Tag: Hebrew Bible – Old Testament
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Convicted of being powerful?
Tikva Frymer-Kensky reminds us that deception is a necessary tool of the powerless: “The biblical world valued cunning in the underdog. Only the powerful value honesty at all costs.” [emphasis added] Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of their Stories (New York: Schocken, 2002), 19; quoted in Meira Z. Kensky,…
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[Re-]Making History
![[Re-]Making History](https://hermeneutrix.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/light_in_the_forest.jpg?w=1024)
A sermon on 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33, delivered at the Corydon Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 8: This scripture reading picks up the story of king David at least eleven years after the events we read about last week; a lot has happened during that time; it’s a plot worthy of a Netflix original…
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Reflecting on Joshua 5 13 – 6 27
We are studying selected verses from Joshua 5:13-6:27 for Sunday, March 14. This is the story of “the Battle of Jericho” at the beginning of the Israelite conquest of Canaan. It’s a rich text, but also a difficult one in a lot of ways, that puts a lot of pressure on some of our unexamined…
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Reflecting on Deuteronomy 18 15-22
We are studying Deuteronomy 18:15-22 for Sunday, March 7. [Some notes on the text are here.] This is the last paragraph in a larger section of Deuteronomy that deals with authoritative roles within the ancient Israelite community. That larger section begins at Deuteronomoy 16:18. The parallel structure of that section of the text pairs the…
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Reflecting on 1 Samuel 19 1-7
We are studying 1 Samuel 19:1-7 for Sunday, October 4 (World Communion Sunday). It’s a story about Jonathan saving the life of David, who will later come to be king of Israel. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions we might want to consider: Would we say Jonathan “has a problem”…
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Studying 1 Samuel 19 1-7
We are studying 1 Samuel 19:1-7 for Sunday, October 4 – which happens to be World Communion Sunday, too. The text is one of the key episodes in the story of the famous friendship of Jonathan and David. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are some notes on that text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT:…
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Studying Genesis 45 1-15
We’re studying Genesis 45:1-15 for Sunday, September 27: the climax of the story of Joseph and his brothers that we’ve been following for the past three weeks. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are some notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We’ve been following the unfolding of the story of Joseph from…
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Reflecting on Genesis 42 6-25
We are studying Genesis 42:6-25 for Sunday, September 20. This is the episode in the story of Joseph and his brothers when the brothers arrive in Egypt to buy grain, which is not exactly a family reunion. [Some notes on the text are here.] Here are some questions we might want to consider or discuss…
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Studying Genesis 42 6-25
We are studying Genesis 42:6-25 for Sunday, September 20. This is Joseph’s first meeting with his brothers, now that the tables are turned, and they have come to Egypt to buy food for their famished family. A food supply which Joseph controls. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are some notes on this…
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Studying Proverbs 9 1-6, 8-10, 13-18
We are studying Proverbs 9, focusing on verses 1-6, 8-10, and 13-18, for Sunday, June 28. The month of June has taken us through the introduction to the book of Proverbs, introduced us to Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly, and perhaps primed us for the rest of the wisdom studies this quarter, since by now…
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Studying Proverbs 8 8-14, 17-21
We are studying, or focusing on, Proverbs 8:8-14 and 17-21 for Sunday, June 21 – continuing our exploration of wisdom, this time with part of this long speech by Woman Wisdom praising herself and her relation to God and creation. Here are some notes on the text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: We are still in the…
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Studying Proverbs 1
We are studying Proverbs 1, with emphasis on verses 1-4, 7-8, 10, 20-22, and 32-33, for Sunday, June 8. This introduction to the Biblical book of Proverbs (mishlei) begins a four-week series of lessons on Proverbs, which leads in to a look at wisdom texts in the gospels and the book of James. [Some questions…
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Studying Jeremiah 21 8-14
We are studying Jeremiah 21:8-14 for Sunday, May 17 [Syttende Mai, Norwegian National Day, btw!] It is a deep, dark prophetic pronouncement on the consequences of chronic injustice. [Here are some questions on the text.] Here [at last] are some notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Jeremiah is a long book. It announces at…
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Studying Zechariah 8 1-17
We are studying Zechariah 8:1-17 [technically, not including verses 9-10] for Sunday, May 10. This is a prophetic speech that paints a picture of a community restored for a life of peace and justice. [Some questions on the text are here.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: The book of Zechariah…
Matters of Interpretation 