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Matthew was the only Gospel writer to record the account of what happened to Judas and how he ended his life. But Matthew gives us some very interesting insights into how the Scriptures were fulfilled even through the actions of Judas. One of the things that stands out is that Matthew is the only one to use the term ‘went and hanged himself‘ (Matt.27:5), as there is no other occurrence of that phrase elsewhere in the New Testament. However, Matthew must have known that the phrase does occur once in the LXX of 2 Sam.17:23 (i.e., the Greek translation of the Old Testament), where David's betrayer did the same thing – Ahithophel went and hung himself. Is there any connection? Well, Matthew seemed to think so, and it shows how well he knew the Old Testament, or that the Holy Spirit guided him, and the Holy Spirit reminded him of these verses.However, then when it comes to Matt.27:9-10, we might think that Matthew got it all wrong when he wrote, ‘Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah…., since you see it was actually Zechariah who wrote those words in Zech.11:11-13. So we have to ask, “What was going on there?” Well it seems that Matthew's mind was triggered by what Judas did and he saw a combination of Jer.19:1-13 and Zech.11:11-13, and put 2 and 2 together, and saw that in some way Zechariah was also fulfilled in Jer.19, and ultimately this was fulfilled through the actions of Judas. If you'd like to watch the video from this service, you can do so by clicking on this link! The post Matthew 27 Pt.2 – How Judas Ended His Life! appeared first on Living Rock Church.

The Word of God has been preserved — miraculously — down through the ages, faithfully transmitted forward from past generations to us. This is according to God's promises, and yet God nowhere (in the Old Testament) says which language He will use to accomplish this. Many have long claimed that God used Hebrew to do this, but the Hebrew language was never a true written language until the 20th century and, above and beyond this, the Hebrew language was dead for more than two thousand years. How, then, did God preserve His Word? He caused it to be translated into Greek — the Septuagint (LXX). It was the Septuagint that was used by our forefathers in the faith, by the Apostles, and by Christ Himself. In this first of our four-part (really five-part) series on the Septuagint, we cover the history of the Hebrew language and the history of the LXX up until about AD 1000; we trace how the so-called “Masoretic Text” was infiltrated into the Church by those who deny Christ, curse His sheep, and serve another master, and how, tragically, Christians failed to prevent this and permitted the MT to supplant the LXX; and we begin to make our case for a return to the Word of God as He has preserved it and as the Church has always received it — in Greek, as the Septuagint. Show Notes See Also Further Reading Letter of Aristeas [Wikipedia] Greek and English Although we do not (yet) have an English translation using the LXX that we unreservedly recommend, we recognize that some will want a version for the sake of comparison. This is one option: The Lexham English Septuagint The Brenton edition can be found in several places online. Parental Warnings None.

Exodus 33:11-23 Job 42:12-17 LXX

All men have limitations — be they physical, intellectual, or something else. One such limitation is a thing we call, in the technology fields, a “context window”. In essence, a context window is the amount of relevant information that a man can hold in his mind at a given moment. In a conversation, it is the history of the conversation (along with any previous history from prior conversations, et cetera); in a relationship, it is the entire history of that relationship. In all cases, only to the extent such information can be held in the mind. Some questions call for a small context window (e.g., a bar fight may require only ten or twenty minutes of context to understand) and some questions call for a significantly larger context window (e.g., the current state of the Western Church is a matter of millennia). Not all men are equally suited to handle all matters — a man can be competent or incompetent with regard to a particular question or a particular discussion. In this preliminary episode leading into our upcoming series on the Septuagint (LXX), we discuss the concept of a context window and how it plays into the LXX specifically and many issues in our daily lives generally. Show Notes See Also Further Reading What Is a Context Window? [YouTube] Parental Warnings None.

Hosts: Ed Gallagher and Brad McNutt  |  Released Wednesday, April 1, 2025 Watch the Video In this Inside the Scholar’s Study episode, Dr. Gallagher discusses the LXX’s translation of the Minor Prophets! We want to hear from you! Subscription Links  

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent Galatians 4:21-31 by the Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin Our epistle lesson this morning comes from Galatians 4. I know that Pastor Bill preached on it just recently, but I would like to look at it too, from a different angle. It is one of the most controversial chapters in the NT, both for its view of Judaism and for its hermeneutical maneuvers. Paul is concerned for Christians in Galatia. The Judaizers were taunting Gentile Christians with the manifest visible superiority of Judaism: its splendid temple; its priesthood; its Torah; all the society's esteem and honor. And against this, what did Christians have to show? They were hiding for fear of the Jews; they were subjected to persecution and arrest; they had been kicked out of the synagogue and subjected to the ban, excommunication. Above all, there was the disgrace of worshipping a criminal who had been killed by the most shameful sort of execution, crucifixion by the Romans. All this was exploited by Paul's enemies in Galatia, the Judaizers or the circumcision party. Their strategy was to exalt themselves by trying to get the Gentiles to envy them - “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.” – The verb zeloō means both to be zealous and to be jealous. Paul's enemies are behaving like spiteful middle school girls — not like the righteous women of this church, but like the ones I knew when I was in school — trying to exclude a hated rival by social shunning, in order to magnify their own status. To stop them and shut them down, Paul needs to do more than just answer their case logically. He also needs to undermine their ethos; he needs to subvert the system of value that makes their case so plausible at first glance. They are counting on Paul's readers sharing their value system. Paul wants to make sure his readers do not share it. It is a task that he undertakes in many of his letters. In Romans he addresses the Jews as those who “rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.” He is setting forth the Jewish system of value, the grounds of their boasting. And it was a very good grounds for boasting. The longest book in the Bible, Psalm 119, is one continuing paean of praise to the Law, the Torah. It is full of statements like, “I love thy commandments above gold and precious stones” and “The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” But Paul rips this point of boasting away by asking, “Yes, the Law is wonderful — but do you actually obey it?” In Philippians 3, Paul gathers together all the things that he could have been proud of as a Jew: “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” That stuff that the Jews think is so valuable? Their circumcision, their membership in one of the two faithful tribes (Benjamin and Judah)? Their zeal, their lawkeeping? It's all worthless. In fact, it's so worthless that I threw it all away. I have something of real value that none of that stuff can give you. In the book of Hebrews, Paul or someone from his circles who thought an awful lot like him has the difficult task of undermining Jewish boasting about the Temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices — a task that might seem impossible, since these things were instituted by God and everybody knew it. The temple was imposing, gleaming with gold. Paul calls it a “tent”, the sort of makeshift, flimsy structure that you go camping in, and you lie down in it, and there's nothing but a thin layer of cloth between you and the outside, and if it's too windy, the thing is in danger of collapsing; and anyway, it's that way because you're going to take it down and pack it up anyway. That's what he thinks of your fancy temple. Besides, the real temple is in heaven. Your tent is made by human hands; the only Temple worthy of the name is made by God. The priests' ministry was observable; they were dressed in robes; everyone could see their work, and that they had been instituted by God. Paul says, “They keep on dying, which is proof that their work isn't much good. And they have to offer sacrifices for their own sins, not just the people's.” The sacrifices were there for all to see: they had been commanded by God himself. The blood of the sacrifices flowed continually at the temple, on a daily basis. Paul says, “See how they have to do it over and over again? That's because it doesn't really work. They need Jesus. That's the only sacrifice that works, and that's why Jesus only needed to be sacrificed once.” Yes, Paul is a genius at overthrowing his opponents' strongest arguments. He loves to take their most powerful evidence and use it against them. He is a master of rhetorical jujitsu, throwing his opponents to the mat by using the momentum and force of their own attacks. He is like Elijah in the contest with the prophets of Baal, one man against 450, “And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.” In Galatians 4, it is a terribly difficult rhetorical task that Paul faces: his opponents appear to have the Torah, the OT, on their side. It does, after all, command circumcision; it does prohibit the eating of unclean foods; it does tell the stories of Ishmael, Moab, and Ben-Ammi, the ancestors of the rival nations surrounding Israel, all of whom are deprecated as the offspring of incest, slave marriage, or concubinage. These stories account for the origins of the Gentiles around Israel. Israel itself, however, was descended from Isaac, the legitimate son and heir of Abraham. These stories underscore the chosenness of Israel, and the fact that these other nations were not chosen. “Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated” was not just a statement about two sons. It was a statement about two nations: the Edomites and Israel. It says that Israel is the covenant people that God loves, and Edom is not. So it is Paul's opponents, not Paul, who have the easier case to make here: Jewish people are (most of them) descended from Jacob (Israel) and Gentiles are not. And they might have made this case most plainly from the story of Isaac, Abraham's son miraculously conceived by the power of God in Abraham's old age. This is strong rhetorical ground for the circumcision advocates in Galatia. Circumcision is commanded in the Torah for God's people. It is breathtakingly audacious for Paul to argue that a proper understanding of the Torah will lead you to the conclusion that circumcision doesn't matter. Paul calls the Torah a yoke of bondage. I'm not sure we appreciate how bold a move this is. The exodus was Israel's independence day. It's when they came out of slavery in Egypt and became a free nation. Paul says that the circumcizers advocating Torah-obedience in Galatia are like those who wanted to go back to Egypt. It would be like an American saying that the Declaration of Independence is the document in American history that made everyone slaves. But that is what Paul says about the Torah, given on Mount Sinai: that covenant has led to the present state of affairs: Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children. Now, we know from elsewhere in Paul's letters, especially Romans, that he considered the Law a good gift of God and the reason why the Law was now leading to slavery was because Israel was using it wrongly, not because the Law was bad. The slavery results from Israel's sinfulness, not something wrong with the Law. But here, he doesn't go into that, because he is focused not on the Law as it was given by God, but on the Law as it was used rhetorically by his opponents. You have heard the expression, “He is wrapping himself in the flag”? That is what the Judaizers in Galatia are doing with the Torah: using it as a uniform to distinguish true, Jewish Christians from second-rate, Gentile Christians. And Paul says: You think that you look cool with your bling; but it's really chains to keep you enslaved. Above all, Paul takes the bull by the horns and uses an audacious maneuver to deal with the Judaizers' most powerful weapon: the taunt of illegitimacy. That is the point of the Ishmael story as used by Jews: the Ishmaelites, the Arabs, are illegitimate offspring of Abraham, just as the Moabites and Ammonites were stigmatized as the offspring of Lot's daughters after the destruction of Sodom. Only Jews were the children of Isaac; they had been called into existence by the power of YHWH himself. They were not the product of an ill-conceived attempt at surrogate pregnancy, and with a slave wife. Be aware that the Judaizers have centuries and centuries of social and legal precedent for their view. That line that Paul quotes from Sarah — “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” — that was a line that Paul's opponents loved to quote. When Sarah said it to Abraham, she wasn't just being mean. The lawcodes of Ur-Nammu and Lipit-Ishtar, from around the same time as Abraham, contained rules about exactly this sort of situation, and they are formulated with exactly the same sort of phrasing: “If a man has a wife a free woman who has born children to him, and he takes a slave wife and she also bears children to him, the children of the slave wife shall not share in the inheritance with the children of the free wife.” Sarah is saying, “Husband, you know the law from when we lived in Ur. This is what we have to do.” And the heretics in Galatia were taking up this two-thousand year tradition of legal and social stigma against children of slavery, and applying it to Gentile Christians. It's a powerful tool of shaming and social marginalization, and it is based on a very foundational text of the covenant: the story of the birth of Isaac. Both the Judaizers and their Galatian Gentile victims believed this text was the word of God. Both believed that the Jews were descendants of Isaac. Paul knows all this. He has chosen to fight them on their strongest ground; he gives them home field advantage. He pours water so that it fills up the trench. And then he incinerates their whole argument like Elijah. The stigma of illegitimacy? He turns it back on the Judaizers. They are the bastards now, the “children of the flesh”; they are “in bondage” with their slave-mother. The Gentile Galatian Christians? They are “children of the promise.” And just as it was back then, the child of the slave woman is persecuting the child of the promise. The two sons are marked not by their circumcised or uncircumcised status but by the slave/free polarity that distinguishes their mothers. Paul has to reach a little bit here. The LXX Greek translation that Paul used here doesn't actually say, “persecuting”. What the LXX says is that Sarah “saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian who had been born to Abraham playing with her son Isaac (paizonta meta Isaac tou huiou autes).” That's the most straightforward way to take it. But the word “playing” can also mean “mocking”. And that's probably how Paul took it. And then he magnifies it into the sibling rivalry from hell by glossing “mocking” as “persecuting”. Where did he get this from? It is transferred from the situation between the Judaizers and the Gentile Christians in Galatia. By casting the rivalry as a conflict between the flesh and the promise, Paul undercuts the Judaizers' use of the Torah. That is why he says, “These are two covenants” — the boldest piece of clever interpretation in the Bible. It is all part of his rhetorical strategy concerning the Torah that he has laid in the previous chapter, Galatians 3. The two covenants are NOT the Old and the New. They are the Torah covenant and the covenant with Abraham (which turns out to find its fulfillment in Christ). And the covenant with Abraham is more original, more foundational, more important, more primary. The law was added 430 years later. The Torah was a stop-gap measure to keep things under control until the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham. And for Paul, Gentile Christians are that fulfillment: “in you, all the nations — the ethnê — shall be blessed.” This aligns the Gentile Christians with the whole purpose of the Covenant with Abraham, and means that Paul can cast them as the true children of the promise. They are citizens of the only Jerusalem that counts, the “Jerusalem above”. And by citing the line of Sarah, “cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman”, Paul makes clear what the stakes are here: the Judaizers and those who trust in the Torah to be their badge of membership in the covenant are not merely mistaken. They are Ishmaels and they will not inherit. They will be cast out. The Gentile Christians — and faithful Jewish Christians who did not pressure them to get circumcized — will be counted as true members of the covenant with Abraham, and the Judaizing circumcision-pushers will not. Who are the bastards now? Paul revels in what God has done. It is perfectly in accordance with his way of working: "He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is brought to a quick end.” (Job 5). The Judaizers have fallen into the pit that they have dug: their taunts of illegitimacy rebound on their own heads; the glory of the title of “true children of Abraham” is wrapped around the Gentile believers whom they had stigmatized. Paul's jujitsu victory is complete and total, because it is the victory of Christ, who led captivity captive and triumphed by being crucified. In the end, Paul's fierce warfare over the Galatians has to do with vindicating the honor of Christ, with proving that He has really accomplished all that Paul says he has; with showing that the covenant with Abraham is truly fulfilled in Jesus, because he is the yes and amen. To go back to the Torah is to turn the clock back and engage in historical reenactment; to live a life of live-action-role-playing instead of reality. It is a costly and foolish attempt to gain privilege and honor by denying the completeness and finality of Jesus' work, and attempting to supplement it with another identity in terms of the Torah. The true Exodus is via Christ, not via the Torah. That is part of the meaning of our gospel lesson this morning from John 6. Here the true bread from heaven, Jesus, works a miraculous feeding like the manna of old. But he does it not in order to cause the crowd to envy his disciples; he has no desire for his followers to act like the Judaizers, zealous courting others to provoke them envy. No, his disciples are to be the means by which the bread of life is given to the multitudes — and the two small fish, symbol of Gentiles and of fishing for men, of the fulfillment of Jeremiah 16:16: “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them.” In the end, the nations are to be blessed through the disobedience of Israel. Our time is short, so I will not try to prove this exhaustively, but I want you to see the pattern: Joseph's brothers disobey and sell him into slavery, so that he is carried off to a Gentile land, Egypt, and becomes assimilated to Egyptian ways. But God works it all out so that Joseph's imprisonment in an Egyptian prison works out for the salvation of Joseph's brothers and all Egypt, “to save many alive.” When Jesus touches dead bodies, a woman with a 12 year flow of bleeding that made her unclean, or a leper, what happens? The usual laws of uncleanness work backward: rather than becoming unclean, Jesus makes these people clean. That is the way God has designed the exile of Israel to work: rather than the exiled members of Israel becoming lost and destroyed, they have mingled with the nations and thereby brought it about that in order to keep His promises to Israel, God will save the Gentiles as well. As a result, “In Abraham's seed, all the nations shall be blessed.” Isn't it funny how Satan's schemes always backfire? He is truly the Wile E. Coyote of the Bible. He will have his church be Israel for the sake of the world; thus we are to be true heirs of Abraham, fulfilling the purpose for which He was called. Amen.

Psalm 138A Psalm of David- Psalms 138-145 are listed as Psalms of David in the heading. “The Greek title places the psalm in the days of Haggai and Zechariah” Miller, 423. Is the I individual or collectively? “The individual who is offering thanks here appears to have been rescued from enemies who sought his undoing” Alter, 476. “Psalm 138 is the first of a collection of eight psalms (Pss. 138-145) in Book Five that are attributed, in their superscription to David” NICOT, 958. “Psalms 138 and 145 share no less than thirteen terms and verbal roots, forming an envelope structure around the collection: ‘give thanks' (138:1, 2, 4); ‘name' (138:2; 145:1-2, 21); ‘hesed' (138:2; 145:8, 10, 13, 17), ‘be faithful' (138:2; 145:13, 18), ‘be great' (138:2, 5; 145:3, 6, 8); ‘cry out' (138:3; 145:18); ‘hear' (138:4; 145:19); ‘glory' (138:5; 145:5, 11, 12); ‘exalt' (138:6; 145:1); ‘hand' (138:7, 8; 145:16); ‘for all time' (138:8; 145:1, 21); ‘deliver' (138:7; 145:19)'; ‘make, do' (138:8; 145:4, 9, 10, 13, 17)” NICOT, 958.“Maybe it all happened in II Sam. 5:17-25, when the Philistines challenged David's infant kingdom, and in answer to enquiring of the Lord, a signal victory was won and the ‘gods' of Philistia became the litter of battle” Motyer, 578. 138:1-3 His personal situation and his deliverance“In vv. 1-3, the singer speaks directly to God, using second person pronouns” NICOT, 960. 138:1 I will give You thanks with all my heart- Ps. 119:2, 10, 34, 58, 69, 145; Jer. 3:10; 24:7. “O Lord comes from the Greek; it is omitted in the Hebrew text” Miller, 424. It is added in the NIV following a number of mss., versions, and 11 QPs- VanGemeren, 834; NICOT, 958; Allen, 244. Giving thanks is mentioned in vs. 1, 2, 4. I will sing praises to You before the gods- Pss. 95:3; 96:4; 97:7; 135:5; 136:2-3 “gods (‘elohim) is translated ‘angels' in the Greek. However, there is little, if any, clear evidence in the OT for taking the word ‘elohim to mean angels. The Jewish translators of the OT into Greek were influenced by the Hellenistic concept of angels meditating to man the will of God so transcendently holy that he refused to communicate directly with sinful man” Miller, 424. See Allen, 244, for more on the LXX.  “The Aramaic Targum rendered it, not very convincingly, as ‘judges.' Following this line, Rashi and other medieval exegetes understood it as a reference to the Sanhedrin” Alter, 476. Some believe he refers to all heavenly beings and give Psalm 82 as a parallel. This psalm is “expressing God's sovereignty over any claimants to the appellation ‘god.'” NICOT, 959. The Psalm is “an implicit testimony to Yahweh's power not only to surrounding pagan nations but to their gods” Allen, 244. “The psalmist offers praise ‘in the face of the gods,' almost contemptuously denying them sovereignty (see Pss. 58:1-2; 82:1)” McCann, 1232. “He openly defies the gods of pagan nations, proud of this practical proof of the superiority of his own God” Laymen, 695. 138:2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple- Ps. 5:7; 11:4; 22:29; 28:2; 134:2; I Kings 8:29. “There is a fine blend of boldness and humility from the outset: boldness to confess the Lord before the gods, humility to bow down before Him” Kinder, 461. For more notes send me a private message on Facebook 

What the Torah Teachers won't Teach James 3:1-5 The responsibility when a man thinks he knows the bible enough to start talking about it is enormous. We most often invoke this passage when speaking about bad teaching, but there's another type of bad teaching that needs to be addressed today – omission. Lots of folks sound like me but I'm afraid once we peel back the layers, we find they are still in that Babylonia system, especially when it comes to the identity of the Son of God. When people get into this walk, we often spend a TON of time learning about the Names Yahweh and Yeshua. However, the word we need to clearly define is neither of those. The word we need to define is Christ. Matthew 16:16 Christ is not a last name. Yes, I'm afraid most of the world thinks His first Name is Jesus and His last name is Christ. Not the case, Christ is a title, not a name, and one that has a specific definition. Part of the definition is right here in front of us. Son of God. And Yeshua blesses Peter for this being revealed to him by Yeshua's Father, who is a completely different being that was in heaven at that moment in time while His Son was on earth. The teachers never teach this one. They love to talk about calendars, ancient alphabets, pronunciations, or impossible to reconcile doctrines, but this right here is salvation. 1 John 5: 11-12 If you have the Son, you have life. If you do not, you don't. You can have the Father and deny the Son, by the way. And you can deny the Son by making Him out to be His own Father or making Him out to not be who He really is, the Son of God who is subordinate to His Father, who He Himself identifies as God. From Matthew, we know the Christ is synonymous with the Son of God. Is there anything more to that definition? Yes, look at Matthew again and scroll through the definitions. Anointed. That means somebody else anointed Him. Anointing is a calling, or an appointing, for a mission, specifically by Yahweh. Yeshua is not the only person to have this title, however He is THE Messiah while the others were just “a” Messiah. The word Christ is not a random word. In Greek, it means to put oil on something. It was chosen as the direct translation for the word Messiah in Hebrew. Understand, there is nothing pagan about this word and it was chosen to be used for Messiah when the LXX was made – 150 years before Yeshua. Switch to Brenton, search Christ, find Psalm 2, read, then switch to NASB95. Explain the word Messiah or Christ should be there, as well as other places. I don't know why the English translators never do this. Make it clear there is YHVH and there is His Anointed. It's two. Not some incomprehensible amalgamation. Not a mystery. Yahweh anointed Yeshua to be His servant. Down to verse 7 and we see this Anointed one is Yahweh's Son. He's not another Yahweh, but the Son of God. I am not making it up, folks, but this is the stuff your “Torah teacher” won't touch because they are terrified to teach you the truth and break with Trinitarianism. They need to realize they were not given the gift of speech so they can teach secondary and tertiary things. Acts 2: 22-24 this is why it's so important. God really did send His Son. His Son really did die. And God resurrected Him. These are not my words, friends. I have to tell you the truth lest I suffer judgment. Acts 2: 32-26 God made Him the Messiah. Again, not my words. These are Peter's words given to him by the Ruach ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. Acts 3: 13-15 Again, testifying that God raised Yeshua. Acts 4: 8-12 Finish here. Peter and John called as two witnesses to testify in front of the Sanhedrin. They said what they said. This is the Gospel. The most important information mankind can know, that God sent His Son, the Messiah, to pay the price for our sins. Do you accept Yeshua as the Messiah, the Son of God? https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Thoughts on the readings for January 19th (Genesis 32, 33; Psalm 36; Matthew 21). Jacob in Genesis 32 journeyed to Bethel. As he did so he noticed that journeying alongside Jacob's was a troop of angels. Jacob named the place Mahanaim (meaning “two companies”). It was a reassurance to Jacob that the God of Bethel was always with him, as He promised in Genesis 28. Jacob next hears the disturbing news that Esau, with 400 armed men, is coming to meet him. Jacob becomes gripped with fear as his mind went back to the hostility with which they had parted. Jacob makes plans for his family's protection and an attempt to placate his brother, Esau, with great material gifts. After doing all he could Jacob stayed behind to humbly beseech help from his God. And in response the God (El – strength) of Bethel sends his angel who wrestled all night with Jacob. The Almighty withheld the angel's might, so that neither Jacob nor the angel were able to prevail. At some stage of the contest Jacob realised that he was contending with an angel. At this point Jacob refused to release the angel until he was granted a blessing. The angel changed Jacob's name to Israel (“a prince with God”) and smote the hollow of Jacob's thigh, leaving him with a permanent limp; and a reminder that in order to prevail (with God and men) he must always trust that the LORD can do, when we cannot. At sunrise the angel let Jacob go. It was too late for Jacob to catch up with his family; whose fate was in the hand of the Almighty. Hosea tells us that it was here in Bethel that Jacob found God at last; and is so able to teach us. Slowly read aloud Hosea 12 verse 2-6 and pause and ponder. Note also that when Israel brought their tithes and first fruits to the priest they were to say aloud the words of Deuteronomy 26 verse 5. In chapter 33 the twin brothers meet. Jacob found that the expected hostility was not there. Jacob's Sovereign had preserved him and fulfilled the promise of chapter 28. Jacob tried to give his gifts to Esau, who didn't want them. Esau asks Jacob to come with him to Petra. Jacob insists that his brother go ahead and they will follow at a slower pace. Jacob never made that journey but went to Succoth (meaning “booths”). They constructed booths and dwelt there. Jacob then came to Shechem, where he purchased the land that his grandfather Abraham had purchased long ago. Jacob built an altar in thanksgiving to his Sovereign; and named that altar – God the God of Israel. Psalm 36 is from the pen of David. The choirmaster is told to celebrate the steadfast loving kindness of Yahweh. Verse 1 tells us why the wicked act the way that they do – “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (cp Romans 3 verse18, which is the 7th consecutive quote from the Old Testament showing the perversity of human nature). Verses 2-4 of Psalm 36 speak of the arrogance and calculated plotting of the wicked against the upright. From verses 5-10 David speaks of his confidence in Yahweh's steadfast love and righteousness. Those who have received it know of the benefits that come to those who faithfully trust in the LORD. Meditate the power of verse 9 – “with you (God) is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light” (ESV). The Father alone is eternal and not created. All life has come from Him. Verse 10 is a plea for the Creator to maintain that love for His children. Verses 11-12 is a call for the Omnipotent to silence once and for all time the arrogant. In Matthew 21 Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem was accompanied by shouts of “Hosannah” – meaning save now. Matthew tells us that this was in fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah, in the 9th chapter. The prophecy of Zechariah contrasts the arrogant Alexander the Great, bringing death and destruction; with Jesus the lowly bring salvation. The next citation in Matthew – “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the LORD” ie Yahweh – comes from Psalm 118 verse 26 (but note Messiah's mindset from the context of the entire Psalm). Proverbs 16 verse 32 insightfully says: “Better is he who rules his own spirit than he who takes a city”. The rulers were in indignation with the multitude and asked Jesus to rebuke them. Our Lord's response was to refer them to Psalm 8 the LXX version, which spoke of what was happening and the victory being accomplished. Next in the chapter came the curse of a fig tree, which like Israel, showed the false promise of apparent fruitfulness. It was cursed by Jesus. The next day the disciples witnessed that the tree had immediately withered. This was followed by Jesus' demonstration that his authority was unquestionably from God. After this came the parable of the two sons – firstly the rulers said that they were doing the Father's will, but lied, in contrast the commoners knew they were sinners but they sincerely repented. Lastly the chapter concludes with the parable of the unfaithful tenants. The rulers recognising themselves in the story fulfilled it to the letter by immediately taking counsel to destroy Jesus.

A Song of Ascents, of DavidIt is attributed to David. “It is not against high position that is divinely given, but it does model a critical attitude toward pure blind ambition” Longman, 433. “This personal prayer (vss. 1-2) has a lesson in it that needs to be shared by the nation (vs. 3)” Miller, 411. “This simple, concise, and affecting expression of humility shows no signs of cultic or public function,and is a good illustration of how the psalm as a poetic form of spiritual expressions often stands outside the generic categories that scholars have constructed” Alden, 457. 131:1 O LORD, my heart is not proud- The word proud is used of Uzziah in II Chron. 26:16, Hezekiah in II Chron. 32:25, the king of Tyre in Ezek. 28:2, 17. nor my eyes haughty- Pss. 18:27; 101:5; Prov. 6:17; 30:13 “It would be easy to make this verse an excuse to avoid the challenges of life. But the sin rejected in 1a is pride, while the sin of 1b is presumption. By the first of these, one undervalues other people; by the second, one overestimates and overreaches oneself, forgetting, e.g. Deut. 29:29” Kidner, 447. Nor do I involve myself in great matters- Jer. 45:5or in things too difficult for me- Deut. 17:8; 30:11 “These two words are used in Pss. 86:10; 136:4; and 145:5-6 to describe the works of God in the world. The psalmist has not sought to do or take credit for Godlike acts in the world” NICOT, 931. 131:2 Surely, I have composed and quieted my soul-  Composed is used in II Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:33 of God making his feet sure and in Isaiah 28:25 of leveling ground. The verb quieted is used in Ps. 37:7 and translated rest. My soul is like a weaned child within me- A child not weaned “is fussy and restless” Longman, 433. But here “he was content without that which used to seem indispensable. A mature believer leaves the clamor of proud ambition and rests in the Lord” B.K, 887 131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD- 130:5, 7 To hope in the LORD “is the antithesis of pride” B.K., 887. “We do not know, but its call to hope in the Lord links it with 130 and makes it the testimony of a sinner forgiven: humbled by the mercy of God, at peace within because at peace above” Motyer, 575. From this time forth and forever- 113:2; 121:8; 125:2Jesus and Psalm 131“This demure little psalm anticipates the object lesson of Matt. 18:1-4” Kidner, 447. “It is freedom from the nagging of self-seeking” Kidner, 448. “The OT is not alone in making a child the model of humble faith in God” Allen, 199. Matt. 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17 If we do not enter the kingdom as a child we do not enter it at all. “In Philippians 2 we are shown the constructive answer to the first of these tempations, in the honor of being a servant; and in Philippians 3, I Cor. 2, the answer to the second, not by stifling adventurousness but by rightly directing it” Kidner, 447. This psalm “embodies the lessons of both Philippians 2:3ff. (‘Do nothing from selfishness or conceit') as 4:11ff. (‘I have learned…to be content')” Kidner, 448.John 4:34 If we make His ambition ours then we free ourselves from many problems The word used for in vs. 1 in the LXX for heart being proud is exalted and it is used of Christ on the cross in John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32.It is also used in Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14.

The Septuagint sometimes referred to as the 'Greek Old Testament' or 'The Translation of the Seventy' and often abbreviated as the Roman numeral number LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew. Let's learn more from the History of the Papacy podcast with Steve Guerra and Garry Stevens of the History in the Bible podcast. History of the Papacy podcast available at https://amzn.to/3TLqHv3 History in the Bible podcast available at https://amzn.to/3tEknKZ Parthenon Podcast Network available at https://amzn.to/43cJemi ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He prophesied in the time of Joachim, just before the Jewish people were taken into captivity in Babylon. He himself escaped captivity, and after Jerusalem was destroyed, returned to his homeland. Once he was taking some food to his harvesters when an Angel transported him to Babylon to feed the Prophet Daniel in the lions' den, then bore him back to Judea (this is told in the full version of the book of Daniel, ch. 6 LXX). The third chapter of his prophecy is used as the Fourth Ode of the Matins Canon(the Ode is usually sung in full only in monasteries during Lent, but the eirmos of the Fourth Ode, sung in many parishes, usually refers to the Prophet). His holy relics were found through a revelation in Palestine during the reign of Theodosius the Great, and a chapel built there. His name means "Father of the Resurrection."

