From the About page: Wikipedia, the source of all truth, says that Nabal in 1 Samuel 25:25 is “euphemistically translated as fool.” So far as I can tell, it’s always translated as fool or something similar. I can’t seem to find a dirty meaning for “nabal” anywhere. Is that because mainstream scholarship is too prudish…
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One of God’s very common names in the OT is spelled with the four Hebrew letters Y-H-W-H. Folk wisdom holds that the proper pronunciation of that four-letter word — technically called the tetragrammaton (“four letters” in Greek) — has been lost over the ages, so it had to be pronounced adonai in Hebrew; because the…
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A common argument runs along the lines of, “Paul believes X, so here in Paul’s writing we have to make our translation say X.” For example, in translating Galatians 5:6 (recently discussed here, here and by me here), some people try to figure out what Paul believed about circumcision, faith, and love not only to…
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A conversation started by J.R. Daniel Kirk at Stories Theology (picked up by BBB here), addresses two questions: What does energeo mean in Galatians 5:6, and have translators purposely mis-conveyed the relationship between faith and love? Let’s take a look at the verb first. Galatians 2:8 is as good a place as any to start.…
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These questions about Proverbs 29:1 come in via the About page: 1. Is it possible that this verse refers to, or alludes to, a broken neck (spinal column), with no possibility of mending (except, in modern times, T-cells)? 2. What is with the references to “reprover” and “fire” in the LXX? The verse is (NRSV):…
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Thanks to A. Admin for pointing out an interview with Dr. Benjamin Shaw. I do want to credit the interviewer for asking for input both from those who agree and who disagree with Dr. Shaw. But I’m always skeptical of people like Dr. Shaw who recommend the KJV for accuracy. Even ignoring the flawed translation…
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Clayboy has an informative and well-written post about the mistakes that often follow after someone tries the “what the Greek really says” argument: One of the biggest warning flags in a sermon comes when the preacher says: “Now, in Greek, the word is … which (literally) means …” Sometimes they know what theyre talking about.…
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I recently observed master teacher and musician Kenny Green telling children about the Jewish month of Adar. “Once Adar begins, we increase our happiness,” he explained, using the usual terminology. Then he added with a self-mocking grin, “yes, I talk that way at home, too.” There’s a Hebrew verb hirbah that means generally “to do/have/make…
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Exodus 15:22-26 deals with drinking water. The People of Israel come to Marah (the name of a place, but the word also means “bitter”) and when they find that the water there is undrinkable, Moses throws a log into the water and it becomes drinkable. It’s a fairly simple concept (thought a complex trick), yet…
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Recent posts from my Ancient Wisdom, Modern Lives:
