23
votes
In Psalm 22:21 is the Bible speaking of "unicorns"?
Interestingly, despite there being several good answers here, no one has yet raised the possibility that the word ראם (re'em) refers to an animal known as the aurochs or urus (Bos primigenius). (Edit:...
- 4,191
18
votes
Accepted
(Psalm 139:18) Feminine God?
עִמָּֽךְ contains the pausal form of the 2nd person, masculine gender, singular number (2ms) pronominal suffix. This form is identical to the 2nd person, feminine gender, singular number (2fs) ...
- 10.6k
18
votes
Accepted
Is there a reason Psalm 136 has exactly 26 repetitions of "For His mercy endures forever"?
In Hebrew Gematria, the number 26 = YHVH ( יְהֹוָ֣ה).
The sum of the Name "YHVH" ( יְהֹוָ֣ה) = "Yod"(10) + "Hei"(5) + "Vav"(6) + "Hei"(5).
- 8,151
11
votes
Accepted
How is the Septuagint interpretation of Psalms 40:6 reconciled with the Hebrew text?
The Idea in Brief
The Hebrew verb to pierce (כָּרָה = H3738) in Psalm 40:6 is the same triliteral root for the Hebrew verb to prepare (כָּרָה = H3739). For example, this second verb (כָּרָה = H3739) ...
- 16.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Psalm 29:9 > Do the deer give birth or do the large trees bend?
Is the first image of Psalm 29:9 one pertaining to flora (e.g. NET's "trees"), or fauna (e.g., ESV's "deer")? Good question!
The Septuagint took the key word as "deer" (ἔλαφος) here, and the KJV, and ...
- 24.6k
10
votes
Is David's name at the beginning of the Psalms intended as an attribution of authorship?
While reading links to add to this question, I ran across Gesenius’ explanation (§129 c.), which seems to be too much of an answer to incorporate into the question. I therefore offer it as an answer, ...
- 26.1k
10
votes
Is the Law eternal?
Psalms 119:160 does have the following definition:
judgments מִשְׁפַּ֥ט (miš·paṭ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law,
penalty, justice,...
- 3,196
9
votes
Accepted
How does the Douay Rheims Bible translate שַׁדַּי as God of Jacob in Psalms 91:1?
The Douay-Rheims version is a translation of the Vulgate. The Vulgate to Psalms seems to have gone through multiple revisions. I looked through all the versions I could find easily and found these ...
- 3,710
8
votes
Accepted
The religious identity of those who translated Psalms 24:1 into the LXX
Although my initial reaction to this question was (not unlike the response in another answer here) that obviously this day-of-the-week superscription (DWS) reflects the Jewish liturgical background of ...
- 26.1k
8
votes
Accepted
In Psalm 82:1 who are in the "congregation" and who are the "gods"?
Background
In their commentary Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler have this to say about Psalm 82:
A vision of a heavenly court where God condemns those who judge unfairly. The psalm plays on the ...
- 14.6k
8
votes
Is there a reason Psalm 136 has exactly 26 repetitions of "For His mercy endures forever"?
This will not answer the question but may provide some further information.
If we temporarily ignore the last half of each verse "His love endures forever") and examine the first half of ...
- 86k
8
votes
Is the Law eternal?
The MT for Psalm 119:160 is:
רֹאשׁ-דְּבָרְךָ֥ אֱמֶ֑ת וּ֝לְעוֹלָ֗ם כָּל-מִשְׁפַּ֥ט צִדְקֶֽךָ
short, pithy, poetic and figurative, a stand-alone verse without context. This verse is open season for a ...
7
votes
Who are the two “Lords” in Acts 2:34?
In Hebrew, the first "Lord" is Yahweh (God's name), and the second "Lord" really means Lord. So the text is "Yahweh said to my Lord."
The way Peter uses the words in Acts 2:34 seems to indicate that ...
- 323
7
votes
Accepted
In Psalm 12:6-7 who or what will God preserve from that generation?
The Idea in Brief
The received Masoretic Text and its translation into English by the New American Standard Bible appear to be the best rendering of this verse in Hebrew and English, respectively.
...
- 16.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Is John 8:58 an allusion to Psalm 90:2 LXX?
It certainly apears that John 8:58 is an allusion to Psa. 90:2 since both share the same syntax.1 Both Meyer2 and De Wette3 refer to Psa. 90:2 in their commentary on John 8:58.
On his notes of Psa. 90:...
- 10.6k
7
votes
Psalm 14 or Psalm 53 - Which came first?
The Psalms can be divided into 5 books marked by benedictions. For instance, Book 1 and Book 2 are separated by a verse that is usually included as a conclusion to Psalm 41:
Blessed is the LORD, God ...
- 30k
7
votes
"If I make my bed in hell" from Psalm 139:8
The word "hell" in this text is from the Hebrew word "sheol" (שְׁאוֹל), and can mean grave, pit, or tomb. To make one's bed there, obviously, would be a euphemism for death or ...
- 5,938
6
votes
Psalm 23, "...table in the presence of my enemies..."
Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me...
[OP]: Just what does this table represent?
First, except in the most qualified sense, this is not what is in mind in Psalm 23:5 -
The word "table&...
- 24.6k
6
votes
Accepted
How do sins become strangers in Greek Psalm 18 (19)?
It appears that the LXX translator (rather than the NETS translator) "saw" a different text here. Typically זד gets translated (as you would expect), with something reflecting "insolent" or nasty:1
...
- 24.6k
6
votes
In Psalm 12:6-7 who or what will God preserve from that generation?
Ambiguity is present in all languages. Just as the referent of "them" in verse 7 is ambiguous in English, the Hebrew also allows several interpretations, although I think that the "scholars" ...
- 26.1k
6
votes
In Psalm 32:5, do sins count or not?
Here the contradiction is only apparent, for the semantics of the "works" in Rom. 4:6 (let us, for a convenience call it "work 1") does not encompass the action of turning with a faith and ...
- 9,610
6
votes
Accepted
Is Romans 3:10 a quote from the Septuagint?
For Psalms 14 & 53 as a whole, mostly "yes"
A few opening thoughts:
Yes, it does seem like he is using or borrowing from the Septuagint in particular.
Yes, it seems to be a kind of quote/...
- 1,775
6
votes
What happened to Psalm 14 verses 5–7?
These verses are only found in a very few late copies of the Septuagint. They’re neither in the Hebrew Masoretic text of the Psalms, nor in the majority text of the Septuagint. For instance, the New ...
- 231
6
votes
Accepted
Hebrews 1:10 and Psalms 102:25 (101:26)
[Note for anyone who might be suspicious: This is NOT a "sweetheart" question agreed between Der Übermensch and myself. We have had no other correspondence whatsoever, and we do not ...
- 86k
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