Podcast appearances and mentions of Robert Alter

Buchkritik - Deutschlandfunk Kultur

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 57:24

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 57 minutesSynopsis: Tonight (1/29/24), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we began a new perek! I chose this one because of the famous opening line (which is central to the Rambam's writings about praising Hashem). As usual, we spent much of this first session reading and translating the perek, and BOY WAS IT A TEETHBREAKER! The words, grammar, and syntax in this perek are NOT simple! Still, we hobbled together a translation, then stuck with Robert Alter's translation for our analysis. We identified a viable pivot point and raised a bunch of questions. Next time (בג"ה), we'll try to develop a theory about the theme or the main idea, either on our own or with the help of meforshim.-----מקורות:תהלים פרק סה-----The Torah content for the rest of January is sponsored by Avital, “to continued growth, learning and clarity IY”H. Thank you for all your guidance!”-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

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Robert Alter: „Amos Oz“ - Friedensaktivist, Pragmatiker und Moralist

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 5:44

Als wortgewaltiger Verfechter der Zweistaatenlösung wurde Amos Oz von Ultranationalisten ebenso angegriffen wie von Antizionisten. Nun wird der 2018 verstorbene israelische Schriftsteller und Friedensaktivist erstmals in einer Biografie gewürdigt. Martin, Marko www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

als nun marko biografie schriftsteller verfechter amos oz moralist robert alter lesart pragmatiker

Psalm 58 is a unique psalm which I call Song of the Sociopath. It describes the intractability of certain souls who resist the righteous path and are bent on persecuting the innocent. Such a person was King Saul's counselor, Abner, who, traditions teaches, was the inspiration for this psalm. (Read 1Samuel 26.) On a different note, this psalm is one of the most difficult to translate. Hence, I present here three translations: The English Standard Version, the Robert Alter translation, and the Artscroll Publishers translation. We should not be surprised that grappling this psalm is as difficult as understanding the twisted mind of the sociopath. For more teachings by Grant Luton (and to print the notes), visit our website: https://www.TorahTodayMinistries.org And when you visit, be sure to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, which will keep you up to date with news, photos, and upcoming events at Torah Today Ministries.

song psalm king saul sociopaths abner english standard version tehillim robert alter

Job, Chapter 1A: A Test of Faith

The Book of Job

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 9:12

This episode covers the first half of Chapter 1. It will be the only chapter covered in two parts. "And there was a man in in the Land of Uz" begins the one of the oldest and most universal books of the Hebrew Bible. And Job (Īyyōv) was his name. There is no mention of Job being Jewish, as lacking is any reference to the covenant. There is some scholarly thought that this episode stems from around the time Abraham was called by God from Ur, Mesopotamia. Uz is considered east of Israel, across the Jordan. Scholars often regard Uz as mythical -- think, for example, how the Land of Oz was inspired by the Land of Uz. Whether actual or allegorical, Uz is a sphere where Job was the greatest of men. Job was upright and blameless though the King James likely misses the mark by indicating “perfect.” Job served in a priestly function where he offered sacrifices, an implicit acknowledgement of the Lord's power and human frailty. Job was God-focused and holy. He feared the Lord and avoided evil. He is close to the ideal man who faces the ultimate test of faith. Scholars (including Robert Alter) note this Book to be a masterpiece of the original language, with a rich repetition of ideas through Hebrew parallelism. The words of one line relate to others, frequently the immediately following line, in a variety of artistic ways. Especially in the first few chapters, the language says so much with limited wording. Job was exceptionally wealthy, in his bountiful family as well as with material possessions. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. He had a multitude of servants, as well as 7,000 sheep and 3,000. As the ideal father, Job set up each of his sons for success. Each would host the family on a special occasion, perhaps a birthday. In this rotating bliss, all could undertake the responsibility. On such days, Job would make a burnt offering to the Lord, thinking there was a chance any of his sons could have cursed God in their hearts. We are then transported to a Celestial forum. There came a day, that the Sons of God, came to stand in attendance before the Lord. Among the Sons of God was Satan or the Adversary. The superior translation from ancient Hebrew is ha'Satan, which stresses an identifiable function, more than a name. The ha'Satan can be thought of something like an Inquisitor, performing necessary but harsh work. The Lord posed a question to Satan - From where does though comest? There was no warm greeting, but more of an acknowledgement of an unbeloved visitor. The response: From roaming the earth, and walking up and down in it. The implication is the Devil is here on earth with us, all around, serving in his designated capacity. The Lord then queries: Have you paid head to my Servant Job, for there is none like him? The Adversary proffers the fundamental question of the Book -- Does Job Fear God for Nothing? We see Satan's role cast as a cynic. He poses a question tempting the ultimate power, which takes things a step further than the Serpent tempting Eve in the Garden. What lacks is any semblance of a demonic personification. There is more nuance, where Satan has a role to play in the Lord's grand order. Satan continues, Have you not made a hedge about him, this household and all that he has? You have blessed the work of his hand. And spread his flocks. And yet, reach out you Your hand and touch all that he has. Will he not curse you to Your face? Satan is essentially asking, Let Me Test his Faith. And the Lord responded to Satan, All that he has is in Your hands. Only against him do Not reach out Your Hand. This essentially means - don't kill him. Satan got what he wanted and left, without a word wasted. Satan then went out from the presence of the Lord. There is some thought that Job, as the ideal man, stands in for us all. For if the Lord granted Satan the authority to test his beloved son, surely Satan has the grant of authority, ability and desire to test us all.

Does the God of the Old Testament and Jesus have different moralities?

Curiously Kaitlyn

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 32:45

Pastor and theologian Corey Widmer is back, this time to talk about how to read the Bible well, how to understand violence in the Bible, and how to think about the Trinity. This week, an older kid asks "Does the God of the Old Testament and Jesus have different moralities?" Dr. Widmer teaches us how understanding who God is can help us better understand confusing or even horrifying stories in Scripture. - Sponsor - The National Association of Evangelicals - Listen to the Difficult to explore how Christians can become peacemakers. Go to https://www.nae.org/podcasts/difficult-conversations/ to check it out! - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order Book Resources: The God I Don't Understand by Chris Wright Old Testament Ethics for the People of God by Chris Wright Getting Involved With God: Rediscovering the Old Testament by Ellen Davis The Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert Alter

god jesus christ bible christians scripture old testament pastor difficult widmer biblical narrative robert alter

572 Isaiah 9.6 Explained: A Theophoric Approach

Restitutio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 58:26

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).

god jesus christ new york spotify father chicago english israel peace bible man moving future child french young christians philadelphia walking seattle german kings psalm jewish birth gods jerusalem chatgpt rev hebrews old testament ps fathers arkansas warrior minneapolis new testament caring egyptian kraft louisville chapters comparing hebrew driver commentary mighty roberts wa ot vol oracle square israelites academia counselors richardson leaning edited alt pharaoh accessible translation torah rat luther handbook davies yahweh carlson damascus persons williamson norton rad judea evangelical prov grand rapids mighty god planner notion prophecies niv ruler good vibes nt wonderful counselor pele everlasting father rosenberg translating nineveh my god little rock jer abi isaiah 9 esv ogden holy one sar deut kjv godhead thess translators maher ix peabody nlt wilhelm audio library godlike assyria john roberts midian curiosities kimchi chron dead sea scrolls national library yah assyrian shi chicago press pharaohs assyrians plunder thayer padua shlomo near east speakpipe ezek baumgartner judean wegner owing wunderbar cowley rashi davidic unported cc by sa pater keil eze ashkenazi rober sennacherib paul d tanakh bhs in hebrew eternal father isaiah chapter tanach eliab jabal lsb exod holladay oswalt asv reprint kgs esv for nevi jubal assyrian empire ure lxx new york oxford university press chicago university robert alter ibid bdb abravanel masoretic 23a altamonte springs samuel david ben witherington god isa ben witherington iii sefaria leiden brill isaiah god joseph henry tze john goldingay jewish publication society ultimately god sean finnegan maher shalal hash baz edward young delitzsch catholic biblical quarterly njb bdag septuagint lxx for yahweh marc zvi brettler vetus testamentum first isaiah walter bauer hermeneia raymond e brown thus hezekiah other early christian literature leningrad codex edward j young

1 Samuel 16:1-13 - The Gospel According to Samuel

Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Austin

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2024

The anointing of David in 1 Samuel 16 is soaked in literary irony; Israel's King was supposed to “hear” the word of the LORD and obey. Not only does Israel not hear the warning of their prophet, Samuel, against their desire for a king, making them like the other nations, but their first king suffers from selective hearing. In chapter 15, the use of “hearing” and Saul's failure to heed the LORD's word and the warning of His prophet contrasts with a truer king soon to be anointed in David. Samuel is also the “seer” of Israel but fails to “see” Saul rightly, choosing him as king for his appearance. All this sets up for a beautiful catastrophe cast in the opening line of chapter 16. Here, God inaugurates His own divine plan for Israel; “How long will you grieve over Saul? Fill your horn with oil, and go.” In other words, it is now the LORD's turn to choose a king for His people. Samuel repeats his foolish choice in Eliab, who mirrors the appearance and charisma of Saul, but the LORD saves Israel from its savior (Dale Ralph Davis) and shows the reader what true sight is: “The LORD looks on the heart.” Beauty arises not externally but internally, and the Lord's “sight” discerns true beauty and true kingliness. His vision passes over all of Jesse's sons except one. David, the beloved son, the runt, the ugly duckling, the one not even invited to the sacrificial service or called by his father to be considered for kingship left to his domestic chores, is ironically the one “seen” by God as Israel's king. Here is a continuation of the great surprise of God's sight and the great reversal of our cultural expectations. Robert Alter compares David to the story of Cinderella. But the key is the source of David's inner beauty. He is a shepherd of the sheep. A man of sacrifice. A man capable of tender and gentle love. A man of great courage. A man attuned to the voice of the True Shepherd. God has seen His king in David, and in this ancient fairytale, our deepest longing rises to the surface, “Does anyone see me?”

god lord israel beauty fill 1 samuel gospel according eliab robert alter

#292: Indiana Absurd

Smarty Pants

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2024 27:32

The late Budi Darma, one of Indonesia's most beloved writers, spent a formative chapter of his life far from home, studying at Indiana University in the 1970s. He wrote a series of strikingly lonely short stories that would go on to form the collection People from Bloomington, first published in Indonesian in 1980. A man befriends his estranged father only to control him and ends up controlled himself. Someone steals his dead roommate's poetry and enters it into a competition. Another character desperately tries to make contact with the old man across the street who may or may not be trying to shoot people from his attic room. With this absurd but oddly real little collection—and with his next novel, Olenka, also Indiana-inspired—Darma ascended into the pantheon of Indonesian literature, winning numerous awards, including the presidential medal of honor. Budi Darma may be barely known in the United States, but Tiffany Tsao—who has recently translated People from Bloomington for Penguin Classics—hopes that an English-language audience is ready to embrace this unparalleled Indonesian artist.Go beyond the episode:Budi Darma's People from Bloomington, translated by Tiffany TsaoRead Tsao's post in memory of Budi Darma, who died in August 2021Check out these other Indonesian writers mentioned in the episode: Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Umar Kayam, Chairil Anwar, Ajip RosidiWant to hear more about the art of translation? Listen to these conversations with German-English translator Susan Bernofsky, Bible translator Robert Alter, Malagasy writer Naivo and his translator Alison Cherette, and Tibetan-English translator Tenzin DickieTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Have suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

united states english bible indiana indonesia acast indiana university indonesians absurd bloomington penguin classics darma malagasy robert alter german english phi beta kappa society stephanie bastek

The David Story: Hannah's Faith and Eli's Failure

Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024 32:03

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the basic theological precepts of 1 and 2 Samuel before introducing Justin Jackson, professor of English at Hillsdale College. First and Second Samuel tell the story of Saul and David, Israel's first two kings. These Old Testament books depict the importance of the relationship between father and son and the consequences of sin for the sinner, his family, and his nation. While David's transgressions lead to great tragedy for himself and Israel, his penitence shows a path toward redemption. First Samuel opens with the stories of two faithful parents, Hannah and Eli. Hannah raises her son, Samuel, to be faithful, while Eli fails to correct his sons, Hophni and Phineas, and their sins bring defeat to Israel. Robert Alter's The David Story: https://shop.hillsdale.edu/collections/books/products/the-david-storySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

english israel failure phineas hillsdale college justin jackson first samuel hophni second samuel robert alter storysee david story

The David Story: Hannah's Faith and Eli's Failure

The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2024 32:03

english israel failure phineas hillsdale college justin jackson first samuel hophni second samuel robert alter storysee david story

Mishlei 14:29: The Relationship Between Anger and Understanding (Part 1)

The Mishlei Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 45:55

Mishlei 14:29: The Relationship Between Anger and Understanding (Part 1) אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם רַב תְּבוּנָה, וּקְצַר רוּחַ מֵרִים אִוֶּלֶת:Length: 45 minutesSynopsis: This morning (4/15/24), in our morning Mishlei shiur, we began our analysis of one of my favorite pesukim about anger. We developed a few approaches on our own and concluded by reading Metzudas David. Tomorrow (בג"ה), after a review, we'll learn an AMAZING Rabbeinu Yonah and then see what the other meforshim have to say. -----מקורות:משלי יד:כטרס"גתרגום כתוביםתרגום השבעיםRobert Alterרמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות דעות ב:גמצודת דוד-----The Torah content from now through Pesach has been sponsored by the Koffsky family, in loving memory of Adira (a"h), who loved big ideas and asking big questions.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_

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381: Psalms — A Sheep in the Mirror

house psalm psalms mirror sheep commentary robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 56:03

Brent Billings, Reed Dent, and Josh Bossé discuss Psalm 23.“House of God Forever” by Jon Foreman — YouTubePsalm 23 — WikipediaThe Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter

379: Psalms — Every Season of Life

language harvard university hebrew explanation translation heresy hebrew bible robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 62:06

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Reed Dent as he launches a series on the Psalms.Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty SolomonFree at Last by dc Talk — YouTube“[Psalm] 40” by dc Talk — YouTubeThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterThe Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert AlterThe Art of Bible Translation by Robert AlterPreaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible by Thomas G. LongBEMA 349: The Chosen S3E8 — “Sustenance” (Bonus Episode)The Message of the Psalms by Walter BrueggemannBird by Bird by Anne LamottHelp, Thanks, Wow by Anne LamottAnswering God by Eugene H. PetersonPraying the Psalms by Thomas Merton

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Exploring Psalm 105 – R. Sally Shore-Wittenberg, Anastasia Solberg, Meli Solomon

Living Our Beliefs

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 41:01

Episode 61. Rabba Sally Shore-Wittenberg and Anastasia Solberg join me for a compelling discussion about Psalm 105, one of Rabbi Nachman's ten Psalms for General Remedy. Using different translations, we delve into its connection to the Passover story and the roles of Joseph and Moses. Themes include seeking divine intervention, the power of individuals in the face of challenges, and the symbolic implications of seeking God's presence. Highlights: · Plagues struck Egypt, leading to Israel's exodus.· Role of key figures Joseph and Moses.· Desperate cry from the pit of despair.· Personal agency and divine intervention.· Symbolic meaning of "seeking God's face".· Concept of praying for healing through collective energy.Books and People Referenced in this episode: · The ten Psalms for General Remedy, according to Rabbi Nachman – Psalms 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150· Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms (2007)· Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, 1808-1888· Gaya Aranoff Bernstein, Psalmsongs (2013)· Koren Weekday Siddur (with Rabbi Jonathan Sacks translation) (2006) · Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, 1772-1810 Social Media links for the guests:Rabba Sally Shore-Wittenberg, Kerhonkson Synagogue – https://www.kerhonksonsynagogue.orgAnastasia Solberg, The Music Institute of Sullivan and Ulster Counties, Ellenville NY – https://misucatskills.org/ Social Media links for Méli:Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.orgLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melisolomon/Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066435622271Transcript: Follow the podcast!The Living Our Beliefs podcast offers a place to learn about other religions and faith practices. When you hear about how observant Christians, Jews and Muslims live their faith, new ideas and questions arise: Is your way similar or different? Is there an idea or practice that you want to explore? Understanding how other people live opens your mind and heart to new people you meet. Comments? Questions? Email Méli at – info@talkingwithgodproject.org The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project – https://www.talkingwithgodproject.org/

#51: The Hebrew Bible - Language, Translation, and "The Heresy of Explanation": An Interview with Robert Alter

The Bible (Unmuted)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 64:34

In this episode, Matt talks with Dr. Robert Alter (PhD, Harvard University) about his Hebrew Bible translation. They discuss translation theory in general and what Alter calls "the heresy of explanation." A range of other topics are discussed as well: How the language of the Hebrew Bible compared with the everyday language of an ancient Hebrew, the poem in Jeremiah 20, the two creation stories of Genesis 1-2, as well as Alter's personal writing practices through the years and a new book he's working on. About Robert Alter: https://complit.berkeley.edu/user/260 Alter's Hebrew Bible translation: https://www.amazon.com/Hebrew-Bible-Translation-Commentary-Three/dp/0393292495/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IM1Z1D0CYETK&keywords=alter+bible+translation&qid=1551481284&s=gateway&sprefix=alter+bible%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1 + + + Pre-order Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/End-World-You-Know-Really/dp/1683597125/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QDN940K0TNGN&keywords=the+end+of+the+world+as+you+know+it&qid=1706044398&sprefix=the+end+of+the+world+as+you+know+it%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-1 Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠

1/17/24 | Exodus 32:13-14

ot third sunday exodus 32 year b robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2024 9:36

Year B, Third Sunday of Epiphany Today, I used Robert Alter's OT translation and commentary source for my reading. Want one for yourself? You can order a copy here.

1/16/24 | Psalm 62:5-13

psalm old testament third sunday year b robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2024 8:33

Year B, Third Sunday of Epiphany Today, I used Robert Alter's Old Testament translation. You can find your own copy here if you'd like to get one.

1/15/24 | Jonah 3:1-5, 10

ot jonah 3 third sunday year b robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 8:50

Year B, Third Sunday of Epiphany Today, I used Robert Alter's OT translation. You can pick up your own copy here.

1/9/24 | Psalm 29

old testament baptism psalm 29 year b robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2024 8:53

Year B, Baptism of the Lord For the Old Testament reading, I'm using Robert Alter's translation. You can get your own copy here.

1/8/24 | Isaiah 42:1-9

old testament baptism translation year b robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2024 10:12

Year B, Baptism of the Lord For the Old Testament readings, I'm using Robert Alter's Translation. You can pick up a copy, here.

12/27/23 | 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

1 samuel year b robert alter

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2023 11:54

Year B, First Sunday After Christmas Here's a link to Robert Alter's Old Testament Translation

Episode 241 - Second Interview with Robert Alter (Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Comparative Literature - University of California, Berkeley)

Musically Speaking with Chuong Nguyen

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 45:13

Originally Recorded July 31st, 2023About Professor Robert Alter: https://jewishstudies.berkeley.edu/people/robert-alter/Check out Professor Alter's essay on Liberties, titled What Flaubert Taught Agnon: https://libertiesjournal.com/articles/what-flaubert-taught-agnon/ Get full access to Unlicensed Philosophy with Chuong Nguyen at musicallyspeaking.substack.com/subscribe

hebrew professor emeritus comparative literature liberties robert alter university of california berkeley literature university originally recorded july

367: Isaiah — Burdens

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 47:11

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear Isaiah communicate the comprehensive and exhaustive nature of how God carries the burdens of all nations, not just the ones that bear His name.Presentation for Isaiah — Burdens (PDF)NIV Archaeological Study BibleNIV Cultural Backgrounds Study BibleThe Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert AlterCross Vision by Gregory A. BoydCrucifixion of the Warrior God by Gregory A. Boyd

god commentary presentation crucifixion burdens bema robert alter warrior god gregory a boyd

Tehilim 121 REDUX: Esa Einai (Part 1)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 61:09

Length: 1 hourSynopsis: This evening (11/15/23), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we began relearning Tehilim 121, which I gave shiur on in May 2022. I found a new approach I wanted to share, but we spent all of tonight analyzing the perek on our own, which was really thought-provoking. Next time (בג"ה) we'll attempt to learn the perek according to the Sforno.-----מקורות:תהלים פרק קכאRobert Alter's translation-----The Torah content for the remainder of this week has been sponsored by those who make recurring contributions via Patreon and Chase. You are the bedrock of support for everything I teach. If you're interested in becoming a Patron, go to www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, become a paid subscriber to my substack at rabbischneeweiss.substack.com and you'll gain access to exclusive Torah content. Thank you ALL my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

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Tehilim 142: a Maskil Tefilah in a Cave (Part 1)

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2023 63:40

Length: 1 hour 3 minutesSynopsis: This evening (11/2/23), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we began a FRESH (read: unprepared) analysis of Tehilim 142, which our yeshiva has been saying in response to the current war with Hamas. We spent tonight reading, translating, and raising questions on the text. Next time (בג"ה) we'll try to answer these questions and figure out what this perek means.-----מקורות:תהלים פרק קמבRobert Alter, Tehilim 142מצודת דוד - תהלים קמב:ארש"י שםרד"ק שםמאירי שםאבן עזרא שםספורנו שםר' אליה די נולה שם-----This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously in the hope that we will hear less sad news about things we can't control and learn more Torah to bring about change in ourselves, and in those aspects of the world which we can control.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

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364: Isaiah — Opening Provocations

holy meaning commentary ache bema provocations robert alter tommy brown

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 53:32

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey into the text of Isaiah, hearing the call of a father to his stubborn children.The Ache for Meaning by Tommy BrownThe Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by Robert AlterBEMA 51: 1 Isaiah — VineyardIsaiah: Holy, Holy, Holy — Derrick Rohr, Campus Christian Fellowship

Tehilim 130: A Song of Ascents - From the Depths I Called You, Hashem

history israel israelis literature activist memoir icon judaism nobel prize biography yale university press amos oz robert alter jewish lives

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 69:25

Length: 1 hour 9 minutesSynopsis: This evening (10/25/23), in our Wednesday night Tehilim shiur, we learned Tehilim 130, which many of us have been saying in response to the current war between Israel and Hamas. With Hashem's help, we were able to engage in a complete analysis - from translation, to questions, to a comprehensive understanding. I now feel like I understand what I'm supposed to be feeling, thinking, and doing while saying this perek, and I hope that by saying it with this new understanding, we'll be able to move one step closer to the redemption promised at the conclusion.-----מקורות:תהלים פרק קלRobert Alter, Tehilim 130:6מאירי - תהלים קל:א,דספורנו - תהלים קל:ורמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות תשובה ד:ו; ו:ד; ז:ה-----This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously, in honor of everyone who is doing the work of "lech lecha'ing."Q: What is "lech lecha'ing"?A from sponsor: "Exiting comfortable stasis for the sake of achieving (likely uncomfortable, but divinely necessary) purpose."-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

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Mishlei 14:5 - A Liar is a False Witness ... Really? (Part 1)

The Mishlei Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 47:00

Mishlei 14:5 - A Liar is a False Witness ... Really? (Part 1) עֵד אֱמוּנִים לֹא יְכַזֵּב וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָׁקֶר:Length: 46 minutesSynopsis: This morning (10/25/23), in our morning Mishlei shiur, we began learning what may very well be the most obvious sounding pasuk I've ever seen. Robert Alter comments: "This is one of those proverbs that verges on tautology." Accordingly, we had to make an extra effort to find chidushim (novel insights) - and chidushim we found! Tomorrow (בג"ה) we'll see what the meforshim have to say.-----מקורות:משלי יד:התרגום רס"גמלבי"ם - ביאור המילות-----This week's Torah content has been sponsored anonymously, in honor of everyone who is doing the work of "lech lecha'ing."-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

paypal substack liar torah venmo alternatively zelle false witness whatsapp group robert alter mishlei stoic jew machshavah lab mishlei podcast rambam bekius tefilah podcast rabbi schneeweiss torah content fund matt schneeweiss

AMOS OZ

The Jewish Lives Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 28:19

Amos Oz (1939–2018) was one of Israel's most prolific and prominent writers, as well as a regular contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the author of dozens of novels, essay collections, and novellas written between 1965 and shortly before his death.Join us with celebrated scholar Robert Alter, author of the new Jewish Lives biography Amos Oz: Writer, Activist, Icon, as we explore the life and work of the legendary writer.

