14
votes
Accepted
Same term used for Noah's ark and Moses's basket
The Hebrew word תֵּבָה (tebah) occurs 28 times in the OT and simply means (literally), chest, box, coffin, etc. That is, a box-like container used to house and protect some contents that are (by ...
- 95.3k
13
votes
Accepted
Is there any evidence that 'knei bosem' is cannabis or ganja?
Is there any evidence that this phrase should be translated 'ganja'?
No.
Exodus 30:23 (ESV) reads:
Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as ...
- 26.2k
13
votes
Why did God specifically target the firstborn in the 10th plague (Exodus 12:29-36)?
The symbolism of the death of the firstborn is explained at the very beginning as corresponding to Israel being God's firstborn son. Pharaoh refused to release God's firstborn son, therefore Pharaoh's ...
- 3,738
12
votes
Accepted
Does the definite article 'the', occur in front of the name of God in the Hebrew language?
The Tetragram in Hebrew is a proper name, and names do not have articles in Hebrew any more than they do in English.
The article "the" arises in OP's KJV example because of the convention (beginning ...
- 24.7k
12
votes
Accepted
How did they keep warm on the Sabbath day?
It says "Don't kindle a fire," not "don't allow a fire to be burning."
The prohibition is on the act of lighting a fire, not of having a fire be lit.
Having a fire burning to ...
- 425
10
votes
Why does Exodus 3 refer to "the angel of the LORD"?
Frequently, an "Angel of the LORD" will appear in passages throughout the Bible to bring a message to an individual. In these instances, the speech used is always that of God himself. Tradition held ...
- 7,652
10
votes
Accepted
What does "before me" in Exodus 20:3 mean?
Exodus 20:3
לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־ לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־ פָּנָֽ֗יַ*
Literally: Not|shall-you-have|to-yourselves|gods|other|before|the-face-[of-me]
Thus,
Thou shalt not have other gods ...
- 9,462
10
votes
Accepted
Did Pharaoh not recognise Moses after forty years?
The scriptures tell us quite simply that Moses fled to the land of Midian after killing that Egyptian. Then, after that Pharaoh had died, came God's calling to Moses (40 years later) to go to the [...
- 21.2k
9
votes
Did God command the making of graven images, in Exodus and Numbers?
No, God did not contradict Himself, since He never forbade all kinds of images to begin with, that, going on to command images to be made, He could be said to contradict Himself.
Something is always ...
- 9,462
9
votes
Accepted
Why does Deuteronomy 29:5-6 say they ate no bread for forty years?
The manna is called לֶחֶם, which can mean bread, but also refers to any meal: for example, the daily sacrifice of meat is also לֶחֶם (Numbers 28:2). So when the manna is called לֶחֶם (Exodus 16:4, etc....
- 3,738
9
votes
What deity was Reuel a priest of?
It was to Midian that Moses fled after slaying an Egyptian and where he married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro—also known as Reuel (Exod 2:11-22). Some speculate that worship of Yahweh originated in ...
- 111
9
votes
If God is no respecter of persons, how to explain Exodus 11:7?
When it is written that “God is not a respecter of persons,”1 it means that salvation is for all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile,2 hence Jude refers to it as “the common salvation.”3
However, the ...
- 11.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Is Jesus against or in favor of the law of retaliation ("eye for eye, tooth for tooth")?
"Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." (Ex. 21:1, KJV)
The opening statement of the chapter sets the context within court proceedings, ie. judgment. So, the ...
- 9,795
9
votes
At John 5:18, did Jesus break the Sabbath?
The Pharisees had rules that were much stricter than God's rules.
They interpreted "work" to include almost every physical activity.
Even today, orthodox Jews consider turning on a light ...
- 5,823
9
votes
What is the meaning of the word translated as "steal" in the commandment "thou shalt not steal"? (Exodus 20:15)
Benson comments as follows:
Exodus 20:15. Thou shalt not steal — This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have, by sinful spending, or of the use and
comfort of it, by sinful sparing; and ...
- 95.3k
8
votes
What did Jesus likely say in John 8:58?
Professor of Religious Studies , Jason David BeDuhn of Northern Arizona University in his book "TRUTH IN TRANSLATION Accuracy and Bias of the New Testament" compares ten major English ...
- 13.7k
8
votes
The Ten Commandments were based on the Code of Hammurabi?
I don't know of any scholar who denies that Hammurabi wrote a code of laws before Moses received the Ten Commandments and the accompanying law. So if the question is: Did Moses invent the idea of ...
- 207
8
votes
What is the significance of cooking the passover lamb by fire rather than boiling?
They were to eat the lamb roasted over fire because it was quick: the same reason they were to eat it with their cloak tucked into their belt, their sandals on their feet and their staff in their ...
- 626
8
votes
Accepted
If the Exodus and conquest of Canaan took place around 1446 BC, why are there so many references to iron in that period's writing?
The iron age does not refer to the invention of iron smelting. As Wikipedia says:
It is defined by archaeological convention, and the mere presence of cast or wrought iron is not sufficient to ...
- 2,976
8
votes
Did the Hebrews spend time in Egypt for 400 or 430 years?
Abraham was 75 when he left Haran. This was The Promise, and the start of 430 years to the Exodus.
25 years later, Abraham is 100 years old and Isaac is born. We are now 25 years from The Promise
5 ...
- 357
8
votes
Accepted
What deity was Reuel a priest of?
The midianites were children of Abraham through his concubine called Keturah
KJV Genesis 25:2,4-6 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah... And the sons ...
- 492
8
votes
Why did the Egyptians view shepherds as detestable and why did they refuse to eat with the Hebrews?
Is there some link between the Egyptians refusing to eat with the Hebrews and the fact they were shepherds? - Yes. Khnum (𓎸𓅱𓀭)
Sacrifice of rams, sheep & goats was detestable to the Egyptians, ...
- 8,327
8
votes
Accepted
What was the pillar of fire and cloud?
Yes, the pillar was BOTH cloud and fire on that occasion, as the earlier verses in chapter 14 explain.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me
honor upon Pharaoh, upon ...
- 6,070
8
votes
At John 5:18, did Jesus break the Sabbath?
Based on Exodus 31:14-15, Jesus did not violate Shabbat in [John 5] - However, Jesus did violate Shabbat rules of "Pikuach Nefesh" in [John 5] by healing a patient without terminal illness. *...
- 8,327
8
votes
Are toys a form of idolatry accordingly Exodus 20:4-5?
It depends on your religious tradition. I am sure there have been many splinter religious groups that saw things this way.
But a graven image is an English translation of the Hebrew פֶּסֶל. It is ...
- 12.1k
7
votes
In Exodus 2-4 who was Moses' father-in-law?
It was not uncommon for people in the Bible to go under multiple monikers. Abram was also known as Abrham (Gen 17:5), Sarah was also known as Sarai (Genesis 17:15), Jacob was also known as Israel (...
- 7,652
7
votes
Is there any evidence that 'knei bosem' is cannabis or ganja?
To put this as a purely linguistic question: Hebrew qānē is the same word as Sumerian gin, Akkadian qanū, Ugaritic qn, Greek κάννα, Latin canna, all meaning “reed” or “cane”.
Greek κάνναβις, Latin ...
- 5,270
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