Psalm 124The verses of the Psalm describe Israel's trouble- vs. 3-5- deliverance- vs. 1-2, 6b, 7- praise- vs. 6a, 8. The psalm shows us “how serious the threat was, and how little confidence David placed in his own power to survive it” Kidner, 436. 124:1 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- 118:6; vs. 1-2 provide the protasis, the ifs clause to a conditional sentence, to the stanza and vs. 3-5 the apodosis, the then clause of the conditional sentence- Miller, 402. The word if actually begins both vss. 1 and 2 (Gen. 31:42; Deut. 32:37; I Sam. 25:34; II Kings 3:14; Psalm 94:17; 106:23; 119:92; 124:1, 2; Isaiah 1:9). Let Israel now say- 118:2-4; 129:1. This “indicates that this psalm aims to encourage the congregation to give voice to their gratitude” Broyles, 453. 124:2 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- This psalm has “abundant use of incremental repetition” Alter, 443. “To dwell on what might have been is often an unrealistic, fruitless exercise. Here it is used to good effect” Laymen, 688. “His presence has protected Israel from destruction on many occasions” VanGemeren, 785.When men rose up against us- Ps. 2:1-3 124:3 Then they would have swallowed us alive- Swallowed is used in Num. 16:30; Ps. 55:15; Prov. 1:12; Isaiah 5:14; Jer. 51:34; Jonah 1:17. 124:4 Then the waters would have engulfed us- Verses 4-5 “are an especially effective use of the emphatic structure of incremental repetition. Verse 4 displays semantic parallelism with verbal repetition in its two halves (waters/ torrent, swept us us/ come up past our necks” Alter, 444. Psalms 18:4-5; 42:7; 69:1-2, 15; 88:3-7; Isaiah 8:7-8; 43:2; Lam. 3:54; Jonah 2:3, 5 124:5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul- Psalm 74:12-15; 89:9-10; 93:3-4 The LORD's sovereignty over the raging waters. 124:6 Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth- The enemy is compared to 3. “A hungry lion that would have seized them as prey (vs.6)” Willis, 64-65. 124:7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper- Ps. 91:3 The snare is broken, and we have escaped- 119:110; 140:5 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD- Ps. 20:7 The name of the LORD in I Sam. 17:45; Ps. 118:10, 11, 12; Prov. 18:10.  Who made heaven and earth- 115:15; 121:2; 134:3; 146:6 I Peter 4:19 Psalm 124 and Jesus124:1 The LORD is for us- Romans 8:31-39.124:3 The word swallowed as used in the LXX is used in I Peter 5:8 of Satan going about as a roaring lion seeking who he can devour (or swallow, same word). Death and Satan may be great monsters seeking to swallow us, but Jesus swallows up death- I Cor. 15:54; II Cor. 5:4. 124:6 Blessed in the LXX is the same word used in Eph. 1:3; I Peter 1:3 which Blessed God for the great salvation He accomplished in Christ. 124:7 The word translated escaped in the LXX is used in Col. 1:13; I Thess. 1:10; II Tim. 4:17-18 to speak of salvation in Christ. 124:8 The word help is used in Hebrews 4:16 of how we seek help for Jesus. 124:8 The name of Jesus is the name on which we must call- Acts 2:21, 38; 4:12.124:8 Jesus is Maker of heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10.

Psalm 123 A Song of Ascents“Verses 1-2 are written in the tone of a psalm of trust, but 3-4 are in the form of a community lament.123:1 To You I lift up my eyes- 121:1; Lifting up eyes can indicate arrogance- II Kings 19:22; Ps. 131:1 but here they are lifted up to God and not against Him. “To phrase ‘to You' is in the emphatic position, suggesting the psalmist's complete orientation to God” McCann, 1187. O You who are enthroned in the heavens- Pss. 2:4; 11:4; 115:3, 16; 135:15 “His faithful love and wisdom are equally beyond our calculating (Ps. 36:5; Is. 55:9)” Kidner, 435. “The Lord whose heavenly throne (1) speaks of His endless resources as well as His worldwide sovereignty” Motyer, 573.123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master- “The eye symbolizes longing, need, expectancy” Motyer, 573.“They await some provision for their own benefit.As the eyes of the maid to the hand of her mistress- “Everyone in this community, man and woman, looks urgently to God for a sign of grace” Alter, 441.  So our eyes look to the LORD our God- “God's people are in the position of ‘servants' (see Pss. 34:22; 69:35-46; 113:1; 116:16)” McCann, 1187. This shows their humility before God. Israel looks for the good hand of the LORD- Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31. “The simile certainly emphasizes the psalmist's utter dependence on God, like that of slaves on their master” Longman, 419. “The repetition of ‘eyes' which occurs in each of the four poetic lines in vv. 1-2, is another instance of the steplike pattern that characterizes the Songs of Ascents (see Pss. 120:5-7; 121:1-4, 7-8; 122:2-5)” McCann, 1187. Until He shall be gracious to us- This is another example of the steplike parallel pattern (climactic parallelism).123:3 Be gracious to us- Pss. 4:1; 6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 26:11; 27:7.For we are greatly filled with contempt- We are not told who gives the scorn, the actual things said, nor the reason for it. “Superlatives are used here and in vs. 4 to indicate the overabundance of scorn and contempt they have received” Miller, 402. 123:4 Our soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease- Lam. 3:30ff., 33.And with the contempt of the proud- Proud are enemies of the psalmists in Pss. 94:2; 140:5. There is a strong contrast in the Psalm. It begins with “to You” and ends with “the arrogant”- VanGemeren, 783. Jesus and Psalm 123123:2, 3 Lord- The term used in the LXX is κυριος and it is used of Jesus in many NT passages including Matt. 7:21, 21, 22, 22; Luke 6:46, 46. The word is used over 700 times in the NT and many of them are of Jesus. He is LORD and we are utterly dependent upon Him for salvation and all blessings. 123:2 Servant- in the LXX is the term δουλος and it is used of the NT writers in Rom. 1:1; James 1:1; II Peter 1:1; and Jude 1. It is used of all Christians in Romans 6:16-23. It is used of Jesus in Philippians 2:7. Jesus, who is addressed as Lord, is also a servant. The LORD became a servant to show us mercy. We are totally dependent upon His mercy for salvation.  123:2, 3 Have mercy upon us- The word used was addressed to Jesus in Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 17:13; 18:39. As these begged for Jesus to have mercy upon them, we are beggars who fall before Him totally dependent upon His mercy.When God takes flesh in the person of Christ, Jesus, who was God became a servant- John 13:1-17; Phil. 2:5-8. 

Comparing the Hebrew of Isaiah 9.6 to most popular English translations results in some serious questions. Why have our translations changed the tense of the verbs from past to future? Why is this child called “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father”? In this presentation I work through Isaiah 9.6 line by line to help you understand the Hebrew. Next I look at interpretive options for the child as well as his complicated name. Not only will this presentation strengthen your understanding of Isaiah 9.6, but it will also equip you to explain it to others. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See my other articles here Check out my class: One God Over All Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read Sean’s bio here Below is the paper presented on October 18, 2024 in Little Rock, Arkansas at the 4th annual UCA Conference. Access this paper on Academia.edu to get the pdf. Full text is below, including bibliography and end notes. Abstract Working through the grammar and syntax, I present the case that Isaiah 9:6 is the birth announcement of a historical child. After carefully analyzing the name given to the child and the major interpretive options, I make a case that the name is theophoric. Like the named children of Isaiah 7 and 8, the sign-child of Isaiah 9 prophecies what God, not the child, will do. Although I argue for Hezekiah as the original fulfillment, I also see Isaiah 9:6 as a messianic prophecy of the true and better Hezekiah through whom God will bring eternal deliverance and peace. Introduction Paul D. Wegner called Isaiah 9:6[1] “one of the most difficult problems in the study of the Old Testament.”[2] To get an initial handle on the complexities of this text, let's begin briefly by comparing the Hebrew to a typical translation. Isaiah 9:6 (BHS[3]) כִּי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ בֵּ֚ן נִתַּן־לָ֔נוּ וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִיעַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃ Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Curiosities abound in the differences between these two. The first two clauses in English, “For to us a child is born” and “to us a son is given,” employ the present tense while the Hebrew uses the perfect tense, i.e. “to us a child has been born.”[4] This has a significant bearing on whether we take the prophecy as a statement about a child already born in Isaiah's time or someone yet to come (or both). The ESV renders the phrase,וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ  (vayikra sh'mo), as “and his name shall be called,” but the words literally mean “and he called his name” where the “he” is unspecified. This leaves room for the possibility of identifying the subject of the verb in the subsequent phrase, i.e. “And the wonderful counselor, the mighty God called his name…” as many Jewish translations take it.  Questions further abound regardingאֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor), which finds translations as disparate as the traditional “Mighty God”[5] to “divine warrior”[6] to “in battle God-like”[7] to “Mighty chief”[8] to “Godlike hero,”[9] to Luther's truncated “Held.”[10]  Another phrase that elicits a multiplicity of translations is אֲבִיעַד (aviad). Although most versions read “Eternal Father,”[11] others render the word, “Father-Forever,”[12] “Father for all time,”[13] “Father of perpetuity,”[14] “Father of the Eternal Age,”[15] and “Father of Future.”[16] Translators from a range of backgrounds struggle with these two phrases. Some refuse to translate them at all, preferring clunky transliterations.[17] Still, as I will show below, there's a better way forward. If we understand that the child had a theophoric name—a name that is not about him, but about God—our problems dissipate like morning fog before the rising sun. Taking the four pairs of words this way yields a two-part sentence name. As we'll see this last approach is not only the best contextual option, but it also allows us to take the Hebrew vocabulary, grammar, and syntax at face value, rather than succumbing to strained translations and interpretational gymnastics. In the end, we're left with a text literally rendered and hermeneutically robust. Called or Will Call His Name? Nearly all the major Christian versions translate וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra), “he has called,” as “he will be called.” This takes an active past tense verb as a passive future tense.[18] What is going on here? Since parents typically give names at birth or shortly thereafter, it wouldn't make sense to suggest the child was already born (as the beginning of Isa 9:6 clearly states), but then say he was not yet named. Additionally, וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra) is a vav-conversive plus imperfect construction that continues the same timing sequence of the preceding perfect tense verbs.[19] If the word were passive (niphal binyan) we would read וַיִּקָּרֵא (vayikarey) instead of וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra). Although some have suggested an emendation of the Masoretic vowels to make this change, Hugh Williamson notes, “there is no overriding need to prefer it.”[20] Translators may justify rendering the perfect tense as imperfect due to the idiom called a prophetic past tense (perfectum propheticum). Wilhelm Gesenius notes the possibility that a prophet “so transports himself in imagination into the future that he describes the future event as if it had been already seen or heard by him.”[21] Bruce Waltke recognizes the phenomenon, calling it an accidental perfective in which “a speaker vividly and dramatically represents a future situation both as complete and independent.”[22] Still, it's up to the interpreter to determine if Isaiah employs this idiom or not. The verbs of verse 6 seem quite clear: “a child has been born for us … and the government was on his shoulder … and he has called his name…” When Isaiah uttered this prophecy, the child had already been born and named and the government rested on his shoulders. This is the straightforward reading of the grammar and therefore should be our starting point.[23] Hezekiah as the Referent One of the generally accepted principles of hermeneutics is to first ask the question, “What did this text mean in its original context?” before asking, “What does this text mean to us today?” When we examine the immediate context of Isa 9:6, we move beyond the birth announcement of a child with an exalted name to a larger prophecy of breaking the yoke of an oppressor (v4) and the ushering in of a lasting peace for the throne of David (v7). Isaiah lived in a tumultuous time. He saw the northern kingdom—the nation of Israel—uprooted from her land and carried off by the powerful and cruel Assyrian Empire. He prophesied about a child whose birth had signaled the coming freedom God would bring from the yoke of Assyria. As Jewish interpreters have long pointed out, Hezekiah nicely fits this expectation.[24] In the shadow of this looming storm, Hezekiah became king and instituted major religious reforms,[25] removing idolatry and turning the people to Yahweh. The author of kings gave him high marks: “He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel. After him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah nor among those who were before him” (2 Kgs 18:5).[26] Then, during Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib sent a large army against Judea and laid siege to Jerusalem. Hezekiah appropriately responded to the threatening Assyrian army by tearing his clothes, covering himself with sackcloth, and entering the temple to pray (2 Kings 19:1). He sent word to Isaiah, requesting prayer for the dire situation. Ultimately God brought miraculous deliverance, killing 185,000 Assyrians, which precipitated a retreat. There had not been such an acute military deliverance since the destruction of Pharaoh's army in the sea. Indeed, Hezekiah's birth did signal God's coming deliverance. In opposition to Hezekiah as the referent for Isa 9:6, Christian interpreters have pointed out that Hezekiah did not fulfill this prophecy en toto. Specifically, Hezekiah did not usher in “an endless peace” with justice and righteousness “from this time onward and forevermore” (Isa. 9:7). But, as John Roberts points out, the problem only persists if we ignore prophetic hyperbole. Here's what he says: If Hezekiah was the new king idealized in this oracle, how could Isaiah claim he would reign forever? How could Isaiah so ignore Israel's long historical experience as to expect no new source of oppression would ever arise? The language, as is typical of royal ideology, is hyperbolic, and perhaps neither Isaiah nor his original audience would have pushed it to its limits, beyond its conventional frames of reference, but the language itself invites such exploitation. If one accepts God's providential direction of history, it is hard to complain about the exegetical development this exploitation produced.[27] Evangelical scholar Ben Witherington III likewise sees a reference to both Hezekiah and a future deliverer. He writes, “[T]he use of the deliberately hyperbolic language that the prophet knew would not be fulfilled in Hezekiah left open the door quite deliberately to look for an eschatological fulfillment later.”[28] Thus, even if Isaiah's prophecy had an original referent, it left the door open for a true and better Hezekiah, who would not just defeat Assyria, but all evil, and not just for a generation, but forever. For this reason, it makes sense to take a “both-and” approach to Isa 9:6. Who Called His Name? Before going on to consider the actual name given to the child, we must consider the subject of the word וַיִּקְרָא (vayikra), “and he called.” Jewish interpreters have and continue to take אֵל גִבּוֹר (el gibbor), “Mighty God,” as the subject of this verb. Here are a few examples of this rendering: Targum Jonathan (2nd century) And his name has been called from before the One Who Causes Wonderful Counsel, God the Warrior, the Eternally Existing One—the Messiah who will increase peace upon us in his days.[29] Shlomo Yitzchaki (11th century) The Holy One, blessed be He, Who gives wondrous counsel, is a mighty God and an everlasting Father, called Hezekiah's name, “the prince of peace,” since peace and truth will be in his days.[30] Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi (16th century) “For a child is born to us.” A son will be born and this is Hezekiah. Though Ahaz is an evildoer, his son Hezekiah will be a righteous king. He will be strong in his service of the Holy One. He will study Torah and the Holy One will call him, “eternal father, peaceful ruler.” In his days there will be peace and truth.[31] The Stone Edition of the Tanach (20th century) The Wondrous Adviser, Mighty God, Eternal Father, called his name Sar-shalom [Prince of Peace][32] Although sometimes Christian commentators blithely accuse Jewish scholars of avoiding the implications of calling the child “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father,” the grammar does allow multiple options here. The main question is whether Isaiah specified the subject of the verb וַיִקְרָ (vayikra) or not. If he has, then the subject must be אֵל גִבּוֹר (el gibbor). If he has not, then the subject must be indefinite (i.e. “he” or “one”). What's more, the Masoretic punctuation of the Hebrew suggests the translation, “and the Wonderful Adviser, the Mighty God called his name, ‘Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'”[33] However, Keil and Delitzsch point out problems with this view on both grammatical and contextual grounds. They write: [I]t is impossible to conceive for what precise reason such a periphrastic description of God should be employed in connection with the naming of this child, as is not only altogether different from Isaiah's usual custom, but altogether unparalleled in itself, especially without the definite article. The names of God should at least have been defined thus, הַיּוֹעֵץ פֵּלֶא הַגִּבּוֹר, so as to distinguish them from the two names of the child.”[34] Thus, though the Masoretic markings favor the Jewish translation, the grammar doesn't favor taking “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God” as the subject. It's certainly not impossible, but it is a strained reading without parallels in Isaiah and without justification in the immediate context. Let's consider another possibility. His Name Has Been Called Instead of taking אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) as the subject, we can posit an indefinite subject for וַיִקְרָ (vayikra): “one has called.” Examples of this outside of Isaiah 9:6 include Gen 11:9; 25:26; Exod 15:23; and 2 Sam 2:16. The phenomenon appears in Gesenius (§144d) and Joüon and Muraoka (§155e), both of which include our text as examples. However, the translation “one has called his name” is awkward in English due to our lack of a generic pronoun like on in French or man in German. Accordingly, most translations employ the passive construction: “his name has been called,” omitting the subject.[35] This is apparently also how those who produced the Septuagint (LXX) took the Hebrew text, employing a passive rather than an active verb.[36] In conclusion, the translation “his name has been called” works best in English. Mighty Hero Now we broach the question of how to render אֵל גִּבּוֹר el gibbor. As I've already noted, a few translations prefer “mighty hero.” But this reading is problematic since it takes the two words in reverse order. Although in English we typically put an adjective before the noun it modifies, in Hebrew the noun comes first and then any adjectives that act upon it. Taking the phrase as אֵל גִּבּוֹר (gibbor el) makes “mighty” the noun and “God” the adjective. Now since the inner meaning of אֵל (el) is “strong” or “mighty,” and גִּבּוֹר gibbor means “warrior” or “hero,” we can see how translators end up with “mighty warrior” or “divine hero.” Robert Alter offers the following explanation: The most challenging epithet in this sequence is ‘el gibor [sic], which appears to say “warrior-god.” The prophet would be violating all biblical usage if he called the Davidic king “God,” and that term is best construed here as some sort of intensifier. In fact, the two words could conceivably be a scribal reversal of gibor ‘el, in which case the second word would clearly function as a suffix of intensification as it occasionally does elsewhere in the Bible.[37] Please note that Alter's motive for reversing the two words is that the text, as it stands, would violate all biblical usage by calling the Davidic king “God.” But Alter is incorrect. We have another biblical usage calling the Davidic king “God” in Psalm 45:6. We must allow the text to determine interpretation. Changing translation for the sake of theology is allowing the tail to wag the dog. Another reason to doubt “divine warrior” as a translation is that “Wherever ʾēl gibbôr occurs elsewhere in the Bible there is no doubt that the term refers to God (10:21; cf. also Deut. 10:17; Jer. 32:18),” notes John Oswalt.[38] Keil and Delitzsch likewise see Isa 10:21 as the rock upon which these translations suffer shipwreck.[39] “A remnant will return,” says Isa 10:21, “the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.” The previous verse makes it clear that “mighty God” refers to none other than “Yahweh, the holy one of Israel.” Without counter examples elsewhere in the Bible, we lack the basis to defy the traditional ordering of “God” as the noun and “mighty” or “warrior” as the adjective.[40] Mighty God-Man Did Isaiah foresee a human child who would also be the mighty God? Did he suddenly get “a glimpse of the fact that in the fullness of the Godhead there is a plurality of Persons,” as Edward Young thought?[41] Although apologists seeking to prove the deity of Christ routinely push for this reading, other evangelical scholars have expressed doubts about such a bold interpretation.[42] Even Keil and Delitzsch, after zealously batting away Jewish alternatives, admit Isaiah's language would not have suggested an incarnate deity in its original context.[43] Still, it would not be anachronistic to regard a king as a deity in the context of the ancient Near East. We find such exalted language in parallels from Egypt and Assyria in their accession oracles (proclamations given at the time a new king ascends the throne). Taking their cue from the Egyptian practices of bestowing divine throne names upon the Pharaoh's accession to the throne, G. von Rad and A. Alt envisioned a similar practice in Jerusalem. Although quite influential, Wegner has pointed out several major problems with this way of looking at our text: (1) the announcement is to the people in Isa 9:6, not the king; (2) Isa 9:6 does not use adoption language nor call the child God's son; (3) יֶלֶד (yeled), “child,” is never used in accession oracles; (4) the Egyptian parallels have five titles not four as in Isa 9:6; (5) Egyptians employ a different structure for accession oracles than Isa 9:6; and (6) we have no evidence elsewhere that Judean kings imitated the Egyptian custom of bestowing divine titles.[44] Another possibility, argued by R. A. Carlson, is to see the names as anti-Assyrian polemic.[45] Keeping in mind that Assyria was constantly threatening Judah in the lifetime of Isaiah and that the child born was to signal deliverance, it would be no surprise that Isaiah would cast the child as a deliberate counter-Assyrian hero. Still, as Oswalt points out, “[T]he Hebrews did not believe this [that their kings were gods]. They denied that the king was anything more than the representative of God.”[46] Owing to a lack of parallels within Israel and Isaiah's own penchant for strict monotheism,[47] interpreting Isa 9:6 as presenting a God-man is ad hoc at best and outright eisegesis at worst. Furthermore, as I've already noted, the grammar of the passage indicates a historical child who was already born. Thus, if Isaiah meant to teach the deity of the child, we'd have two God-men: Hezekiah and Jesus. Far from a courtly scene of coronation, Wegner makes the case that our text is really a birth announcement in form. Birth announcements have (1) a declaration of the birth, (2) an announcement of the child's name, (3) an explanation of what the name means, and (4) a further prophecy about the child's future.[48] These elements are all present in Isa 9:6, making it a much better candidate for a birth announcement than an accession or coronation oracle. As a result, we should not expect divine titles given to the king like when the Pharaohs or Assyrian kings ascended the throne; instead, we ought to look for names that somehow relate to the child's career. We will delve more into this when we broach the topic of theophoric names. Mighty God's Agent Another possibility is to retain the traditional translation of “mighty God” and see the child as God's agent who bears the title. In fact, the Bible calls Moses[49] and the judges[50] of Israel אֱלֹהִים (elohim), “god(s),” due to their role in representing God. Likewise, as I've already mentioned, the court poet called the Davidic King “god” in Ps 45:6. Additionally, the word אֵל (el), “god,” refers to representatives of Yahweh whether divine (Ps 82:1, 6) or human (John 10.34ff).[51] Thus, Isa 9:6 could be another case in which a deputized human acting as God's agent is referred to as God. The NET nicely explains: [H]aving read the NT, we might in retrospect interpret this title as indicating the coming king's deity, but it is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way. Ps 45:6 addresses the Davidic king as “God” because he ruled and fought as God's representative on earth. …When the king's enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.[52] Raymond Brown admits that this “may have been looked on simply as a royal title.”[53] Likewise Williamson sees this possibility as “perfectly acceptable,” though he prefers the theophoric approach.[54] Even the incarnation-affirming Keil and Delitzsch recognize that calling the child אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) is “nothing further…than this, that the Messiah would be the image of God as no other man ever had been (cf., El, Ps. 82:1), and that He would have God dwelling within Him (cf., Jer. 33:16).”[55] Edward L. Curtis similarly points out that had Isaiah meant to teach that the child would be an incarnation of Yahweh, he would have “further unfolded and made central this thought” throughout his book.[56] He likewise sees Isa 9:6 not as teaching “the incarnation of a deity” but as a case “not foreign to Hebrew usage to apply divine names to men of exalted position,” citing Exod 21:6 and Ps 82:6 as parallels.[57] Notwithstanding the lexical and scholarly support for this view, not to mention my own previous position[58] on Isa 9:6, I'm no longer convinced that this is the best explanation. It's certainly possible to call people “Gods” because they are his agents, but it is also rare. We'll come to my current view shortly, but for now, let's approach the second controversial title. Eternal Father The word אֲבִיעַד (aviad), “Eternal Father,” is another recognizable appellative for Yahweh. As I mentioned in the introduction, translators have occasionally watered down the phrase, unwilling to accept that a human could receive such a title. But humans who pioneer an activity or invent something new are fathers.[59] Walking in someone's footsteps is metaphorically recognizing him as one's father.[60] Caring for others like a father is yet another way to think about it.[61] Perhaps the child is a father in one of these figurative senses. If we follow Jerome and translate אֲבִיעַד (aviad) as Pater futuri saeculi, “Father of the future age,” we can reconfigure the title, “Eternal Father,” from eternal without beginning to eternal with a beginning but without an end. However, notes Williamson, “There is no parallel to calling the king ‘Father,' rather the king is more usually designated as God's son.”[62] Although we find Yahweh referred to as “Father” twice in Isaiah (Isa 63:16; 64:7), and several more times throughout the Old Testament,[63] the Messiah is not so called. Even in the New Testament we don't see the title applied to Jesus. Although not impossible to be taken as Jesus's fatherly role to play in the age to come, the most natural way to take אֲבִיעַד (aviad) is as a reference to Yahweh. In conclusion, both “mighty God” and “eternal Father” most naturally refer to Yahweh and not the child. If this is so, why is the child named with such divine designations? A Theophoric Name Finally, we are ready to consider the solution to our translation and interpretation woes. Israelites were fond of naming their kids with theophoric names (names that “carry God”). William Holladay explains: Israelite personal names were in general of two sorts. Some of them were descriptive names… But most Israelite personal names were theophoric; that is, they involve a name or title or designation of God, with a verb or adjective or noun which expresses a theological affirmation. Thus “Hezekiah” is a name which means “Yah (= Yahweh) is my strength,” and “Isaiah” is a name which means “Yah (= Yahweh) has brought salvation.” It is obvious that Isaiah is not called “Yahweh”; he bears a name which says something about Yahweh.[64] As Holladay demonstrates, when translating a theophoric name, it is customary to supplement the literal phrase with the verb, “to be.” Hezekiah = “Yah (is) my strength”; Isaiah = “Yah (is) salvation.” Similarly, Elijah means “My God (is) Yah” and Eliab, “My God (is the) Father.” Theophoric names are not about the child; they are about the God of the parents. When we imagine Elijah's mother calling him for dinner, she's literally saying “My God (is) Yah(weh), it's time for dinner.” The child's name served to remind her who her God was. Similarly, these other names spoke of God's strength, salvation, and fatherhood. To interpret the named child of Isa 9:6 correctly, we must look at the previously named children in Isa 7 and 8. In chapter 7 the boy is called “Immanuel,” meaning “God (is) with us” (Isa 7:14). This was a historical child who signaled prophecy. Isaiah said, “For before the boy knows to reject evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned” (Isa 7:16). In Isa 8:1 we encounter “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,” or “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens.”[65] This child has a two-sentence name with an attached prophecy: “For before the boy calls, ‘my father' or ‘my mother,' the strength of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off before the king of Assyria” (Isa 8:4). Both children's sign names did not describe them nor what they would do, but what God would do for his people. Immanuel is a statement of faith. The name means God has not abandoned his people; they can confidently say, “God is with us” (Isa 8:10). Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz does not mean that the child would become a warrior to sack Damascus and seize her spoils, but that God would bring about the despoiling of Judah's enemy. When we encounter a third sign-named child in as many chapters, we are on solid contextual grounds to see this new, longer name in the same light. Isaiah prophecies that this child has the government upon his shoulder, sits on the throne of David, and will establish a lasting period of justice and righteousness (Isa 9:5, 7). This child bears the name “Pele-Yoets-El-Gibbor-Aviad-Sar-Shalom.” The name describes his parents' God, the mighty God, the eternal Father. Although this perspective has not yet won the day, it is well attested in a surprising breadth of resources. Already in 1867, Samuel David Luzzatto put forward this position.[66] The Jewish Publication Society concurred in their 2014 study Bible: Semitic names often consist of sentences that describe God … These names do not describe that person who holds them but the god whom the parents worship. Similarly, the name given to the child in this v. does not describe that child or attribute divinity to him, but describes God's actions.[67] The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) footnote on Isa. 9:6 says, “As in many Israelite personal names, the deity, not the person named, is being described.”[68] Additional scholars advocating the view also include Holladay (1978), Wegner (1992), Goldingay (1999, 2015), and Williamson (2018). Even so, Keil and Delitzsch eschew “such a sesquipedalian name,” calling it “unskillful,” and arguing that it would be impractical “to be uttered in one breath.”[69] But this is to take the idea too literally. No one is going to actually call the child by this name. John Goldingay helpfully explains: So he has that complicated name, “An-extraordinary-counselor-is-the-warrior-God, the-everlasting-Father-is-an-officer-for-well-being.” Like earlier names in Isaiah (God-is-with-us, Remains-Will-Return, Plunder-hurries-loot-rushes), the name is a sentence. None of these names are the person's everyday name—as when the New Testament says that Jesus will be called Immanuel, “God [is] with us,” without meaning this expression is Jesus' name. Rather, the person somehow stands for whatever the “name” says. God gives him a sign of the truth of the expression attached to him. The names don't mean that the person is God with us, or is the remains, or is the plunder, and likewise this new name doesn't mean the child is what the name says. Rather he is a sign and guarantee of it. It's as if he goes around bearing a billboard with that message and with the reminder that God commissioned the billboard.[70] Still, there's the question of identifying Yahweh as שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (sar shalom). Since most of our translations render the phrase “Prince of Peace,” and the common meaning of a prince is someone inferior to the king, we turn away from labeling God with this title. Although HALOT mentions “representative of the king, official” for the first definition their second is “person of note, commander.”[71] The BDB glosses “chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince” as their first entry.[72] Wegner adds: “The book of Isaiah also appears to use the word sar in the general sense of “ruler.””[73] Still, we must ask, is it reasonable to think of Yahweh as a שַׂר (sar)? We find the phrase שַׂר־הַצָּבָא (sar-hatsava), “prince of hosts,” in Daniel 8:11 and שַׂר־שָׂרִים (sar-sarim), “prince of princes,” in verse 25, where both refer to God.[74]  The UBS Translators' Handbook recommends “God, the chief of the heavenly army” for verse 11 and “the greatest of all kings” for verse 25.[75] The handbook discourages using “prince,” since “the English word ‘prince' does not mean the ruler himself but rather the son of the ruler, while the Hebrew term always designates a ruler, not at all implying son of a ruler.”[76] I suggest applying this same logic to Isa 9:6. Rather than translating שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (sar shalom) as “Prince of Peace,” we can render it, “Ruler of Peace” or “Ruler who brings peace.” Translating the Name Sentences Now that I've laid out the case for the theophoric approach, let's consider translation possibilities. Wegner writes, “the whole name should be divided into two parallel units each containing one theophoric element.”[77] This makes sense considering the structure of Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which translates two parallel name sentences: “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens.” Here are a few options for translating the name. Jewish Publication Society (1917) Wonderful in counsel is God the Mighty, the Everlasting Father, the Ruler of peace[78] William Holladay (1978) Planner of wonders; God the war hero (is) Father forever; prince of well-being[79] New Jewish Publication Society (1985) The Mighty God is planning grace; The Eternal Father, a peaceable ruler[80] John Goldingay (1999) One who plans a wonder is the warrior God; the father for ever is a commander who brings peace[81] John Goldingay (2015) An-extraordinary-counselor-is-the-warrior-God, the-everlasting-Fathers-is-an-official-for-well-being[82] Hugh Williamson (2018) A Wonderful Planner is the Mighty God, An Eternal Father is the Prince of Peace[83] My Translation (2024) The warrior God is a miraculous strategist; the eternal Father is the ruler who brings peace[84] I prefer to translate אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) as “warrior God” rather than “mighty God” because the context is martial, and  גִּבּוֹר(gibbor) often refers to those fighting in war.[85] “Mighty God” is ambiguous, and easily decontextualized from the setting of Isa 9:6. After all, Isa 9:4-5 tells a great victory “as on the day of Midian”—a victory so complete that they burn “all the boots of the tramping warriors” in the fire. The word פֶּלֶא (pele), though often translated “wonderful,” is actually the word for “miracle,” and יוֹעֵץ (yoets) is a participle meaning “adviser” or “planner.” Since the context is war, this “miracle of an adviser” or “miraculous planner” refers to military plans—what we call strategy, hence, “miraculous strategist.” Amazingly, the tactic God employed in the time of Hezekiah was to send out an angel during the night who “struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians” (Isa 37:36). This was evidently the warrior God's miraculous plan to remove the threat of Assyria from Jerusalem's doorstep. Prophecies about the coming day of God when he sends Jesus Christ—the true and better Hezekiah—likewise foretell of an even greater victory over the nations.[86] In fact, just two chapters later we find a messianic prophecy of one who will “strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked” (Isa 11:4). The next phrase, “The eternal Father,” needs little comment since God's eternality and fatherhood are both noncontroversial and multiply attested. Literally translated, שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (sar-shalom) is “Ruler of peace,” but I take the word pair as a genitive of product.[87] Williamson unpacks this meaning as “the one who is able to initiate and maintain Peace.”[88] That his actions in the time of Hezekiah brought peace is a matter of history. After a huge portion of the Assyrian army died, King Sennacherib went back to Nineveh, where his sons murdered him (Isa 37:37-38). For decades, Judah continued to live in her homeland. Thus, this child's birth signaled the beginning of the end for Assyria. In fact, the empire itself eventually imploded, a fate that, at Hezekiah's birth, must have seemed utterly unthinkable. Of course, the ultimate peace God will bring through his Messiah will far outshine what Hezekiah achieved.[89] Conclusion We began by considering the phraseוַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ  (vayikra sh'mo). We noted that the tense is perfect, which justifies a past-tense interpretation of the child who had already been born by the time of the birth announcement. I presented the case for Hezekiah as the initial referent of Isa 9:6 based on the fact that Hezekiah’s life overlapped with Isaiah’s, that he sat on the throne of David (v7), and that his reign saw the miraculous deliverance from Assyria's army. Furthermore, I noted that identifying the child of Isa 9:6 as Hezekiah does not preclude a true and better one to come. Although Isa 9:6 does not show up in the New Testament, I agree with the majority of Christians who recognize this text as a messianic prophecy, especially when combined with verse 7. Next we puzzled over the subject for phraseוַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ  (vayikra sh'mo.) Two options are that the phrase פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר (pele yoets el gibbor) functions as the subject or else the subject is indefinite. Although the Jewish interpreters overwhelmingly favor the former, the lack of definite articles and parallel constructions in Isaiah make me think the latter is more likely. Still, the Jewish approach to translation is a legitimate possibility. I explained how a passive voice makes sense in English since it hides the subject, and settled on “his name has been called,” as the best translation. Then we looked at the phrase אֵל גִּבּוֹר (el gibbor) and considered the option of switching the order of the words and taking the first as the modifier of the second as in “mighty hero” or “divine warrior.” We explored the possibility that Isaiah was ascribing deity to the newborn child. We looked at the idea of Isaiah calling the boy “Mighty God” because he represented God. In the end we concluded that these all are less likely than taking God as the referent, especially in light of the identical phrase in Isa 10:21 where it unambiguously refers to Yahweh. Moving on to אֲבִיעַד (aviad), we considered the possibility that “father” could refer to someone who started something significant and “eternal” could merely designate a coming age. Once again, though these are both possible readings, they are strained and ad hoc, lacking any indication in the text to signal a non-straightforward reading. So, as with “Mighty God,” I also take “Eternal Father” as simple references to God and not the child. Finally, we explored the notion of theophoric names. Leaning on two mainstream Bible translations and five scholars, from Luzzatto to Williamson, we saw that this lesser-known approach is quite attractive. Not only does it take the grammar at face value, it also explains how a human being could be named “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father.” The name describes God and not the child who bears it. Lastly, drawing on the work of the Jewish Publication Society, Goldingay, and Williamson, I proposed the translation: “The warrior God is a miraculous strategist; the eternal Father is the ruler who brings peace.” This rendering preserves the martial context of Isa 9:6 and glosses each word according to its most common definition. I added in the verb “is” twice as is customary when translating theophoric names. The result is a translation that recognizes God as the focus and not the child. This fits best in the immediate context, assuming Hezekiah is the original referent. After all, his greatest moment was not charging out ahead of a column of soldiers, but his entering the house of Yahweh and praying for salvation. God took care of everything else. Likewise, the ultimate Son of David will have God's spirit influencing him: a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of God (Isa 11:2). The eternal Father will so direct his anointed that he will “not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear” (Isa 11:3). In his days God will bring about a shalom so deep that even the animals will become peaceful (Isa 11:6-8). An advantage of this reading of Isa 9:6 is that it is compatible with the full range of christological positions Christians hold. Secondly, this approach nicely fits with the original meaning in Isaiah’s day, and it works for the prophecy’s ultimate referent in Christ Jesus. Additionally, it is the interpretation with the least amount of special pleading. Finally, it puts everything into the correct order, allowing exegesis to drive theology rather than the other way around. Bibliography Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament. Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2012. The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1917. The Jewish Study Bible. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. Second ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Net Bible, Full Notes Edition. Edited by W. Hall Harris III James Davis, and Michael H. Burer. 2nd ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Edited by Carol A. Newsom Marc Z. Brettler, Pheme Perkins. Third ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. The Stone Edition of the Tanach. Edited by Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz. Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll, 1996. Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures: The New Jps Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. 4th, Reprint. Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985. Translation of Targum Onkelos and Jonathan. Translated by Eidon Clem. Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, 2015. Alter, Rober. The Hebrew Bible: Prophets, Nevi’im. Vol. 2. 3 vols. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2019. Ashkenazi, Jacob ben Isaac. Tze’enah Ure’enah: A Critical Translation into English. Translated by Morris M. Faierstein. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017. https://www.sefaria.org/Tze’enah_Ure’enah%2C_Haftarot%2C_Yitro.31?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. Baumgartner, Ludwig Koehler and Walter. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Edited by M. E. J. Richardson. Leiden: Brill, 2000. Brown, Raymond E. Jesus: God and Man, edited by 3. New York: Macmillan, 1967. Carlson, R. A. “The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. Ix, 1-6.” Vetus Testamentum, no. 24 (1974): 130-5. Curtis, Edward L. “The Prophecy Concerning the Child of the Four Names: Isaiah Ix., 6, 7.” The Old and New Testament Student 11, no. 6 (1890): 336-41. Delitzsch, C. F. Keil and F. Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Finnegan, Sean. “Jesus Is God: Exploring the Notion of Representational Deity.” Paper presented at the One God Seminar, Seattle, WA, 2008, https://restitutio.org/2016/01/11/explanations-to-verses-commonly-used-to-teach-that-jesus-is-god/. Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910. Goldingay, John. “The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6).” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1999): 239-44. Goldingay, John. Isaiah for Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015. Holladay, William L. Isaiah: Scroll of Prophetic Heritage. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978. III, Ben Witherington. Isaiah Old and New. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ggjhbz.7. Luzzatto, Samuel David. Shi’ur Komah. Padua, IT: Antonio Bianchi, 1867. O’Connor, Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Esenbrauns, 1990. Ogden, Graham S., and Jan Sterk. A Handbook on Isaiah. Ubs Translator's Handbooks. New York: United Bible Societies, 2011. Oswalt, John. The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39. Nicot. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986. Péter-Contesse, René and John Ellington. A Handbook on Daniel. Ubs Translator’s Handbooks. New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 1993. Roberts, J. J. M. First Isaiah. Vol. 23A. Hermeneia, edited by Peter Machinist. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001. Thayer, Joseph Henry. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Walter Bauer, Frederick W. Danker, William F. Arndt, F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Wegner, Paul D. “A Re-Examination of Isaiah Ix 1-6.” Vetus Testamentum 42, no. 1 (1992): 103-12. Williamson, H. G. M. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27. Vol. 2. International Critical Commentary, edited by G. I. Davies and C. M. Tuckett. New York: Bloomsbury, 2018. Yitzchaki, Shlomo. Complete Tanach with Rashi. Translated by A. J. Rosenberg. Chicago, IL: Davka Corp, 1998. https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Isaiah.9.5.2?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. Young, Edward J. The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1-18. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965. End Notes [1] Throughout I'll refer to Isaiah 9:6 based on the versification used in English translations. Hebrew Bibles shift the count by one, so the same verse is Isaiah 9:5. [2] Paul D. Wegner, “A Re-Examination of Isaiah Ix 1-6,” Vetus Testamentum 42, no. 1 (1992): 103. [3] BHS is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the standard Hebrew text based on the Leningrad Codex, a medieval Masoretic text. [4] In Hebrew the perfect tense roughly maps onto English past tense and the imperfect tense to future tense. [5] See NRSVUE, ESV, NASB20, NIV, NET, LSB, NLT, NKJ, ASV, KJV. [6] See translations by Robert Alter, James Moffat, and Duncan Heaster.  Also see Westminster Commentary, Cambridge Bible Commentary, New Century Bible Commentary, and The Daily Study Bible. [7] See New English Bible. [8] See Ibn Ezra. [9] See An American Testament. [10] “Held” means “hero” in German. In the Luther Bible (1545), he translated the phrase as “und er heißt Wunderbar, Rat, Kraft, Held, Ewig -Vater, Friedefürst,” separating power (Kraft = El) and hero (Held = Gibbor) whereas in the 1912 revision we read, “er heißt Wunderbar, Rat, Held, Ewig-Vater Friedefürst,” which reduced el gibbor to “Held” (hero). [11] See fn 4 above. [12] See New American Bible Revised Edition and An American Testament. [13] See New English Bible and James Moffatt's translation. [14] See Ibn Ezra. [15] See Duncan Heaster's New European Version. [16] See Word Biblical Commentary. [17] See Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, the Koren Jerusalem Bible, and the Complete Jewish Bible. [18] In the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1QIsaa 8.24 reads “וקרא,” the vav-conversed form of “קרא,” translated “he will call,” an active future tense. This reading is implausible considering the unambiguous past tense of the two initial clauses that began verse 6: “a child has been born…a son has been given.” [19] “Here the Hebrew begins to use imperfect verb forms with the conjunction often rendered “and.” These verbs continue the tense of the perfect verb forms used in the previous lines. They refer to a state or situation that now exists, so they may be rendered with the present tense in English. Some translations continue to use a perfect tense here (so NJB, NJPSV, FRCL), which is better.” Graham S. Ogden, and Jan Sterk, A Handbook on Isaiah, Ubs Translator's Handbooks (New York: United Bible Societies, 2011). [20] H. G. M. Williamson, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27, vol. 2, International Critical Commentary, ed. G. I. Davies and C. M. Tuckett (New York: Bloomsbury, 2018), 371. [21] Wilhelm Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910), §106n. [22] Bruce K. Waltke and Michael P. O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, IN: Esenbrauns, 1990), §30.5.1e. [23] John Goldingay takes a “both-and” position, recognizing that Isaiah was speaking by faith of what God would do in the future, but also seeing the birth of the son to the king as having already happened by the time of the prophecy. John Goldingay, Isaiah for Everyone (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015), 42. [24] Jewish authors include Rashi, A. E. Kimchi, Abravanel, Malbim, and Luzzatto. [25] See 2 Kings 18:3-7. [26] Unless otherwise noted, all translations are my own. [27] J. J. M. Roberts, First Isaiah, vol. 23A, Hermeneia, ed. Peter Machinist (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001), 153. [28] Ben Witherington III, Isaiah Old and New (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017), 95-6, 99-100. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1ggjhbz.7. [29] Translation of Targum Onkelos and Jonathan, trans. Eidon Clem (Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, 2015). [30] Shlomo Yitzchaki, Complete Tanach with Rashi, trans. A. J. Rosenberg (Chicago, IL: Davka Corp, 1998). https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Isaiah.9.5.2?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. [31] Jacob ben Isaac Ashkenazi, Tze’enah Ure’enah: A Critical Translation into English, trans. Morris M. Faierstein (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017). https://www.sefaria.org/Tze’enah_Ure’enah%2C_Haftarot%2C_Yitro.31?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en. [32] Square brackets in original. The Stone Edition of the Tanach, ed. Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz (Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll, 1996). [33] Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, ed. W. Hall Harris III James Davis, and Michael H. Burer, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2019), 1266. [34] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 249-50. [35] As mentioned above, the Hebrew is not actually passive. [36] The LXX reads “καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ” (kai kaleitai to onoma autou), which means “and his name is called.” [37] Rober Alter, The Hebrew Bible: Prophets, Nevi’im, vol. 2, 3 vols. (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2019), 651. [38] John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, Nicot (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986), 247. [39] Delitzsch, 252. [40] The אֵלֵי גִבּוֹרִים (eley gibborim) of Ezek 32.21 although morphologically suggestive of a plural form of el gibbor, is not a suitable parallel to Isa 9:6 since אֵלֵי (eley) is the plural of אַיִל (ayil), meaning “chief” not אֵל (el). Thus, the translation “mighty chiefs” or “warrior rulers” takes eley as the noun and gibborim as the adjective and does not actually reverse them. [41] Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1-18, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1965), 338. [42] Translator's note A on Isa 9:6 in the NET states, “[I]t is unlikely that Isaiah or his audience would have understood the title in such a bold way.” Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, 1267. [43] “The Messiah is the corporeal presence of this mighty God; for He is with Him, He is in Him, and in Him He is with Israel. The expression did not preclude the fact that the Messiah would be God and man in one person; but it did not penetrate to this depth, so far as the Old Testament consciousness was concerned.” Delitzsch, 253. [44] See Wegner 104-5. [45] See R. A. Carlson, “The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. Ix, 1-6,” Vetus Testamentum, no. 24 (1974). [46] Oswalt, 246. [47] Isa 43:10-11; 44:6, 8; 45:5-6, 18, 21-22; 46:9. Deut 17:14-20 lays out the expectations for an Israelite king, many of which limit his power and restrict his exaltation, making deification untenable. [48] Wegner 108. [49] See Exod 4:16; 7:1. The word “God” can apply to “any person characterized by greatness or power: mighty one, great one, judge,” s.v. “אֱלֹהִים” in Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament.. The BDAG concurs, adding that a God is “that which is nontranscendent but considered worthy of special reverence or respect… of humans θεοί (as אֱלֹהִים) J[ohn] 10:34f (Ps 81:6; humans are called θ. in the OT also Ex 7:1; 22:27,” s.v. “θεός” in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. [50] See Exod 21.6; 22:8-9. The BDB includes the definition, “rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power,” s.v. “אֱלֹהִים” in The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon [51] Thayer points this out in his lexicon: “Hebraistically, equivalent to God’s representative or vicegerent, of magistrates and judges, John 10:34f after Ps. 81:6 (Ps. 82:6)” s.v. “θέος” in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [52] Net Bible, Full Notes Edition, 1267. [53] Raymond E. Brown, Jesus: God and Man, ed. 3 (New York: Macmillan, 1967), 25. [54] Williamson, 397. [55] Delitzsch, 253. See also fn 40 above. [56] Edward L. Curtis, “The Prophecy Concerning the Child of the Four Names: Isaiah Ix., 6, 7,” The Old and New Testament Student 11, no. 6 (1890): 339. [57] Ibid. [58] Sean Finnegan, “Jesus Is God: Exploring the Notion of Representational Deity” (paper presented at the One God Seminar, Seattle, WA2008), https://restitutio.org/2016/01/11/explanations-to-verses-commonly-used-to-teach-that-jesus-is-god/. [59] Jabal was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock (Gen 4:20) and Jubal was the father of those who play the lyre and the pipe (Gen 4:21). [60] Jesus told his critics, “You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires” (John 8:44). [61] Job called himself “a father to the needy” (Job 29:16) and Isaiah prophesied that Eliakim would be “a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isa 22:21). [62] Williamson, 397. [63] For references to Yahweh as father to the people see Deut 32:6; Ps 103:13; Prov 3:12; Jer 3:4; 31.9; Mal 1.6; 2:10. For Yahweh as father to the messiah see 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chron 7:13; 28:6; Ps 89:27. [64] William L. Holladay, Isaiah: Scroll of Prophetic Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978), 108. [65] See NRSVUE fn on Isa 8:1. [66] והנה המכוון במאמר פלא יועץ וגו’ הוא כי האל הגבור שהוא אבי עד ואדון השלום, הוא יועץ וגוזר לעשות פלא לישראל בזמן ממלכת הילד הנולד היום, ואח”כ מפרש למרבה המשרה וגו’. ולפי הפירוש הזה לא לחנם האריך כאן בתארי האל, כי כוונת הנביא לרמוז כי בבוא הפלא שהאל יועץ וגוזר עתה, יוודע שהוא אל גבור ובעל היכולת ושהוא אב לעד, ולא יפר בריתו עם בניו בני ישראל, ולא ישכח את ברית אבותם. ושהוא אדון השלום ואוהב השלום, ולא יאהב העריצים אשר כל חפצם לנתוש ולנתוץ ולהאביד ולהרוס, אבל הוא משפילם עד עפר, ונותן שלום בארץ, כמו שראינו בכל הדורות. Chat GPT translation: “And behold, the intention in the phrase ‘Wonderful Counselor’ and so on is that the mighty God, who is the Eternal Father and the Prince of Peace, is the Counselor and decrees to perform a wonder for Israel at the time of the reign of the child born today. Afterwards, it is explained as ‘to increase the dominion’ and so on. According to this interpretation, it is not in vain that the prophet elaborates on the attributes of God here, for the prophet’s intention is to hint that when the wonder that God now advises and decrees comes about, it will be known that He is the Mighty God and possesses the ability and that He is the Eternal Father. He will not break His covenant with His sons, the children of Israel, nor forget the covenant of their ancestors. He is the Prince of Peace and loves peace, and He will not favor the oppressors whose every desire is to tear apart, destroy, and obliterate, but He will humble them to the dust and grant peace to the land, as we have seen throughout the generations.” Samuel David Luzzatto, Shi’ur Komah (Padua, IT: Antonio Bianchi, 1867). Accessible at Sefaria and the National Library of Israel. [67]The Jewish Study Bible, ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, Second ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 784. [68] The New Oxford Annotated Bible, ed. Carol A. Newsom Marc Z. Brettler, Pheme Perkins, Third ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 991. [69] Delitzsch, 249. [70] Goldingay, 42-3. [71] Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, ed. M. E. J. Richardson (Leiden: Brill, 2000). [72] See s.v. “שַׂר” in The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon [73] Wegner 112. [74] Keil and Delitzsch say the sar of Dan 8:11 refers to “the God of heaven and the King of Israel, the Prince of princes, as He is called in v. 25,” Delitzsch, 297. [75] René and John Ellington Péter-Contesse, A Handbook on Daniel, Ubs Translator’s Handbooks (New York, NY: United Bible Societies, 1993). [76] Ibid. [77] Wegner 110-1. [78] The main text transliterates “Pele-joez-el-gibbor-/Abi-ad-sar-shalom,” while the footnote translates as indicated above. The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1917), 575. [79] Holladay, 109. [80] Tanakh, the Holy Scriptures: The New Jps Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text (4th: repr., Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985), 634. [81] John Goldingay, “The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6),” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1999): 243. [82] Goldingay, Isaiah for Everyone, 40. [83] Williamson, 355. [84] An alternative is “The warrior God is planning a miracle; the eternal Father is the ruler of peace.” [85] For גִּבּוֹר in a military context, see 1 Sam 17:51; 2 Sam 20.7; 2 Kgs 24:16; Isa 21.17; Jer 48:41; Eze 39:20; and Joel 2:7; 3:9. [86] See 2 Thess 2:8 and Rev 19:11-21 (cp. Dan 7:13-14). [87] See Gesenius § 128q, which describes a genitive of “statements of the purpose for which something is intended.” [88] Williamson, 401. [89] Isaiah tells of a time when God will “judge between nations,” resulting in the conversion of the weapons of war into the tools of agriculture and a lasting era when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa 2:4).

Psalm 122 A Song of Ascents, of DavidThe phrase “of David” is omitted in most mss. of the LXX and the Vulgate- Miller, 399. “The psalm gives more evidence of having been written as a pilgrim psalm than any among the Psalms of Ascents (120-134), with the possible exception of the last one” Miller, 399. Psalms of Zion are Pss. 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 132.122:1-2 Journey to Jerusalem122:1 I was glad when they said to me- “The idea did not originate with him, but he joined with a group of pilgrims to go to the city” Longman, 416.  Vss. 1, 8-9 use first person singular words.“We hear the voice of an individual singer who is part of a larger group of pilgrims going up to Jerusalem” NICOT, 899. The words I was glad or I rejoiced set “the tone for the remainder of the psalm” NICOT, 900.  ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD'- Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:3; Ps. 84:10; Jer. 31:6; Zech. 8:21. “The verbal phrase is not a cohortative but an imperfect and should be rendered ‘we will go'” VanGemeren, 775.  122:2 Our feet are standing within Your gates, O Jerusalem- Notice that the I shifts to our. “At last Jerusalem and the house of the LORD come into sight, and we have arrived” Kidner, 433. The city is personified and addressed in the second person” Longman, 416.The OT believer rightly regarded Jerusalem as the center of the whole earth- Ps. 48:2; Ezek. 5:5.122:3-5 He celebrates the city122:3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city compact together- Ps. 48:1-2, 13; 147:2. “The word ‘Jerusalem' ends (v. 2) and begins v. 3” McCann, 1184. “True brotherhood was realized at this center of the community” Allen, 159. The word translated compact is used in Ex. 26:3, 3, 6, 9, 11; 36:10, 10, 13, 16, 18 for the curtains of the tabernacle joined together. The word compact is also used of military alliances- II Chron. 20:35, 36, 37; Dan. 11:6, 23. 122:4 To which the tribes go up- Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16; Ps. 48:9; 84:5- “Go up is the technical verb for pilgrimage” Alter, 439 and it is also used for going up the temple mount- Ps. 24:3. 122:5 For there thrones were set for judgment- Deut. 17:8; II Sam. 8:15; 15:1-6; I Kings 3:16-28; 10:9; II Chron. 19:8; Ps. 72:1-4; 89:29; Isaiah 2:4; 9:7; 11:2-5; 16:5; Jer. 21:10-11 Kings were to administer just and right judgment. “Other songs of Zion show the integral connection between the city and the king (Pss. 84:9; 132, esp. vss. 11-12)” Broyles, 451.122:6-9 He prays for the peace of the city122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem- Jer. 15:5 There is a wordplay between peace and Jerusalem- Heb. 7:2. Peace is the key word in vss. 6-8 and continues the stairstep parallelism of this psalm. “It was customary to offer greetings of peace on entering a home or community (cf. I Sam. 25:6; Matt. 10:12-13)” Allen, 159.May they prosper who love you- “The ‘your' is feminine singular in the Hebrew, clearly addressing Jerusalem” Alter, 440. Contrast 129:5. . 122:7 May peace be within Your walls- 125:5; 128:6. The word within is used in both portions of this verse and is the Hebrew preposition ב.Compare Pss. 48:13. 122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends- He is motivated to pray this prayer because of his love for his fellow-man. 122:9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God- This prayer is also motivated by his love for God. 

