Questions tagged [referent-identification]
For use on questions where it is unclear what a pronoun or other vague identifier refers to.
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How plausible is this alternate interpretation of 1 John 2:13-14?
At issue is why John is writing to the fathers in 1 John 2:13-14:
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς·
I am writing | to you | fathers | because | you have known | the | from | (the) ...
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Who is Revelation's Death?
In Revelation, Death comes with the opening of the fourth seal.
Rev 6:7, 8 - And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the
voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and ...
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From what were the people of the old world not spared in 2 Peter 2:4-6?
[2Pe 2:4-6 YLT] 4 For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast [them] down to Tartarus, did deliver [them] to judgment, having been reserved, 5 and the ...
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Who is speaking in Isaiah 7:13 ... "And he said..."
Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. ...
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Why is the placing of man in Eden mentioned twice? Gen 2.8 and Gen 2.15
When looking at the creation of man in Genesis 2, I was struck that God describes putting him in Eden twice, separated by the description of rivers:
Genesis 2:8 (KJV 1900)
8 And the LORD God planted ...
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What are "the things of the Spirit of God"? 1 Corinthians 2:14
1 Corinthians 2:14
and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know [them], because spiritually they are discerned; (...
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Who is the keeper of the wardrobe in 2 Kings 22 - does the Hebrew text resolve the ambiguity?
Who is the keeper of the wardrobe?
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, ...
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What is the "spirit of wisdom" in Deuteronomy 34:9?
9 And Joshua son of Nun is full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him, and the sons of Israel hearken unto him, and do as Jehovah commanded Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:9 YLT)
What ...
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Is Luke 12:33 a universal commandment?
Luke 12:32-33 (ESV)
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that ...
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Please identify the grammatical subject(s) of Acts 20:11
Acts 20:7-11 reads (NKJV, emphasis added):
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his ...
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Who was anointed in Psalm 45:7 and Hebrews 1:9.?
Psalm 45:7 ASV Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Whose fellows are the ones mentioned on both ...
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What does “put at the apostles’ feet” mean in Acts 4:32-5:2?
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that
any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything
they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify ...
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Are John 15:1-11 and Revelation 3:14-22 referring to the same group of people?
I find striking similarities between John 15:1-11 and Revelation 3:14-22:
John 15:1-11 (ESV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he ...
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In Matthew 16:18, is the "it" against which the gates of hell shall not prevail the "rock" or the "church"?
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. - Matthew 16:18
Is it "this rock" or "my church" that ...
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What does Paul mean by "denying its power" in 2 Timothy 3:5?
2 Timothy 3:1-9 (ESV)
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to ...
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Hebrews 7:8; who is meant by the phrase "witnessed that he liveth", Melchizedek or Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 7:8 (ASV):
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
About whom is this phrase "of whom it is witnessed that he liveth" ...
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"... and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" - what place is Jesus referring to in Matthew 24:51?
Matthew 24:44-51 (ESV):
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his ...
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Is the Holy Spirit called God in Luke 1:35?
Luke 1:35 contains the following statement from the angel Gabriel (NKJV):
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is ...
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Is there room for interpreting "paradise" in Luke 23:43 as a reference to "Abraham's Bosom" (Luke 16:19-31)?
When Jesus mentioned paradise in Luke 23:43,
43 and Jesus said to him, `Verily I say to thee, To-day with me thou shalt be in the paradise.' (YLT)
is it possible that he meant Abraham's bosom, as ...
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Were Jesus (Luke 23:43) & Paul (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) referring to the same 'paradise'?
Luke 23:43 (YLT):
43 and Jesus said to him, `Verily I say to thee, To-day with me thou shalt be in the paradise.'
2 Corinthians 12:1-4 (YLT):
To boast, really, is not profitable for me, for I will ...
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Do the Lord of glory in 1 Corinthians and the King of glory in Psalm 24 have the same referent?
Psalm 24:7-10 says:
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD ...
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What traditions does Paul refer to in 2 Thessalonians 2:15?
2 Thessalonians 2:15 (NASB):
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
What traditions is Paul ...
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Who are the priests mentioned in Exodus 19:22 & 19:24? God did not appear to start the Hebrew priesthood until Exodus 28:1
Since God does not seem to establish the Hebrew priesthood until Exodus 28:1, who are the priests referring to in Exodus 19:22, 24?
