Christopher Heard recently posted a brief discussion of Judges 1:19. Here’s that verse from the NRSV: The Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron. The point under discussion is whether this verse is restricting…
Category: old testament
job 42:3 — too marvellous or too difficult?
In English translations, Job 42:3 is usually rendered as follows: “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. The reference to “things too wonderful for me” appears to be a little odd given the context, following…
why is there no marriage in the resurrection?
In Matthew 22:23ff, Jesus reveals to the Sadducees that there is no marriage in the resurrection. Specifically, he says in verse 30: ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίζονται, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἄγγελοι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ εἰσιν. For at the time of the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like…
online greek and hebrew reader’s bible
John Dyer has created the online Greek and Hebrew Reader’s Bible, and it is rather impressive. For Mac users, change the Hebrew font to something like “Lucida Grande” or “New Peninim MT” and the vowels will appear closer to the correct location. If you want to print it out, copy and paste the text into…
should english bible translations transliterate God’s name?
Prompted by this discussion at Better Bibles Blog, I think there is one important side to the debate which is often overlooked. First some brief background. I’ve always been somewhat fond of versions which render יהוה by Yahweh or something similar, partly because it makes better sense in many places to actually use a name…
does the Bible mandate corporal punishment in child-rearing?
The book of Proverbs is often used, it would seem, to justify the claim that a true Christian approach to raising children must invariably include the use of corporal punishment (see, for example, Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13–14; 29:15). Partly because I keep running into this argument, I thought I’d post a few comments and observations…
reviews of The End of Wisdom
There have been a few reviews of The End of Wisdom to date, and so I’m going to take this opportunity to make a few comments about them (to see some of them you can click on the book to the right to go to Eisenbraun’s page which includes some extacts). First, a couple of…
a foreignising translation of genesis 1: part IV
Well, at last it is time to finish the remainder of Genesis 1. I’m sure there remains much room for improvement, so I’m still open to any and all suggestions. I’m also aware that there are parts of the text which remain susceptible to inappropriate domestication, so this is in no way intended to be…
a foreignising translation of genesis 1, part III
It’s been too long since the last installment in this series, partly due to holidays, partly due to internet problems, and partly due to being too busy, but here come the next two days of Genesis 1 at last. Then God said, “Let the waters under the sky be collected to one place so that…
a foreignising translation of genesis 1, part II
For background information, read the previous post. This translation is by no means final—it is very much a first draft with notes highlighting areas which I consider remain inadequate. Consequently I’ll be very pleased to consider any suggestions for improvement which I will gladly incorporate! I begin with the first two days. Obviously there is…