It is said that gold rules everything; but spiritual things are ruled by the grace of God. A good conscience is found through prayer, and pure prayer through the conscience. Each by nature needs the other. Jacob made for Joseph a coat of many colors (cf Gen. 37:3), and the Lord gives knowledge of truth to the gentle; as it is written, 'He will teach the gentle His ways' (Ps. 25:9. LXX). Always do as much good as you can, and at a time of greater good do not turn to a lesser. For it is said that no man who turns back 'is fit for the kingdom of heaven' (cf. Luke 9:62).

Psalm 121There are some connections with Psalm 91. The idea of shade or shadow in 121:5; 91:1. The word keep in 121:3, 4, 5, 7, 7, 8 is also in 91:11. The word foot is used in 121:3 and 91:12 McCann, 1181. The name LORD appears in vs. 2, 5, 5, 7, 8.121:1 From whence shall my help come?- The word help is m.s. and is used of God in Exodus 18:4; Deut. 33:7, 26, 29; Ps. 20:2; 33:20; 115:9, 10, 11; 121; 1, 2; 124:8; 146:5. The f.s. form is used in Ps. 40:13, 17; 44:26; 46:1; 108:12. “The question exposes his anxiety and sense of inadequacy” Laymen, 687. 121:2 My help comes from the LORD,Who made heaven and earth- Ps. 115:15; 124:8; 134:3; Jer. 32:17 The verb made is used 12 times in Gen. 1-2 to speak of God's creation of all things. “The thought of this verse leaps beyond the hills to the universe; beyond the universe to its Maker. Here is living help: primary, personal, wise, immeasurable” Kidner, 431. 121:4 Behold, He who keeps Israel- “Protection is a burning issue for a pilgrim who is travelling arduously and through lonely country” Kidner, 431. will neither slumber not sleep- contrast I Kings 18:27. The word slumber is repeated from vs. 3. “God is ever vigilant” Longman, 414. “This sentry never dozes on duty!” Laymen, 687. “In all paths of life, he is promised the ever-vigilant protection of God” Allen, 154. 121:6 The sun will not smite you by day- Gen. 1:16 The word smite is a word that often indicates to strike with violence- Gen. 4:15; Ex. 2:11, 12; 12:12. Sunstroke is “a real danger in the semi-desert climate of the Land of Israel” Alter, 438. “By day and by night are frequently used to mean ‘always' or ‘constantly' (cf. Pss. 22:2; 88:1)” Miller, 398. Ps. 91:5-6; II Kings 4:18-19; Isa. 49:10; Jonah 4:8; Rev. 7:16.121:7 The LORD will protect you for all evil- Ps. 41:2; 91:10-12 “In light of other scriptures, to be kept from all evil does not imply a cushioned life, but a well-armed one. Cf. Psalm 23:4, which expects the dark valley but can face it” Kidner, 432.  121:8 The LORD will guard your going out and coming in- Num. 27:17; Deut. 28:6; 31:2 This “is not only a way of saying ‘everything': in closer detail it draws attention to one's ventures and enterprises (cf. Ps. 126:6). Jesus and Psalm 121121:2 Jesus is Creator of Heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10; Col 1:16121:1, 2 This particular form of the word help is only used twice in the NT- Acts 27:17 for the supporting cables under the boat. Heb. 4:16 He gives grace to help in time of need.121:3 The One who not let Israel's feet slumber has His feet nailed to the cross- Luke 24:39-40.121:3-4 Matt. 8:24; Mk. 4:38; Lk. 8:23 Jesus sleeping on the boat though not the same Greek word. 121:3, 5, 7, 7, 8 The word for God guarding or keeping His people is the word from the LXX for Jesus guarding His disciples- John 17:12; Gal. 6:13; II Thess. 3:3; II Tim. 1:12; Jude 24.

Peace is deliverance from the passions, and is not found except through the action of the Holy Spirit. Fulfilling a commandment is one thing, and virtue is another, although each promotes the other. Fulfilling a commandment means doing what we are enjoined to do; but virtue is to do it in a manner that conforms to the trath. All material wealth is the same, but is acquired in many different ways; similarly, virtue is one, but is many- sided in its operations. If someone makes a display of wisdom and instead of applying it talks at length, he has a spurious wealth and his labors 'come into the houses of strangers' (Prov. 5:10. LXX).

He who does not choose to suffer for the sake of truth will be chastened more painfully by suffering he has not chosen. He who knows God's will, and performs it according to his power, escapes more severe suffering by suffering a little. If a man tries to overcome temptations without prayer and patient endurance, he will become more entangled in them instead of driving them away. The Lord is hidden in His own commandments, and He is to be found there in the measure that He is sought. Do not say: 'I have fulfilled the commandments, but have not found the Lord'. For you have often found 'spiritual knowledge with righteousness', as Scripture says, 'and those who rightly seek Him shall find peace' (Prov. 16:8. LXX).

In this episode we read Esther 3:13a-g, 5:1-13 LXX, and 8:12a-I, considering the royal decrees of the king, the dramatic scene where Esther enters his presence without invitation, and the misinformation about the Jewish people which he finally rejects. We are helped in seeing the significance of these fascinating scenes by recourse to Psalm 85/6, Phil 2:5-11, and 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Welcome back to the podcast as we continue our journey through the bool of Acts. Today we're starting a 4-week mini-series on salvation, and we'll be answering this question: Is anyone too far gone for God?--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Q. Is anyone too far gone for God? (Acts 8:26-40)I often meet people who assume the answer is yes…Past Sins: Many people believe that their past mistakes, whether big or small, make them unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. They may feel too "dirty" or guilty to be accepted.Current Sins: Those battling ongoing struggles, such as addiction or habitual sin, may feel trapped in their behavior and believe that God has turned away from them.Feelings of Unworthiness: Some individuals struggle with low self-esteem or feelings of inadequacy. They may feel they're not "good enough" for God because of how they perceive themselves, often because of sins against them.Spiritual Doubts: People who struggle with doubt or uncertainty about their faith might think God would reject them for not being "strong" believers. Compare your faith with someone else's. Today we're going to see the story of a guy who was definitely too far gone for God, at least from a Jewish religious perspective. But he kept seeking anyway, and he found the surprising answer to this question: No one is too far gone for God!Let's get to the text…Desert RoadActs 8:26 (NLT) 26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”Last week: Philip was in Samaria leading a revival!Must have seemed strange that God would send him away from Samaria to a desert road going nowhere! Away from Jerusalem, where God was on the moveToward Gaza - either the old city, destroyed by Alexander Jannaeus in 96 BC, or the newer city which replaced it in 56 BC (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition) Philip might have no one to preach to on a little-traveled road that would lead by a deserted city, and after the revival in Samaria this command must seem absurd to him; but God had often tested faith through apparently absurd commands (e.g., Ex 14:16; 1 Kings 17:3-4, 9-14; 2 Kings 5:10). The term translated “south” can also mean “noon”; traveling at noon was very rare (see 22:6; comment on Jn 4:5-6), so this detail, if intended, would make the command seem even more absurd.Barrett 1994, 422-3. There are 25 uses of mesēmbria in the LXX and all except Dn. 8:4, 9, appear to mean 'midday'. Cf. Acts 22:6 for Saul's conversion 'at noon' (peri mesēmbrian). Spencer 1997, 94, argues that travel at such an extraordinary time and under such unusual circumstances has the literary effect of suggesting an opportunity for 'world shattering knowledge and experience'.Desert...