Character Matters | Courage - 1 Samuel 17: 32-50 - Clint Leavitt

The Spring Midtown

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2023 43:01

Sermon Resources: 1. hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - the fear of long words 2. “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. 'He that will lose his life, the same shall save it,' is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book. This paradox is the whole principle of courage - a man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it. A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine.” -G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy 3. “True courage is facing your heart's greatest nightmare and doing the right thing anyway.” -Tim Keller, Sermon on Jan. 25, 2004 4. Bob Newhart - STOP IT sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvujypVVBAY 5. “The thematic purpose of this exceptional attention to physical detail is obvious. Goliath moves into the action like a man of iron and bronze, an almost grotesquely quantitative embodiment of a hero, a hulking monument to an obtusely mechanical conception of what constitutes power and courage.” -Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative 6. “The intent of the encounter is to make clear yet again that Yahweh “saves,” not with the conventions of human warfare but in Yahweh's own inscrutable ways.” -Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation Commentary 7. “That suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage...that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed.” -Ivan Karamasov, The Brothers Karamazov

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Wisdom Wednesday: God In The Wilderness, Psalm 23

Peakland UMC

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 4:33

Grace and peace to you. I'm Rev. Joe Cailles, the pastor of Peakland United Methodist Church in Lynchburg Virginia. Today is Wednesday, July 19, 2023 Throughout the month of July, we at Peakland have been reading and discussing this book: God in the Wilderness, written by Rabbi Jamie Korngold. This past Sunday morning in worship, I discussed chapter 6 of the book, Hear the Still Small Voice Within. We read the story of Elijah who was on the run following a religious battle between the priests of Baal and him. Elijah won the battle but Queen Jezebel threatened his life, so Elijah ran away to hide in the wilderness. Feeling pushed beyond his limits, he cries out to God to end his life. God doesn't do that but comes to Elijah with a still small voice, providing comfort and presence. The good news for us is that when we are pushed to our limits, God is with us too, and as followers of Jesus Christ, when we see those around us who are pushed to their limits, then Christ directs us to be a calm comforting resence helping each other and those in need around us. Next Sunday, July 30, I'm covering chapter 7 of the God in the Wilderness book. The chapter is called Restore Your Souls Beside Still Waters and features the beloved Psalm 23. Many of us know the King James Version of Psalm 23 by heart. For this Sunday, I'll have us read a version of Psalm 23 written by Robert Alter, a professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at Berkley. The King James version of Psalm 23 ends with Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Robert Alter's version ends in a way he says is more accurate to the Hebrew: Let but goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for many long days. That makes sense to me. Psalm 23 speaks of God's care and provision in these days. God provides food and water and restful places to us now. God is present with us now even when enemies surround us, even as the shadows of death cover us. This is an important reminder that God isn't just in heaven waiting for us when we die. God is in the here and now. We Christians believe God is our Good Shepherd, and he's not just waiting for us in the fields of eternity, his Holy Spirit is with us now, providing us comfort and care now, helping us to provide comfort and care to those around us now. In her book, Rabbi Jamie pairs Psalm 23 with the book of Job, who is wailing to God about his suffering. Why am I suffering? Why does anyone suffer? I'll talk about the connection on Sunday in worship, join me here at Peakland in person for worship at 8:30 in the sanctuary. At 9:45 we have the Horizons worship in the fellowship hall, and at 11:00 we're back in the sanctuary with our in person and online worship service. All are welcome. Everyone. Always. Thanks be to God.

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Choosing Jesus

Camden First United Methodist Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2023 24:19

Robert Alter describes the first twelve chapters of Joshua as ruthless and the last twelve chapters at tedium. The first twelve chapters remind us of our current culture of completely fidelity to a leader no matter how harmful. We have another choice.

jesus christ robert alter

5. The Bible as Literature | Dr. Robert Alter

The Podcast of Jewish Ideas

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2023 77:28

In this episode J.J. and Dr. Alter explore the literary approach to the Bible, Dr. Alter's magnificent translation, and the impact of both of these works on the study of Bible in the university and the yeshiva. Also typescenes and how Dr. Alter met his wife at a modern-day well. Robert Alter is Professor of the Graduate School and EmeritusProfessor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He is amember of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, theAmerican Philosophical Society, the Council of Scholars of theLibrary of Congress, and is past president of the Association ofLiterary Scholars and Critics. He has twice been a GuggenheimFellow, has been a Senior Fellow of the National Endowment for theHumanities, a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies inJerusalem, and Old Dominion Fellow at Princeton University. He haswritten widely on the European novel from the eighteenth century tothe present, on American fiction, and on modern Hebrew literature.He has also written extensively on literary aspects of the Bible. Histwenty-eight published books include two prize-winning volumes onbiblical narrative and poetry and award-winning translations ofGenesis and of the Five Books of Moses. He has devoted book-length studies to Fielding, Stendhal, Nabokov, and the self-reflexivetradition in the novel. Books by him have been translated into tendifferent languages. Among his publications over the past thirtyyears are Necessary Angels: Tradition and Modernity in Kafka,Benjamin, and Scholem (1991), Imagined Cities (2005), Pen ofIron: American Prose and the King James Bible (2010),The Art ofBible Translation (2019), and Nabokov and the Real World 2021).His completed translation of the Hebrew Bible with a commentarywas published in 2018 in a three-volume set. In September 2023 hisbiography of Amos Oz will appear.In 2009 he received the Robert Kirsch Award from the Los AngelesTimes for lifetime contribution to American letters and in 2013 theCharles Homer Haskins Prize for career achievement from theAmerican Council of Learned Societies. In 2019 the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Letters conferred on him an award for literature.He has been given honorary degrees by Yale, Northwestern, theHebrew University of Jerusalem, and three other institutions.