20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount:...
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Who is the speaker in Psalm 45:6 and who is its subject? God or a human king? [duplicate]
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thy throne given of God is for ever and ever; A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Who is the speaker in Psalm 45:6 and who is its subject? God or a human king? Does this ...
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Are the "pit" or "world below" of Ezekiel 26:19-21 and the "abyss" of Luke 8:31 the same place?
Ezekiel 26:19-21 (ESV):
19 “For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you, ...
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Who is the intermediary in Gal 3:19-20
Galatians 3:19-20
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an ...
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What are the best/higher gifts? 1 Corinthians 12:31
1 Corinthians 12:28-31:
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of ...
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To whom did Jesus ascribed creation in Mark 13:19? [closed]
Mark 13:19 ASV
For those days shall be tribulation, such as there hath not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be.
Considering Isaiah 44:24 ...
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What statutes and ordinances does Ezekiel 11:19-20 refer to?
Ezekiel 11:19-20 (NASB):
19 And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may ...
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Is 2 Peter 2:4 talking about demons?
2 Peter 2:4 (ESV):
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Are the angels that sinned ...
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Who is the "him" in Jeremiah 30:21
Jer30:21
And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that ...
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Who are the nations and where do they come from in Revelation 20:7-8?
Revelation 20:7-8 NASB
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and ...
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Is there a non-empty intersection between the believers at Acts 2:1-4 and the believers at Acts 4:31?
Acts 2:1-4 (ESV):
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house ...
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Does Paul in [2 Corinthians 12:2] allude to Enoch's journey into the third heaven [2 Enoch 8-9]?
Does Paul in [2 Corinthians 12:2] allude to Enoch's journey into the third heaven [2 Enoch 8-9]?
Paul claims : "I know a [man] in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, ...
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Is Luke 11:9-13 a promise for believers or unbelievers?
Luke 11:9-13 (ESV):
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, ...
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What specific set of manuscripts did Peter mean by "prophetic word" and "Scripture" in 2 Peter 1:19-21?
2 Peter 1:19-21 (ESV):
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning ...
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Who will leave a blessing behind and for whom in Joel 2:14?
Joel 2:14 ESV
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
Its not clear in the above text who leaves a ...
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“Who” in Isaiah 40:13 and 14?
Isaiah 40:12: Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and ...
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Which transgressions?
GALATIANS 3:19
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of ...
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Did Paul expect "the perfect" to come during his and the Corinthians' lifetime?
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (ESV):
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in ...
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The meaning of Hosea 10.9: "the days of Gibeah"
Text of Hosea 9.9
"Gibeah" or "the days of Gibeah" are a recurring theme in the book of Hosea, being mentioned in Hosea 5.8 (LEB)
Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. ...
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"Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know" - To whom is Jeremiah 33:3's promise made?
Jeremiah 33:1-3 (NASB):
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, saying, 2 “This is what the LORD says, He who made the ...
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Hosea 6.9: KJV "by consent" or ESV/LEB "by Shechem"
In Hosea 6.9:
KJV reads:
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, So the company of priests
murder in the way by consent: For they commit lewdness.
Whereas ESV has:
As robbers lie in wait for a man,...
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Who is the Revelation of Yeshua given to (i.e. the Book of Revelation)?
In the Book of Revelation we have the following opening statement:
1:1 Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεός δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει καὶ ἐσήμανεν ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ...
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In 1 Cor. 14:1, was Paul's exhortation to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts" addressed only to the Corinthians, or to all Christians in general?
1 Corinthians 14:1 (ESV)
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy
Did Paul write this exhortation only for the Corinthians who were the immediate ...
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In whose home did the church meet in Philemon 1?
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in ...
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Did Paul treat God and Jesus as one person in Titus 2:13?
Titus 2 text:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the ...
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2
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528
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Who took off his sandal in Ruth 4:8?
Ruth 4:8 ESV
8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.
Ruth 4:8 KJV
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
Ruth 4:8 ...
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3
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Was Jesus' promise "I am with you always, to the end of the age" only for the apostles or for Christians in all ages?
Matthew 28:19-20:
19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have ...
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What is the "it" in "those who find it are few" in Matt 7:14?
Matt 7:13-14 (ESV) says:
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is ...
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