119:89-96 ל“From its nadir, Psalm 119 moves to its zenith. Complaint has given way to a profession of faith in God's sovereignty for all time (vv. 89a, 90a), in all places (vv. 89b, 90a), and over ‘all things' (v. 91). The profession is highlighted by the uniqueness of vs. 90, which does not contain one of the eight synonyms” McCann, 1171. 119:97-104 מ“The mem strophe is a quiet interlude without petition” Allen, 143. The eight verses begin either with the word מה in vs. 97, 103 and מן in vs. 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104. While this last word can indicate a preposition meaning “from, out of” like in vs. 101, 102, 104, it also can be used as a comparison in vs. 98, 99, 100.119:105-112 נ119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet- “The psalmist thinks of the person traveling by foot at night with a lamp attached to his ankles or feet to show him the way (Prov. 6:23)” Miller, 391.The MT actually has foot instead of feet but a manuscript along with the LXX and Syriac have feet- Ross, 549. This language reminds us of “what Scripture elsewhere calls the believer's walk” Ross, 551. In contrast the lamp of the wicked goes out- Prov. 13:9; 20:20; 24:20.The LORD is a lamp in Ps. 22:28; II Sam. 22:29.119:113-120 ס“The psalmist stands in contrast to the undecided (113), the evildoers (115), the wanderers (118), and the wicked (119)” Motyer, 570.119:113 I hate those who are double minded- vs. 104 “Double-minded is akin to the word in Elijah's taunt at those who hobbled ‘first on one leg then on the other' (I Kings 18:21)” Kidner, 427. These are people “who appear to be following God, but really they aren't” Longman, 407. But I love Your law- vs. 97 His love for God's law is a strong contrast to the hate earlier in the verse. These verbs are antithetical. 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield- The You is emphatic. Hiding place is found of God in Psalm 32:7; 61:4; 91:1. Shield appears of God in Psalm 3:3; 28:7; 33:20; 84:9, 11; 115:9, 10, 11.I wait for Your word- vs. 74, 81119:121-128 ע“The flow of thought is more awkward than in most of the other stanzas of this psalm, being hindered by the sparsity of words beginning with the letter ‘ayin” Miller, 392. “The key term of the ‘ayin strophe is עבדך ‘your servant,' vv. 122, 124, 125. It is used to claim Yahweh's patronage (v. 125)” Allen, 144. “The petitioner presents himself as a good and faithful servant of YHWH and appeals to YHWH to care for his servant” Hermenia, 279.

This week we read the three episodes of Bel and the Dragon (found at the end of the book of Daniel), appreciating the story's ancient pedigree, its humor, and its sharp reminder to worship God alone. We are helped by comparing its words to Jeremiah 50:2 (LXX 27:2), Jeremiah 51:44 (LXX 28:44), Habakkuk 2:4, and 1 Cor 10:19-20.

Trofeo Carranza. Edición LXX. Cádiz CF vs SS Lazio (Tramo de 21:00 a 22:00)

Trofeo Carranza. Edición LXX. Cádiz CF vs SS Lazio (Tramo de 22:00 a 23:00)

Trofeo Carranza. Edición LXX. Cádiz CF vs SS Lazio (Tramo de 23:00 a 23:30)

Psalm 19 is another Messianic Psalm (in the middle of a cluster of Messianic Psalms). C.S. Lewis wrote: “This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendour of the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.'” It is an important source of the Doctrine of Revelation in the Bible. It is in 3 Parts: (1) God's General Revelation in Creation, a revelation of God's person, power and nature to all people (v1-6), (2) God's Special Revelation of Himself in His written Word (v7-11), and (3) God's purpose in revealing Himself to us and our right response to His Revelation (v12-14). In Part 1 the name of God used is EL - the Almighty Creator, and in Part 2, the name of God used is YAHWEH (x7), His personal Covenant Name, for it is His special revelation that is designed to bring us into a personal covenant relationship to Him. v1-6 describe God's Message in Creation, especially through the heavens: "The heavens declare the glory (splendour) of God; and the firmament (expanse) shows His handiwork (the work of His hands)" (v1). Creation is designed to be a revelation of God, His glory, wisdom, and creative greatness: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20, see also Acts 14;17 and 17:22-28). It tells us: "He is glorious in His size, having created something so big. He is glorious in His engineering, having created something that works together so well. He is glorious in His artistry, having created something so beautiful. He is glorious in His goodness and kindness, having created something for all humanity to see." Creation reveals the unity of God (it is a universe, with universal laws, and all life has God's signature of DNA, showing it all has a common Designer) as well as the plurality of the Godhead (manifested through all the creative diversity in the world). God's general revelation is continuous and abundant: "Day unto day utters (pours forth) speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." The image is of a gushing spring that copiously pours forth sweet, refreshing waters of revelation. In v1-6, the Psalmist talks about both the revelation by day and the revelation by night. By day, the sun shines upon the earth, so we can see His handiwork down below, especially life, which proves there must be an intelligent Designer. By night, we see the stars, which reveal His immensity and power, as well as proclaiming the Gospel. Moreover this general revelation is universal: "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (sound - LXX) has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (v3-4a). The Bible also teaches God used the stars and constellations to preach the Gospel to ancient mankind (who looked at the stars much more than us), before God's written Word was available. We know this for in Romans 10, Paul quoted from Psalm 19, which describes God's revelation in the heavens, and applies it to the Gospel: “But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard (the Gospel)? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (v16-18). So the Gospel is in the Stars. This is confirmed in Genesis 15, when Abraham was justified by faith: “Then He brought him outside and said: “Look now toward heaven, and count (tell, declare) the stars if you are able to number (tell, declare) them.” And He said to him: “So shall your descendants (SEED) be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (v5-6). The word translated 'count' means 'to tell, to give an account'. In other words, God asked him to tell the story in the stars. It is the very same word that is translated 'declare' in Psalm 19:1. That is, he was to declare the message that the stars were declaring. This was the Gospel Message of the Messiah. When he did this, God confirmed (preached) the Gospel to him, by saying: "so shall your SEED (the Messiah) be" - that is, the Messiah is coming and will be the Seed of Abraham (see Gal 3:8). So, Abraham, our father of faith, was justified by faith, as we are, through believing the Gospel, not through believing God would give him many children - which is absurd! God had revealed the Gospel of the Coming Messiah to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15,21), and taught them the need for sacrifices, which they then passed down to their descendants. He also designed the stars to be signs pointing to His truth (Gen 1:14), and He named the stars and revealed their names to man (Isa 40:26, Ps 147:4). He named and designed the constellations to reveal His truth (Job 26:13, 9:8-9, 38:31-33, Amos 5:6-8). David knew the

Psalm 19 is another Messianic Psalm (in the middle of a cluster of Messianic Psalms). C.S. Lewis wrote: “This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendour of the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.'” It is an important source of the Doctrine of Revelation in the Bible. It is in 3 Parts: (1) God's General Revelation in Creation, a revelation of God's person, power and nature to all people (v1-6), (2) God's Special Revelation of Himself in His written Word (v7-11), and (3) God's purpose in revealing Himself to us and our right response to His Revelation (v12-14). In Part 1 the name of God used is EL - the Almighty Creator, and in Part 2, the name of God used is YAHWEH (x7), His personal Covenant Name, for it is His special revelation that is designed to bring us into a personal covenant relationship to Him. v1-6 describe God's Message in Creation, especially through the heavens: "The heavens declare the glory (splendour) of God; and the firmament (expanse) shows His handiwork (the work of His hands)" (v1). Creation is designed to be a revelation of God, His glory, wisdom, and creative greatness: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20, see also Acts 14;17 and 17:22-28). It tells us: "He is glorious in His size, having created something so big. He is glorious in His engineering, having created something that works together so well. He is glorious in His artistry, having created something so beautiful. He is glorious in His goodness and kindness, having created something for all humanity to see." Creation reveals the unity of God (it is a universe, with universal laws, and all life has God's signature of DNA, showing it all has a common Designer) as well as the plurality of the Godhead (manifested through all the creative diversity in the world). God's general revelation is continuous and abundant: "Day unto day utters (pours forth) speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." The image is of a gushing spring that copiously pours forth sweet, refreshing waters of revelation. In v1-6, the Psalmist talks about both the revelation by day and the revelation by night. By day, the sun shines upon the earth, so we can see His handiwork down below, especially life, which proves there must be an intelligent Designer. By night, we see the stars, which reveal His immensity and power, as well as proclaiming the Gospel. Moreover this general revelation is universal: "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (sound - LXX) has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (v3-4a). The Bible also teaches God used the stars and constellations to preach the Gospel to ancient mankind (who looked at the stars much more than us), before God's written Word was available. We know this for in Romans 10, Paul quoted from Psalm 19, which describes God's revelation in the heavens, and applies it to the Gospel: “But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard (the Gospel)? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (v16-18). So the Gospel is in the Stars. This is confirmed in Genesis 15, when Abraham was justified by faith: “Then He brought him outside and said: “Look now toward heaven, and count (tell, declare) the stars if you are able to number (tell, declare) them.” And He said to him: “So shall your descendants (SEED) be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (v5-6). The word translated 'count' means 'to tell, to give an account'. In other words, God asked him to tell the story in the stars. It is the very same word that is translated 'declare' in Psalm 19:1. That is, he was to declare the message that the stars were declaring. This was the Gospel Message of the Messiah. When he did this, God confirmed (preached) the Gospel to him, by saying: "so shall your SEED (the Messiah) be" - that is, the Messiah is coming and will be the Seed of Abraham (see Gal 3:8). So, Abraham, our father of faith, was justified by faith, as we are, through believing the Gospel, not through believing God would give him many children - which is absurd! God had revealed the Gospel of the Coming Messiah to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15,21), and taught them the need for sacrifices, which they then passed down to their descendants. He also designed the stars to be signs pointing to His truth (Gen 1:14), and He named the stars and revealed their names to man (Isa 40:26, Ps 147:4). He named and designed the constellations to reveal His truth (Job 26:13, 9:8-9, 38:31-33, Amos 5:6-8). David knew the

Tuesday, 30 July 2024   “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23   “‘Behold, the virgin will have in womb, and will bring forth a Son, and they will call His name Emmanouél,' which is being translated, ‘With Us: The God'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Matthew noted that the things that were conveyed by the messenger to Joseph were done in order that a prophecy of the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled. Now, Matthew cites that prophecy so that we can understand what is being referred to. And so, he writes –   “‘Behold, the virgin will have in womb, and will bring forth a Son, and they will call His name Emmanouél,' which is being translated, ‘With Us: The God.'”   It is a literal translation of the name and the title. In a case like this, the article before “God” does not need to be included as it is understood that there is one God. Further, the prophecy from Isaiah doesn't include any article. However, because of the words of Isaiah to the House of David, the One true God, Yehovah, was understood to be who he was referring to. He said –   “Then he said, ‘Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?'” Isaiah 7:13   Isaiah had just cited the words of the Lord (Yehovah) in verse 7:10. Therefore, the inclusion of the article from the Greek is not inappropriate. Yehovah is the One and only true God. This is why Isaiah said, “weary my God.” A point is being made about the nature of the One to come. After saying his words to the house of David, Isaiah continues with his words of prophecy –   “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”   The name Immanuel comes from im, with, and el, God. The form of the word Immanu, having a pronominal suffix, indicates a plural marker. Thus, it means With Us, God. Matthew gives a direct transliteration from the Greek – Emmanouél.   In the words of Isaiah, he uses the term almah, translated as “virgin.” That signifies a young woman. Using this word generally signifies a virgin, such as in the account of Rebekah in Genesis 24, but it does not necessarily mean it is so. It is the feminine form of elem, a young man. Because of this, Jewish rabbis and scholars dismiss that this is a future prophecy of the coming of Christ Jesus.   However, this flies in the face of Jewish history, which always understood it to refer to a virgin who would bear a child. This is confirmed by the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, which predates the coming of Christ by about two hundred and fifty years –   ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Εμμανουήλ (LXX).   Idou hē parthenos en gastri hexei kai texetai huion kai kaleseis to onoma autou Emmanouēl.   In their translation, the rabbis used the word παρθένος, parthenos, a virgin. It is this translation that Matthew refers to for his words. His citation is almost a letter for letter translation of Isaiah 7:14.   His use of parthenos was to clear up any ambiguity in what was being conveyed. Even if a young woman in Isaiah's time was used as a reference to the fulfillment of the immediate prophecy given by the Lord, the rabbis clearly understood that a greater fulfillment of the prophecy was ahead in the coming of the Messiah.   As human biology demands that virgins cannot have a child on their own, then there must be something coming that defied the understanding of those who anticipated their Messiah. Only in the pronouncement to Mary in Luke 1 can the concept of a virgin bearing a child without the seed of a man be understood –   “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.'” Luke 1:35   As Mary will be the mother of the Child, and because she is a human, the Child will be a human male. As God is the Father of the Child, the Child will be The God. Thus, the pronouncement of the prophet of the words of the Lord finds its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of the Messiah – Immanuel: God With Us.   Because Isaiah referred to his God, Yehovah, then the words of Matthew are fulfilled – Meth' hēmōn ho Theos: With us: The God. Though the Hebrew word elohim can mean God, god, gods, or even spirits or people, the term ha'elohim, the God, is only used when referring to the true God. Jesus Christ is very God of very God. He is the Incarnation of Yehovah in human flesh.   Life application: Despite two thousand years of Jewish attempts to deny the incarnation of God in Christ, this is exactly what their own Scriptures speak of from beginning to end. If you encounter a Jewish rabbi or scholar who adamantly denies that Jesus is the Lord, you have your work cut out for you. But if you know what you are talking about, you can easily defend the truth of Scripture.   Others, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, deny that Jesus is God. In this, they proclaim another (a false) Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4), and thus they proclaim a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). Therefore, they stand accursed before God.   Be sure to speak about what you know to be true. And be firm in your convictions. God has come to dwell among us! All hail the name of our Lord, our Savior, and our God – JESUS!   Lord God, may we continue to pursue a right understanding of who Jesus is all our days. We proclaim Jesus is Lord! Our God is among us, having come in human flesh. Praise You, O God, for what You have done for us. Hallelujah and Amen.  

