Tag: KIng James Bible (KJV)

Posted in Exposition

What is Man? The significance of Psalm 8

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

After the two introductory psalms (1-2) and a group of lament psalms (3-7) comes Psalm 8, the first hymn of praise in the Psalter. It is indeed a hymn of praise but also straddles several categories, such as; individual psalm, royal psalm, wisdom psalm and nature hymn. In this song of praise the psalmist, possibly David, celebrates both the majesty of Israel’s God YHWH and the dignity of humanity. He reflects upon the Creator’s relationship with his creation; focusing on the role of human beings. Always in the background is the Creation account in the opening chapters of the book of Genesis.

The Title of Psalm 8

The psalm itself gives no clue as to its author or date of composition but the superscription says it is ‘of David’ (composed or collected by David) and gives instructions to the director of music for its performance upon the Gittith, presumably in the first Jerusalem Temple. Gittith is an adjective meaning ‘from Gath’ so this was probably a musical instrument or tune that originated in Gath. This word also occurs in the titles of Psalm 81 and 84.

STRUCTURE

Psalm 8 is framed in an envelope (the technical term is inclusio) consisting of an opening exclamation of praise to YHWH (O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!) that is repeated verbatim at the end of the psalm. The opening line sets out, and then the exact repetition confirms, the main theme of the psalm which is the majesty of the Lord.

Also of interest structurally is the word meh translated ‘How’ in v.1 and v.9 and ‘What’ in v.4. According to Sommer (2020, p.18) ‘this word appears. . . at the beginning, exact midpoint, and end of the poem.’ He then observes: ‘Relating to God, the word introduces a statement of amazement mingled with solemn admiration; relating to humanity, it introduces a sentence that belittles.’

1a – Exclamation of Praise

1b-2 – God’s Glory and Dominion

3 – The Grandeur of God’s Creation

4 – What is Man?

5 – The Glory of Mankind

6-8 – The Authority of Mankind

9 – Exclamation of Praise

EXPLANATION

1a – Exclamation of Praise

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 8:1a

The opening word of the psalm is YHWH so it begins (and ends) with an exclamation of praise addressed directly to Israel’s God. The psalmist represents the whole community of faith (our Lord) in ascribing majesty and splendour to YHWH.

‘Our Lord’ (’ādôn) – ‘master’ or ‘king’ – this title speaks of the power and superiority of YHWH.

how excellent is thy name – YHWH is the great I AM who revealed his name to the Israelites via Moses:

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

YHWH’s name represents who and what he is. His name is excellent, marvellous, magnificent, lofty, high, majestic.

in all the earth – Unlike the deities worshipped by the surrounding tribes and nations YHWH was not a local or regional deity restricted to Israel but was ruler in all the earth – i.e. throughout the world.

all – ‘All’ is an important word in Psalm 8- see vv. 1, 6, 7, 9.

1b-2 – God’s Glory and Dominion

. . . who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Psalm 8:1-2

Israel’s God is so powerful that he has set his own glory on or above the heavens yet has incredible ways of working; establishing his power on that which seems to be weakest. God uses the faith expressed by sucklings (babies – not yet weaned – up to about 3 years of age at that time) and older infants (not babes) who can barely speak to establish a bulwark against the enemy and the avenger. Some commentators view the enemy and avenger as forces opposed to the order of creation (e.g. Chaos, Satan, Evil) over whom YHWH gained dominion, others as people who refuse to acknowledge YHWH’s power or worship him.. Verse 2 is said to be ‘enigmatic’ and there are ‘interpretive issues’ with it (i.e. no-one knows what it really means) but the gist of it seems to be that God can use what is insignificant to silence the wicked and can do great things with very little (cf. 2 Cor 12:9; Heb 11:34). This verse was quoted by Jesus in Mt 21:16.

3 – The Grandeur of God’s Creation

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; Psalm 8:3

Verses 3 continues the theme of God’s majesty. The psalmist contemplates the night sky and is so overcome by its grandeur and vastness with the heavenly bodies (moon and stars) set in place by YHWH that he starts to ask a question that he does not complete. Sommer (2020, p.16) comments:

‘The psalmist begins to describe his amazement at humanity’s place in the cosmos, but he utters only the first half of this sentence: before completing the thought, he moves on to an exclamation of surprise. . . Thus this verse begins with a “when” clause but does not explicitly give us the “then” clause, whose sense we understand from context: “When I see Your heavens, Your fingerwork, Moon and stars that you fixed in place – [I am compelled to marvel) or [I find myself thinking].”‘

Other nations worshipped the heavenly bodies as gods but for Israel and the psalmist they were evidence of YHWH’s creative power. In fact, from YHWH’s point of view they weren’t all that impressive; they were just his ‘fingerwork.’

4 – What is Man?

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psalm 8:4

MAN’S PLIGHT

What the psalmist was thinking is expressed in v.4. The sky at night causes the psalmist to cry out in praise at the realisation of who God is and the fact that he bothers with mere mortals. The first word translated ‘man’ is enôš – man in his frailty and weakness. Son of man is ‘son of Adam’ reminding us that man is earthly. Adam caused mankind to fall and be separated from God yet God occupies himself with humanity.

In contrast to the splendour of the heavens man seems so insignificant but God

  • ‘is mindful’ – calls to mind – and then acts i.e. he does things for mankind.
  • ‘visits’ – pays attention to – i.e. he cares for mankind.

Similar thoughts are expressed in the book of Job:

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? Job 7:17

Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm? Job 25:5-6

Job, however, argues that man is worthless but the psalmist quickly moves on from that to become conscious of man’s true greatness.

5 – The Glory of Mankind

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Psalm 8:5

MAN’S POSITION

Man, in fact, is not insignificant. God has made him a little lower (in degree, i.e. not much lower) than divine. The word translated ‘angels’ is elohim which is ambiguous. It can mean God, gods, supra-natural beings. Mankind is not divine but is not insignificant. He is not a celestial being but God has made him a king – crowned him with glory and honour – dignity and splendour are words used of royalty.

Note: the psalmist is thinking here of man’s exaltation but the writer to the Hebrews in 2:6-9 turns the verse on its head and uses it as proof of the humiliation of Christ. He also says that the proper fulfilment of the verse will be by Jesus Christ in the future.

The apostle Paul in 1 Cor 15:27 quotes the verse but changes the second person to the third person and uses it to argue for the future subjection of ‘all things’ (the universe) to Christ. Perowne (1898, p.156) comments:

St. Paul, however, extends the meaning of the “all things ” far beyond this. Jesus, as the true Lord of all, shall have a universal dominion, He must reign till He have put all enemies under His feet. But as yet we see not all things put under Him. Sin, and death, and hell are up in arms against Him, and these are yet to be subdued. Death, says the Apostle, is the last enemy which shall be destroyed. It is evident, then, that David’s “all things” and Paul’s “all things” are not the same. The one is thinking of the visible world, the other of the invisible. The one is praising God for His goodness to man in making him lord over beasts, and birds, and fishes; the other is thinking of a conflict with principalities and powers, which Christ conquers and which man can only conquer in Christ. The one speaks of that which is, the other of that which is to come.

6-8 – The Authority of Mankind

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. Psalm 8:6-8

MAN’S PURPOSE

Not only has man been made a king but he has been given a territory and subjects. He has been given responsibility to rule -‘ have dominion’ (Gen 1:26-28) over creation and everything has been ‘put under his feet.’ This is a term for subjugation (Psa 47:4). Verses 7-8 explain what is meant by the ‘all things’ of v.6.

  • sheep and oxen – domesticated animals on land.
  • beasts of the field – animals that live on land but are not farmed.
  • fowl of the air – birds – they live both in the air and on land.
  • the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas – fish and larger sea creatures that live only in water.

In other words, mankind has dominion throughout the whole earth.

Psalm 8:6 is a favourite of environmentalists who try to harmonise ‘dominion’ with modern eco-ethics and argue that it does not mean that humanity has the right to plunder and exploit earth’s natural resources but rather preserve, maintain and take care of them. Many religious leaders link spirituality and the environment and use theology to influence attitudes and actions towards stewardship of the earth.

9 – Exclamation of Praise

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9

This concluding exclamation of praise repeats the introductory line, only now worshippers of the Lord have a better idea of what it means. The psalmist has begun by contrasting God’s magnificence with human insignificance. Then he realises that in spite of the smallness of man compared with the vastness of creation God has, surprisingly, given humanity an exalted status. He is overawed by the majesty of God’s name and the dignity bestowed on mankind.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Barth, C. F. (1966). Introduction to the Psalms. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York

Perowne, S. (1898). The Book of Psalms : a New Translation, with Introduction and Notes Explanatory and Critical. Andover, W. F. Draper.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Abernethy, A. T. (2017). Is Psalm 8 a Messianic Psalm? Reading Psalm 8 as Christian Scripture. Reformed Faith & Practice, Vol.2, No.2, pp.5-17

Bosman, T. (2022). Rulers or servants?: A Re-reading of Psalm 8 Concerning the Place of Humankind in the Age of the Anthropocene. Scriptura, Vol. 121, No.1, pp.1-10

Kraut, J. (2009). The Birds and the Babes: The Structure and Meaning of Psalm 8. Jewish Quarterly Review, Vol. 100, No.1, pp.10–24.

Maré, L. P. (2006). Psalm 8: God’s Glory and Humanity’s Reflected Glory. Old Testament Essays, Vol.19, No.3, pp. 926-938

Middleton, J. R. (2013). The Role of Human Beings in the Cosmic Temple: The Intersection of Worldviews in Psalms 8 and 104. Canadian Theological Review, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 44-58

Sommer, B. (2020). Commentary on Psalm 8: Hebrew Humanism, in עיוני מקרא ופרשנות י”א: מנחות ידידות והוקרה ליעקב כדורי (Biblical Studies and Interpretation XI: Homages and Tributes to Yaakov Kaduri).

Talstra, E. (1996), Singers and Syntax. On the Balance of Grammar and Poetry in Psalm 8. in J.W. Dyk (ed.), Give Ear to My Words. Psalms and other Poetry in and around the Hebrew Bible. Kok Pharos Publishing House, Kampen, pp. 11-22.

Posted in Exposition

Psalm 7: David’s Prayer for Justice

Posted on by writtenexposition


INTRODUCTION

Psalm 7, categorised as a lament, is a prayer for divine help and vindication by someone who has been falsely accused – possibly of breaking a treaty. According to the superscription, this psalm was written by King David during a time of intense personal attack so it reveals the emotional and spiritual response of a man wrongly accused yet confident in God’s righteous judgment.

The Hebrew title of this psalm reads: A Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. This might place the psalm in the turbulent period when David was fleeing from King Saul. The incident referred to in the superscription is not recorded in the Old Testament but the title identifies the person who slandered David as a certain Cush, from Saul’s own tribe of Benjamin. The specific accusations appear to have been particularly vicious: we can infer from vv.3-5 that David was supposed to have appropriated spoils that did not rightfully belong to him and had returned evil for good. The precise meaning of Shiggaion is unknown and the word appears elsewhere only in Habakkuk 3:1. Some scholars suggest that it may describe a song that is passionate or deeply moving.

The theme of Psalm 7 is the psalmist’s appeal to God for justice when falsely accused. Rather than take revenge into his own hands or defend himself through political manoeuvring David brings his case before the ultimate judge. The psalm begins with an urgent plea, followed by a solemn oath of innocence, an expression of trust in God’s righteous judgment and ends with a note of triumphant praise. The psalmist invokes the Lord with a variety of divine names and titles, e.g. YHWH, Elohim, El, and Elyon.

DIVISION

1-2 David’s Supplication

3-5 David’s Submission

6-9 David’s Seeking

10-16 David’s Sanctuary

17 David’s Song

EXPLANATION

DAVID’S SUPPLICATION (1-2)

O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

The psalmist begins by establishing that he has a personal relationship with the deity, whom he directly addresses as O Lord my God. This is the first place in the Book of Psalms where we find the names YHWH and Elohim occurring together and this is repeated at the beginning of v.3. As far as the psalmist is concerned all human support has vanished so now he takes refuge in God alone. He is obviously in trouble for he appeals to the Lord his God with two imperatives: save me and deliver me; requesting rescue from all his persecutors. ‘Persecute,’ which occurs again in v.5, means to chase after, to pursue with hostile intent.

Verse 2 begins with lest (‘otherwise’).The psalmist now provides a reason why YHWH should deliver him; it is because he believes his enemies will show him no mercy if they catch him. The switch from the plural them (v.1) to the singular he (v.2) suggests that although the psalmist is facing a co-ordinated campaign by multiple individuals there may be a single foe who is prominent – the psalm title identifies this enemy as Cush the Benjaminite.

The urgency of David’s prayer comes across in vivid imagery. Lions tear their prey with savage violence so the simile like a lion is apt coming from David, a former shepherd who has personally fought and killed a lion to protect his flock (1 Samuel 17:34-37). He knows exactly what being torn by a wild animal involves. The phrase while there is none to deliver smacks of despair. Without YHWH’s help he will not survive.

DAVID’S SUBMISSION (3-5)

O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy) Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

David begins his second appeal with the repetition of O LORD my God. Verses 3-5 contain an assertion of innocence of the crimes of which he has been accused. David then submits himself to God’s scrutiny and asks if the slanderous accusations are by any chance correct and if he could possibly be at fault. If so he will bow to appropriate punishment.

His request is presented in the form of three clauses beginning with ‘if‘ which are followed by an implied ‘then.’ This constitutes an oath equivalent to ‘I swear I have not done such and such.’ The psalmist tells YHWH that if he has done something to merit the wrath of his enemies then let him be exposed to their violence.

  • if I have done this – this phrase tells us that specific accusations have been made against the psalmist, who rejects these particular charges..
  • if there be iniquity in my hands – if I have committed fraud.
  • if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy) – This likely refers to Saul. Despite relentless persecution, David had twice spared Saul’s life – once in a cave (1 Samuel 24:4) and again taking his spear while he slept (1 Samuel 26:12). These incidents showed that David harboured no murderous intent, as Saul himself recognised: And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. 1 Samuel 24:17-19

Note: there are difficulties with the end of the third ‘if’ clause which reads literally ‘and if I rescued my enemy.’ This reading makes rescuing one’s enemy a crime. It does not make sense so many translations emend the verb ‘delivered’ to ‘plundered.’ For a technical discussion see Tigay’s 1970 article ‘Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties.’

Having referred the charges to God the psalmist is so utterly convinced of his own innocence that the consequences he proposes involve the taking of his own life.


DAVID’S SEEKING (6-9)

Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

Having examined his own heart and found himself innocent of the specific accusations David confidently proposes divine action against his false accusers. Believing that God’s righteous anger will be directed for, rather than against, him he calls upon God to intervene and vindicate him. Addressing God in the second person (‘you’) he uses 3 imperatives – rise up, lift up and wake up.

Since God is the one who has commanded justice in the first place (i.e. that the innocent be protected and guilty punished) David calls upon him to set up a tribunal and dispense justice with an assembly of the nations gathered to witness it. As Charney (2013, p.60) comments: ‘Calling the nations as witnesses puts God on the spot; God’s reputation is at stake if justice is not done.’

David claims righteousness in this specific matter, asking God to examine the case and judge between him and his accusers. In v.8 he issues another imperative, judge me, to God. Since David is righteous and God is a righteous judge (v.9b) David has nothing to fear. Having just mentioned the nations David’s prayer broadens to encompass universal justice: the righteous God (elohim) examines hearts and minds (kidneys – seat of emotions) and makes clear who is wicked and who is righteous.

DAVID’S SANCTUARY (10-16)

My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

(10-11) David proceeds to explain the implications of God’s judgement for both parties. David is righteous (upright in heart) so he knows that God (elohim) will protect him and deliver him. He also knows that in saving the upright God brings judgement upon the wicked (v.10) – in fact, ’ēl is enraged [with the wicked] each day.

(12-13) Verses 12 and 13 which elaborate on the fate of the wicked are difficult because the subject of the verbs is unclear. The use of the 3rd person singular pronoun (he) does not help. God is clearly the subject of the verbs in vv. 10-11 and the wicked the subject in v.14 so where does the subject change? Is the ‘he’ of vv.12-13 referring to God or to the wicked? Charney (2013, p.60) observes:

As many commentators have noted, the engineer of the evil-doer’s fate is left open by the use of third-person singular pronouns in vv. 13-14. Is it God who sharpens the sword, pulls back the bow, and readies the tools of death? Or is it the enemy sharpening the sword and pointing it at “himself” The psalm offers two routes by which evil may be defeated—by God’s direct intervention in history and by a cosmic order in which evil deeds eventually bring commensurate consequences.

