28which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. ESV My question drawn from Ecclesiastes 7:28 is a simple ...
Randall Craig Pritchett's user avatar
11 votes
7 answers
47k views

Per 1 Cor 10:8, when did God kill 23,000 for sexual immorality?

I was going through 1 Corinthians 10, doing my best to not fixate on verse 13 until i knew the context :) when I read this: 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one ...
Affable Geek's user avatar
  • 2,267
18 votes
5 answers
58k views

Did Adam and Eve not have sex in the Garden of Eden?

In the first few chapters of Genesis, we see God create Adam and Eve and then tell them to reproduce. Genesis 1:28 (NLT) 28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill ...
El'endia Starman's user avatar
9 votes
5 answers
48k views

What is the literal meaning of "royal priesthood" in 1 Peter 2:9?

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation..." - 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) I've understood the phrase "royal priesthood" to mean something along the lines of "priesthood that serves ...
Dennis Meng's user avatar
20 votes
5 answers
56k views

Did Ruth uncover Boaz' feet, or something else?

Naomi advises Ruth as follows, in Ruth 3: One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a] for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose ...
Affable Geek's user avatar
  • 2,267
15 votes
5 answers
44k 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 ...
Richard's user avatar
  • 9,673
10 votes
3 answers
46k views

What are the "stones of fire" in Ezekiel 28?

An interesting phrase occurs in Ezekiel 28:14: You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. and again in ...
Kazark's user avatar
  • 10.3k
7 votes
3 answers
46k views

What do we know about Paul's family?

Related to https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q/8024/3195 I want to know more information about Paul's family. According to Acts 23:6 Paul's father was a pharisee: But when Paul perceived that ...
Ionică Bizău's user avatar