On this special episode of BOW TIE DIALOGUE, Keith welcomes Stephen Boyce, an Anglican Apologist, to answer questions about the history and theology of the Church of England. Bow Tie Dialogues is a show dedicated to learning about denominations from those who actually practice them. Keith Foskey is the host and he has interviewed pastors from the PCA, LCMS, ACNA, CREC, IFB, the Church of God, the Dutch Reformed Church, and Calvary Chapel. Stephen is the Founder of the The FACTS Podcast that primarily focuses on the Church Fathers, the Apocryphal works, the Canon of Scripture, the Texts of Scripture, and Scriptural exegesis. He and his wife Claire live in Greenville South Carolina and have two children, Jeremiah and Keziah. Stephen holds a PhD in the area of Canon and Text from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary. His main study was on the Gnostic texts and the Canonical Gospel. His Dissertation covered textual analysis on Codex H, which included the early Patristic writings that contained readings from the LXX and the New Testament. He is currently a contributing scholar for RTB and an Anglican Apologist. He has pastored in two churches and helped three church plants nationally and internationally. Here are the links we mentioned in the show: https://www.youtube.com/live/ugFEVo-hfcc https://www.youtube.com/live/BSo14B349qY https://www.youtube.com/live/e2v7G1B1Wto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivf9I8TE6Fw DON'T FORGET! Partner with ‪@ConversationswithaCalvinist‬ You can get the smallest Bible available on the market, which can be used for all kinds of purposes, by visiting TinyBibles.com and when you buy, use the coupon code KEITH for a discount. Buy our shirts and hats: https://yourcalvinist.creator-spring.com Visit us at KeithFoskey.com If you need a great website, check out fellowshipstudios.com SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR SHOW SUPPORTERS!!! Support the Show: buymeacoffee.com/Yourcalvinist

Road trip DL from Colorado Springs prior to the debate on Saturday. Covered a wide variety of topics, but spent most of our time reading from Augustine and dealing with his use of the LXX, early translations, etc.

Road trip DL from Colorado Springs prior to the debate on Saturday. Covered a wide variety of topics, but spent most of our time reading from Augustine and dealing with his use of the LXX, early translations, etc.

Road trip DL from Colorado Springs prior to the debate on Saturday. Covered a wide variety of topics, but spent most of our time reading from Augustine and dealing with his use of the LXX, early translations, etc.

I am thankful that Twitter was not taken down by today's huge IT crash-failure, since we took our questions from our audience, and they were great questions- We will definitely have to do it this way in the future when I am traveling -much less technically challenging than trying to take calls when I am remote-. Covered a wide variety of topics, including challenging questions about the LXX and the Massoretic text, how to get a good education without putting your family into debt, etc. Thanks for all the participation-

I am thankful that Twitter was not taken down by today's huge IT crash-failure, since we took our questions from our audience, and they were great questions- We will definitely have to do it this way in the future when I am traveling -much less technically challenging than trying to take calls when I am remote-. Covered a wide variety of topics, including challenging questions about the LXX and the Massoretic text, how to get a good education without putting your family into debt, etc. Thanks for all the participation-

I am thankful that Twitter was not taken down by today's huge IT crash/failure, since we took our questions from our audience, and they were great questions! We will definitely have to do it this way in the future when I am traveling (much less technically challenging than trying to take calls when I am remote). Covered a wide variety of topics, including challenging questions about the LXX and the Massoretic text, how to get a good education without putting your family into debt, etc. Thanks for all the participation!

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt look at the NT author's usage of Isaiah 53. It is quoted 9 times in the NT directly. We'll also look at Acts where we'll see how the disciples use the same depiction we encountered in the last episode to describe the Servant and the people's actions against Him. Last, we'll look at “bearing sin” in the NT and show show it also lines up with how it is described in Isaiah 53 where the servant bears the abuse of the people (not God) for their healing.   Isaiah 53:1 John 12:37-38 Romans 10:15-16 Isaiah 53:4 Matthew 8:16-17 Isaiah 5:7-8 Acts 8:32-33 Isaiah 53:9; 4 1 Peter 2:22-24 Isaiah 53:12 Mark 15:28-28 Luke 22:36-38 8/9 uses of Isaiah 53 in the NT are quoted from the LXX. Remember from the last episode this is the version with 1 voice that shows how God is not acting against the servant but the people are.  Acts and the Suffering Servant Acts 2:23-28  Acts 2:29-36 Acts 3:13-18 Acts 4:10-11 Acts 5:27-28 Acts 7:51-52 Acts 10:39-41 Acts 13:26-41 The Release from Exile and “Bearing Sin” Galatians 3:8-14  2 Corinthians 5:22 Conclusions As in the interpretation of the OT context of Isaiah 53, we don't see God acting in wrath against the servant but rather healing and redeeming him. It was the people who acted in violence against the servant. But God used this for our redemption.  Jesus did bear sin… He bore the sinful and violent actions of the people.  Some of the major things we can take away is that God can redeem evil for his good. The evil actions of the people were redeemed in the healing of the servant. And the crowd later realized those actions were not of God, even though they thought they were doing the Lord's bidding in their scapegoating.  PSA is also non-existent in the interpretations of Isaiah 53 in the OT when we compare the voices of the LXX and the MT. Also the NT writers consistently use the LXX when referring to Isaiah 53 and never apply Jesus' death to anything regarding wrath satisfaction or appeasement.  __________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this third installment in our series on biblical genealogy, Dr Rob explains why the data in Genesis 5 and 11 are so important. These are not just lists of names. The added ages allows us to piece together a timeline of biblical history. Problem is, you can't directly connect the two passages. A several-year ambiguity is created when you try. There are other interesting factoids that pop out when one studies the chronogenealogies, so you will enjoy this episode much. Links: SCAPER (a creationist organization in Norway) Undeland Mission farm The biblical minimum and maximum age of the earth Biblical chronogenealogies LXX vs MT articles Length of the Egyptian Sojourn

“This is the first of six psalms collectively known as the hallel that are recited in synagogues during the festival service” Alter, 403. Psalms 113-118 are the Egyptian Hallel. “Psalms 113-114 are sung before the Passover meal and Psalms 115-118 after it.  These psalms are also sung at the feast of Pentecost, Tabernacles, and Dedication (Hanakuah, or Lights)” Miller, 373. These psalms were “used at all major festivals but especially the beginning and conclusion of the Passover” McCann, 1138. Sometimes we stress Passover for that was the time at which Jesus sang these songs: Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26.It is “also an appropriate culmination to Psalms 111-112. Like Psalm 111, it articulates God's sovereignty (see below on vv. 1-4; see also 111:2-6, esp. v. 4, which recalls the exodus) and it offers an especially appropriate response to the exclamation of 111:9c (See ‘name' in 111:9c; 113:1-3). Furthermore, like Psalms 111-112, Psalm 113 asserts that God's power is manifested in gracious, compassionate provision for the poor (See Ps. 111:4-5a, 112:9a; 113:7-9)” McCann, 1138. Psalm 113 is an appropriate introduction to Psalms 113-118. Of the Psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel only the second one, Psalm 114, “speaks directly of the Exodus” Kidner, 401.  113:1-3 Praise the LORD- all places and at all times113:4-6 The LORD is exalted above all113:7-9 The LORD lifts the needy to sit  with princesJesus and Psalm 113“There was more relevance in these psalms to the Exodus- the greater Exodus- than could be guessed in Old Testament times” Kidner, 401. “Verses 7 and 8 anticipate the great downward and upward sweep of the gospel, which was to go even deeper and higher than the dust and the throne of princes: from the grave to the throne of God (Eph. 2:5f)” Kidner, 402. Psalm 113 speaks only of lifting the poor but Luke 1:52 also speaks of God bringing down the mighty.“The psalm gives hope to the socially vulnerable, the poor and childless woman. In terms of the latter, the Old Testament narratives are full of stories of God opening the wombs of barren women: Sarah (Gen. 11:30; 21:1-5), Rebekah (25:21), Rachel (30:22), Samson's mother (Judges 13:2-3), Hannah (I Sam. 1:2), the Shunnamite (II Kings 4:16), Elizabeth (Luke 1:7). Of these, the story of Hannah deserves special mention, because, after she gives birth to Samuel, she praises God in a song that shares a number of elements with Psalm 113 (I Sam. 2:1-10)” Longman, 390. Mary's song celebrates God lifting up the humble- Luke 1:46-56. “Hannah's joy became all Israel's; Sarah's become the world's. And the song of Hannah was to be outshone one day by the Magnificat” Kinder, 402. “The story of God's care for Hannah becomes a model for God's care for Israel, memorialized in the Passover celebration” NICOT, 849.Jesus sang the Egyptian Hallel in Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26. Vs. 6 anticipate Philippians 2:6-8 “What amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from heaven to earth, and take our nature upon him, that He might seek and save those that are lost” Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, 547. A noun is used in the LXX of Psalm 113:6 but the corresponding verb in Greek is used in Philippians 2:8.I Corinthians 1:18-31 God humbles the mighty and exalts the lowly through the gospel.Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14 Humble himself will be exalted and exalt himself will be humbled. Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Luke 13:30 The first will be last and the last first.Ephesians 1:20; 2:6 God raised

In this episode, Rob and Vinnie complete their discussion of the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is the description of the people of God (us; all believers in history; OT/NT saints alike) dwelling in the presence of God. John describes our dwelling in God's presence as a great city with streets of Gold and gates of pearls. But what about the unbelievers? Where are they? Listen to see what Rob and Vinnie think.  Please "follow" this podcast and give a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your review will go a long way toward helping others find this podcast. Then share it with others so that we can get the word of the Gospel of the Kingdom to more people! Also, our goal is to keep these episodes free of charge. I do not intend to ever hide them behind a paywall. I can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or more/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link. Good news: the determinetruth App: If you wish to view these podcasts on your smartphone through the Determinetruth app simply download the “tithe.ly church” app on your smartphone. As it downloads you will be asked “What church do you want to connect with”—insert “determinetruth” as the church name you wish to follow (and Mesa as the city if needed). Then you will be asked if you want the tithe.ly logo or the Determinetruth logo—choose the Determinetruth logo. Once it finishes installing, you will be good to go. Show Notes:  NJ is the bride: described as a city; which is a temple; which is only the Holy of Holies  12 occurrences of 12: 3x in 21:12: “twelve gates”; “twelve angels” “the names of the twelve tribes 3x in 12:14 “twelve foundation stones”; “twelve names of the twelve apostles”  1x in 21:16 “12,000 stadia.”  2x in 21:21 “the twelve gates are twelve pearls.”  1x in 22:2, the Tree of Life has “twelve fruits.”  2x in 21:17? “144 cubits” (12x12) Twelve jewels  They likely recall the twelve stones of the High Priest's breastplate (Exod 28:17-20 LXX; 39:8-14) John does not see a temple because the whole city is the temple (21:22). Two key themes: Throne of God heaven-comes down The nations redeemed Outside: (see 22:15) how can there be an “outside” if the NJ fills the whole earth?  God dwelling entire creation with His people Eden was to expand and fill the Earth “Whole earth is full of His glory” Isa 6:3 22:1-5 New Jerusalem as Eden River of the water of life is the Holy Spirit  The Tree of Life (22:2) There will no longer be any curse (22:3) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it (22:3).  They shall see His face 22:4 (Exod 33) His Name will be on their foreheads (22:4) No more night (22:5) They [His servants] will reign forever and ever (22:5; see 1:6; 5:10; 20:6)  

What Are The Real Numbers of Genesis 5 and 11? MT vs. LXX vs. SP ft. Andrew Steinmann --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/zach-miller743/support

We finish this study of the Orthros Ascent Songs by reading Psalm 131-133 (LXX)/132-134 (MT) in the light of Holy Week, 2 Samuel (2 Kingdoms) 6-7, and several Church Fathers. Our final scene is that of harmony with Christian brothers and sisters from every tribe and nation, and peace with God, as we bless His name in the heavenly sanctuary.

We finish this study of the Orthros Ascent Songs by reading Psalm 131-133 (LXX)/132-134 (MT) in the light of Holy Week, 2 Samuel (2 Kingdoms) 6-7, and several Church Fathers. Our final scene is that of harmony with Christian brothers and sisters from every tribe and nation, and peace with God, as we bless His name in the heavenly sanctuary.

Isaiah 7:14 is quoted by Matthew (1:23) in application to Mary's pregnancy: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son.” But is Isaiah's reference to a young woman (עַלְמָה) or a virgin (παρθένος)? The former is the Hebrew of Isaiah, and the latter is the Greek of the Septuagint and Matthew's citation. Can Genesis 24 shed some light on this question? Dr. Emanuel Tov is the J. L. Magnes Professor of Bible Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Among his roles, he was one of the editors of the Hebrew University Bible Project and was Editor-in-Chief of the Dead Sea Scrolls Publication Project (1990-2009). His many publications include Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible: Revised and Expanded Fourth Edition and The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3xE2mOx  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3TVabGY 

Matt takes listeners through Psalm 45 LXX (46 MT). This Psalm is well-known ("Be still, and know that I am God"; NRSV, v. 10), but many people might not be aware of its eschatological context -- the first clue of which can be found in the LXX superscription ("For the end"). What, for instance, does this Psalm have to do with the temple visions of Ezekiel and Revelation? And how does all this connect to the Creation story of Genesis 1? Listen to find out! + + + Check out Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://a.co/d/7fuglXx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Support the podcast via Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠

I've been researching the meaning of the Greek word kephale ("head") for the last several months and I've been blogging about my findings over at  theologyintheraw.com This podcast episode is the first (quite long) summary of how I understand the meaning of kephale in extra-biblical Greek literature; namely, the LXX, secular Greek literature, and the early church fathers. In the next episode, I'll work through the meaning of kephale in the book of Ephesians; specifically, its use in 1:22, 4:15, and especially 5:23. Support Theology in the Raw through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theologyintheraw

Matt takes a deep dive into Psalm 22 LXX (23 MT). Lots of questions are explored. For example, what is meant by "soul" in v. 3? And what does it have to do with the body? Moreover, what sort of image is evoked in v. 5, where God sets a table "opposite those who afflict" the psalmist? Furthermore, how might Christians understand this "table" in light of what Paul says about the Eucharist in 1 Corinthians? + + + Check out Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://a.co/d/7fuglXx⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Support the podcast via Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠

In Romans 14-15, Paul appeals to his christological convictions to help believers learn how to navigate for themselves life within a church full of different opinions. But he does this by way of appealing to Scripture, particular to Psalm 68 (LXX) in Romans 15. Matt argues that Paul's use of Scripture here -- like the many times before in Romans -- occurs within the context of a story so important to Paul, namely, the story of God's plan to use Israel to bless the nations (Genesis 12). This episode takes listeners through Romans 15:1-13 while revisiting the concept of a "storied approach" to Scripture. In doing so, one betters sees how the story Paul tells was envisioned by him to impact life within the community of God. + + + Pre-order Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lexham Press⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠

He prophesied in the time of Joachim, just before the Jewish people were taken into captivity in Babylon. He himself escaped captivity, and after Jerusalem was destroyed, returned to his homeland. Once he was taking some food to his harvesters when an Angel transported him to Babylon to feed the Prophet Daniel in the lions' den, then bore him back to Judea (this is told in the full version of the book of Daniel, ch. 6 LXX). The third chapter of his prophecy is used as the Fourth Ode of the Matins Canon(the Ode is usually sung in full only in monasteries during Lent, but the eirmos of the Fourth Ode, sung in many parishes, usually refers to the Prophet). His holy relics were found through a revelation in Palestine during the reign of Theodosius the Great, and a chapel built there. His name means "Father of the Resurrection."