Tag: Hebrew Bible
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Rumor Control
On the long slog through Exodus, this jumped out: You must not pass along false rumors. Exodus 23:1 (NLT) That would probably cut the fake Russian news and the out-of-context viral videos and the conspiracy theories of whichever side down to manageable proportions. Not clear on whether this implies that it’s OK to go ahead…
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Study Notes – Psalm 48
We are studying Psalm 48 for Sunday, February 10. The psalm extols Zion as the symbol of God’s (YHWH’s) greatness and guidance. [Study questions on the text are here.] Here are my notes on the text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Psalm 48 is one of the psalms – that is, one of the musical, liturgical texts…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Psalm 34
One of the Uniform Series texts for Sunday, May 27 is Psalm 34:1-10. Here are some questions on the text that might be worth thinking about or discussing in class: What, if anything, are we to make of the notation “By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech …” etc.? (We could compare…
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Notes on Psalm 34
One of the Uniform Series texts for Sunday, May 27 is Psalm 34:1-10, the exuberant beginning of this “wisdom” psalm. Here are my notes on that text:
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Notes on Leviticus 25 1-12
The Uniform Series text for Sunday, May 20 is Leviticus 25:1-12, the Levitical description of the Sabbatical (or Shemitah) and Jubilee years.
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Leviticus 23 9-14 & 22
Study questions for Leviticus 23 9-14 and 22
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The Past Casts a Long Shadow
Saul is from Gibeah (1 Samuel 10:26). (!!) Gibeah is the site of the atrocity in Judges 19 (Judges 19:12ff). The aftermath of that atrocity draws in Jabesh-gilead (Judges 21), so that the people of Gibeah are related to the people from Jabesh-gilead after that. Saul’s first act as king is to rescue the people…
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Notes on Leviticus 23 9-14, 22
The Uniform Series text for Sunday, May 13 (Mother’s Day, and also International Women’s Talmud Day) is Leviticus 23:9-14, 22 – a short text on the offering of the first fruits, followed by a verse on gleaning. Here are my [briefer than usual] notes on the text:
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Maybe Not the Smartest Group
There’s a text critical issue in Judges 7:4-6 – the story of who God picks to go with Gideon to attack the Midianites! It turns on what it means to “kneel” and “lap like a dog.” Different versions, it turns out, resolve it differently. NRSV makes the “lappers” out to be the ones who put…
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Notes on Revelation 5 6-14
The Uniform Series text for Sunday, April 29 is Revelation 5:6-14. This continues John’s vision of heaven and “what must take place after this” (Rev. 4:1) that began with the description of the heavenly worship that we read last week in chapter 4. If this were a stage play, we would still be looking at…
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Just Say No More
Noticed in today’s reading: “Nor shall you accept ransom for one who has fled to a city of refuge, enabling the fugitive to return to live in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can…
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Exegetical Exercise (2 Chronicles 7 12-22)
The Uniform Series text for Sunday, March 25 (Palm Sunday, already!) is 2 Chronicles 7:12-22. Here are my notes on the text: This text is one long speech by God – the Holy One. It follows Solomon’s prayer and the narrative of the dedication of the Temple, which began in chapter 5 and winds up…
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Exegetical Exercise (2 Chronicles 7 1-11)
The Uniform Series text for Sunday, March 18 is 2 Chronicles 7:1-11; it is the next episode in the event we started reading about last week, and that winds up next week with the end of chapter 7 (next, that is, if we don’t count the detailed petitions of Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:22-42).…
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Just Wondering
What could the idea of being “famous” have meant to the people who decide to build a city with a tower in Genesis 11:4? For us, being “famous” more or less means being known by lots of people, widely dispersed. But according to the way the story is told, the people of the time are…
Matters of Interpretation 