If the subject is God then the psalmist depicts him as warrior using sword, bow, arrows and tools of death against the wicked. If the subject is the enemy then the idea is that his increasing violence gives birth to all kinds of evil.

(14-16) The metaphor in v.14 compares sin to pregnancy and childbirth. The wicked person conceives evil, becomes pregnant with mischief, and then gives birth to lies. Verse 15 brings a new image, a vivid illustration of poetic justice. It is of someone digging a pit with the intention of snaring an enemy but he himself falls into his own trap. Verse 16 elaborates: the trouble intended for others comes back upon the perpetrator himself. Evil schemes have a way of backfiring on those who devise them. Some biblical examples of this principle are:

  • Haman built gallows to hang Mordecai but was himself hanged on them (Esther 7:9-10)
  • Daniel’s accusers threw him into the lions’ den, but they and their families were themselves devoured by the lions (Daniel 6:24)
  • The Jewish leaders who said of Jesus, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’ (Matthew 27:25) saw Jerusalem destroyed within a generation.

The imagery of the wicked man’s violent dealings coming down on his ‘crown’ (the top of his head) suggests a crushing blow from above; perhaps this refers to divine judgement.

DAVID’S SONG (17)

I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

(17) In this final verse the psalmist shifts from lament to a vow of praise. He affirms his trust in God’s righteous character and expresses deep gratitude by committing himself to public worship of the Lord, even in advance of seeing the answer to his prayer. The one he praises is YHWH elyon – the LORD most high – who is above all earthly powers and circumstances.

SUMMATION

In Psalm 7 David defends his innocence and pleads with God for justice and protection. He expresses confidence that God will vindicate the righteous and therefore asks for deliverance from his enemies.

The psalm addresses one of the most painful human experiences, that of being falsely accused and slandered. It is therefore a useful reference for believers who find themselves having to cope with and handle such a situation.

  • Bring your problem before the Lord in prayer (v.1).
  • Honestly assess whether the accusations have any merit (v.2).
  • Be confident that God will vindicate you in his time and his way (v.6).
  • Be assured that God will test all hearts and minds (v.9).
  • Don’t presume to know when or how God will act, the delay might be to allow time for the wicked to fall into his own trap. (vv.10-16).
  • End your prayers with worship, praising the LORD most high for his righteous character even before you see the answer (v.17).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Charney, D. (2013). Maintaining Innocence Before a Divine Hearer: Deliberative Rhetoric in Psalm 22, Psalm 17, and Psalm 7. Biblical Interpretation, Vol. 21, No.1, pp.33–63.

Jones, E. (2025). Prayer and (Im)Politeness: Reading Psalm 7. Old Testament Essays, Vol. 37, No. 3, pp.1–22.

Obiorah, M. J. (2021). Reality of insecurity in Psalm 7 and Christian Mission in Nigeria. Verbum et Ecclesia, Vol. 42, No. 1.

Tigay, J. H. (1970). Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties. Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 89, No. 2, pp.178-186

Posted in Exposition

From Tears to Trust: Divine Discipline and Deliverance in Psalm 6

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 6 is the fourth of five individual laments (Psalms 3-7) placed near the beginning of the Psalter. According to Mandolfo (2014, pp115-116) ‘the following features are typical of most lament psalms:

1. Invocation —the initial cry to God to take notice
2. Complaint —the description (usually general) of the psalmist’s suffering that
includes a complaint either against God or some enemy/ies
3. Request —the psalmist petitions God to act on the psalmist’s behalf
4. Expression of Confidence —often a recital of God’s trustworthy characteristics
5. Vow of Praise —assurance of praise that will follow deliverance (though the verbal tenses in this section are sometimes ambiguous).’

Psalm 6 is a lament by a very sick person who is suffering both physical illness and spiritual distress and calls for divine help. There also seems to be external pressure from enemies who gloat over his difficult situation. It appears that the psalmist understands his illness to be as a consequence of sin that has incurred divine discipline. Generally speaking, the Israelites held to the ancient belief that sickness was caused by sin. They had a personalistic medical system (as opposed to the modern naturalistic system in which disease is caused by heat, cold, damp, germs etc.).