Faith and the Daily Grind

HersheyFree Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 40:27

In response to Sarah's laughter, God asks: “is anything too hard for the Lord?” The term 'hard' communicates the idea of wonder. In other words, her daily grind has robbed her of her awareness of God's awe and transcendence. When God does provide a child, Sarah laughs again. Robert Alter notes that this text implies that Sarah has the freedom to laugh at herself. She has discovered the joy of God working through the daily grind.

god lord daily grind robert alter

Faith and the Daily Grind

HersheyFree Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2023

god lord daily grind robert alter

Ep. 327 - Behar-Bechukotai with Miranda Bass

Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2023 57:39

WOW!!! This week, you're hearing for the first time ever on our podcast Master of Sacred Music Gabe Snyder and RABBI Amanda K. Weiss! Woohoo! (Chazak chazak v'nitchazek!) We're not done learning yet! We still have the extraordinary Miranda Bass who walks us through the significance of service (both to the Temple and to your country). Navigating the political landscape is never an easy adventure, but it's worthwhile to use our values as a compass and our community as a guide. How we treat each other makes a huge difference to where we end up—even when it's just finding a common ground when we stand in disagreement with one another. Oh right! And don't forget…rest is radical and holy. (Also…#crimedoesntpay against people OR institutions). Some source links: Robert Alter's Translation: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393292497 Jubilee Year: https://myjewishlearning.com/article/sabbatical-year-shemitah-and-jubilee-year-yovel Ibn Ezra: https://myjewishlearning.com/article/abraham-ibn-ezra To continue the conversation: Miranda's email: mbass10000@gmail.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it's a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

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Robert Alter - The Art of Biblical Podcasting Ep. 86

Good Faith Effort

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2022 63:34

The Bible is the most important and influential work ever. And nothing has been more influential on the development of the English language over the last 500 years than the translation of the Bible into English. And whether from literary, political-institutional, cultural or religious perspectives, the Bible has been deeply formative in shaping the West as we know it. So how should we engage with this text? Some say we should heed its commands; others that we should try to understand it in the context of ancient history; still others say we should examine how it has influenced the world we live in. But probably the most underrated way to engage the Bible is just…to read it. So what would it look like to attune our ears to the Bible's literary character? To unpack this Ari spoke with the most influential living Biblical scholar, and author of a magisterial translation of the entire Hebrew Bible, Robert Alter. In this epic conversation they spoke about what makes translation different than other types of interpretation; Biblical terms for physical relations; the King James Version of 1611; various “untranslatable” phenomena; the Biblical concept of “soul”; Samuel and Saul; whether the Bible thinks political order is possible; reader questions (!); Rashi; rabbinic midrash; Franz Kafka and Jewish mysticism; Moby Dick; and much more! Good Faith Effort is a production of Bnai Zion and SoulShop.

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10.13.22: Big Board's Eric Flannery & Buckeye Institute's Robert Alter Interview

O'Connor & Company

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2022 7:07

The Big Board restaurant owner Eric Flannery and The Buckeye Institute President Robert Alt joined WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" radio program on Thursday about their win in court against the D.C. government. Restaurant website: http://thebigboarddc.com/ Website: https://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/ The Buckeye Institute Wins Yet Another COVID Mandate Case https://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/research/detail/the-buckeye-institute-wins-yet-another-covid-mandate-case UPDATE THIS MORNING: BREAKING: Buckeye Sues Washington D.C. Government Over Unconstitutional Emergency Orders https://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/research/detail/the-buckeye-institute-sues-washington-dc-government-over-unconstitutional-emergency-orders For more coverage on the issues that matter to you, visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 FM from 5-9 AM ET. To join the conversation, check us out on Twitter: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile and @heatherhunterdc.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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#227: Indiana Absurd

Smarty Pants

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2022 27:05

The late Budi Darma, one of Indonesia's most beloved writers, spent a formative chapter of his life far from home, studying at Indiana University in the 1970s. He wrote a series of strikingly lonely short stories that would go on to form the collection People from Bloomington, first published in Indonesian in 1980. A man befriends his estranged father only to control him and ends up controlled himself. Someone steals his dead roommate's poetry and enters it into a competition. Another character desperately tries to make contact with the old man across the street who may or may not be trying to shoot people from his attic room. With this absurd but oddly real little collection—and with his next novel, Olenka, also Indiana-inspired—Darma ascended into the pantheon of Indonesian literature, winning numerous awards, including the presidential medal of honor. Budi Darma may be barely known in the United States, but Tiffany Tsao—who has recently translated People from Bloomington for Penguin Classics—hopes that an English-language audience is ready to embrace this unparalleled Indonesian artist.Go beyond the episode:Budi Darma's People from Bloomington, translated by Tiffany TsaoRead Tsao's post in memory of Budi Darma, who died in August 2021Check out these other Indonesian writers mentioned in the episode: Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Umar Kayam, Chairil Anwar, Ajip RosidiWant to hear more about the art of translation? Listen to these conversations with German-English translator Susan Bernofsky, Bible translator Robert Alter, Malagasy writer Naivo and his translator Alison Cherette, and Tibetan-English translator Tenzin DickieTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek and sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.Subscribe: iTunes • Stitcher • Google Play Have suggestions for projects you'd like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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The Learning Curve: UC-Berkeley Prof. Robert Alter on the Hebrew Bible's Wide Literary Influence (#83)

The Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2022 44:16

This week on “The Learning Curve,” co-hosts Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Dr. Robert Alter, Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of the landmark three-volume book, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary. As Jews around the world celebrate Passover this week, Dr. […]

E83. UC-Berkeley Prof. Robert Alter on the Hebrew Bible's Wide Literary Influence

The Learning Curve

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2022 44:16

3.1 Introduction

Finnegan and Friends

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2022 32:59

This season, we're rambling through and beyond a book sacred in multiple traditions, a book that keeps generating debate and commentary and tangents. It's the Hebrew Bible, home to Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and his Ark, David and Goliath, and prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel. Here, in a season we're calling "Mosaic Mosaic," it especially prompts conversations about the mysteries of thought and language. The novelist Joshua Cohen explains in this episode that the Hebrew Bible poses fundamental questions about language. As he puts it: "Why are there letters, actually? Why do the letters form words? This is the most basic question of the Bible." There, language makes things happen on a grand scale. God creates the world by language, by declarations: "let there be light"—Cohen mentions the idea that "one could create life through the combination of letters." And in the Bible, after Adam comes to life, he gives names to things and thereby begins exploration of the world by language. Here's Robert Alter's translation of that scene in Genesis: And the LORD God fashioned from the soil each beast of the field and each fowl of the heavens and brought each to the human to see what he would call it, and whatever the human called a living creature, that was its name. The poet, translator, and MacArthur genius Peter Cole speaks of "the burden of the Bible," which he calls a "pain in the desk chair"; yet he adds that "everything is somehow in it, but only if you use it as a tool for reflection, or a prism, so that both you and the world end up in its pages somehow, refracted by the text." The written word can align past and present, or antiquity with you, the contemporary reader, and some sort of harmony might occasionally result. (Elisa Gabbert, speaking of poetry generally, describes in this show the experience of encountering a text that "feels like how you're feeling.") At the end of our last season, on 1,001 Nights, radio host Hearty White recounted this realization: "When you're talking about Bible stories, you're not talking about Bible stories at all. It's an excuse to talk about other things. It's just a jumping off point." Along those lines: this season, we're starting with the Bible and jumping into explorations of language, the mind, emotions, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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David's Last Words (2 Samuel 20-24) - Bible Love Podcast

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 25:01

Today we finish up 2 Samuel, and look back at David's successes, failures, and God's presence throughout his life. We also talk about weird ways the Biblical story is sometimes chopped up into books, chapters, and verses. Questions for reflection this week: - How do we wrestle with God's presence in our good times and bad times? - What can we learn from David's final words? Links mentioned in today's episode: - The David Story by Robert Alter (https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393320770) - The Bible Project's overview of 2 Samuel (https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-samuel/) - Check us out on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQt8M5fw3DImMNZKCHgBRNw) The show music is "Silver Lining" by Brent Wood, licensed under Soundstripe

The Roof and the Battlefield (2 Samuel 11-20) - Bible Love Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2022 35:09

Today we're joined by the Rev. Jared Houze, rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Amarillo, Texas). We continue through 2 Samual as we talk about scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and the worst pain imaginable. Questions for reflection this week: - Where have you seen God redeem broken and hurting parts of your life? - How is God present with us in unimaginable suffering? Links mentioned in today's episode: - The Rev. Jared Houze (http://www.standrewsamarillo.org/) - Michael Longley's poem "Ceasefire" (https://poetryarchive.org/poem/ceasefire/) - The David Story by Robert Alter (https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393320770) - The Bible Project's overview of 2 Samuel (https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-samuel/) - Check us out on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQt8M5fw3DImMNZKCHgBRNw) The show music is "Silver Lining" by Brent Wood, licensed under Soundstripe

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Grateful Hearts (2 Samuel 5-10) - Bible Love Podcast

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2022 27:38

Today we continue 2 Samuel! We talk about young leadership, hearing God in the voice of those around us, and gratefulness in the hard times. Questions for reflection this week: - How do I find the gratefulness today, just as David did? - Who in my life helps me hear God? Links mentioned in today's episode: - The David Story by Robert Alter (https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393320770) - The Bible Project's overview of 2 Samuel (https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-samuel/) - Check us out on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQt8M5fw3DImMNZKCHgBRNw) The show music is "Silver Lining" by Brent Wood, licensed under Soundstripe

Hope in the Mess (2 Samuel 1-4) - Bible Love Podcast

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2022 28:07

Today we dive into 2 Samuel and the life of David! We talk about war, lamentations, and God's hope in the mess. Questions for reflection this week: - How can we use David's lament for Saul and Jonathan in our own process of lament? - What can we learn about resilience from the life of David? Links mentioned in today's episode: - The David Story by Robert Alter (https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393320770) - The Bible Project's overview of 2 Samuel (https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-samuel/) - Check us out on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQt8M5fw3DImMNZKCHgBRNw) The show music is "Silver Lining" by Brent Wood, licensed under Soundstrip

Divine Deliverance (Overview of 2 Samuel) - Bible Love Podcast