Foster (1976, p.775) gives the following definition: A personalistic medical system is one in which disease is explained as due to purposeful intervention of an agent, who may be human (a witch or sorcerer), nonhuman (a ghost, an ancestor, an evil spirit), or supernatural (a deity or other very powerful being). The sick person literally is a victim, the object of aggression or punishment directed against him, for reasons that concern him alone. Personalistic causality allows little room for accident or chance; in fact, for some peoples. . . all illness and death are believed to stem from the acts of the agent. Since YHWH is the cause of the psalmist’s potentially fatal illness and therefore his only hope for recovery that is why the psalmist pleads for divine mercy.

Although Psalm 6 contains no direct confession of guilt or explicit cry for forgiveness of sin the Western Christian Church, probably basing its thinking on the mention of God’s anger in v.1, identified this as the first of seven so-called Penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) suitable for ritualistic use, e.g. on Ash Wednesday. Oesterley (1955, pp.108-109) mentions that: ‘. . .the mediaeval Church, in its use of the seven penitential psalms, referred each to what were held to be the seven deadly sins ; the saying of each of these psalms was believed to act as a deterrent against committing these sins ; thus Ps. 6, contra iram; Ps. 32, contra superbiam; Ps. 38, contra gulam; Ps. 51, contra luxuriam; Ps. 102, contra avaritiam; Ps. 130, contra invidiam; Ps. 143, contra acediam. These psalms were not regarded as penitential by the Eastern Church.’ Note – the Latin phrases mean: against anger; pride; gluttony; lust; greed; envy; sloth.

TITLE

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN ON NEGINOTH UPON SHEMINITH, A PSALM OF DAVID.

Psalm 6 is said to be ‘of David’ – i.e. composed by David or collected by him. The psalm was used for liturgical purposes in the Temple and the title gives instructions to the musical director. It is to be accompanied with stringed music (Neginoth) upon ‘the eighth’ (Sheminith). What Sheminith means is unclear. Suggestions include an instrument with eight strings or the eighth tune of a song that has eight tunes (cf. 1 Chron 15:21; Psa 12 title).

STRUCTURE

Most scholars divide Psalm 6 into three sections; each of which opens with an imperative, followed by reasons for the instruction.

1-3 – A PLEA FOR MERCY – THE FOCUS IS ON YHWH


4-7 – A PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE – THE FOCUS IS ON THE PSALMIST


8-10 – A DECLARATION OF FAITH –THE FOCUS IS ON THE FOES

EXPOSITION

A PLEA FOR MERCY (1-3)

(1) Psalm 6 begins with the Lord – YHWH is the first word. This divine name occurs 5 times in the first 4 verses and 3 times in the last 3 verses, 8 times in all. It has been said that the first 5 occurrences are petitionary and the last 3 celebratory.

In vv.1-4 verses the psalmist cries out ‘O Lord’ several times in order to attract YHWH’s attention. These verses contain 7 petitions, two of which are in v.1

  • PETITION 1 – rebuke me not in thine anger – as later verses will make clear the psalmist has a life-threatening illness which he interprets as punishment from God (cf. Psa 41:4; Hos 6:1). Possibly aware that he has sinned, the psalmist does not plead innocence but cries out to YHWH asking him to mitigate the punishment and refrain from reproving him in anger.
  • PETITION 2 – neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure – this statement repeats the same idea; ‘do not rebuke me in hot anger.’ Note the parallelism: anger – hot displeasure, rebuke – chasten.

The sentiment expressed in v.1 is similar to that in Jeremiah 10:24: O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Psalm 6:1 is repeated in 38:1.

(2) The two petitions in v.1 are negative whereas the two in v.2 are positive.

  • PETITION 3 – Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak – hoping that the deity will be moved by his distress the psalmist ask that YHWH have mercy on (ḥānan – be gracious toward) him because his condition is deteriorating.
  • PETITION 4 – O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed – ‘Heal’ means to make whole, restore to a healthy state. ‘Bones’ stand for the whole body. ‘Vexed’ – means shaking or terrified. Physically the psalmist is in a weakened condition.

(3) His ‘soul’ (inner being with thoughts and emotions) is ‘sore vexed’ – even more terrified than his body. Psychologically he is in a state of fear or panic. This psalm recognises that there are physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of suffering. In desperation the psalmist begins to ask an agonising question – How long. . .? – that is common in laments (cf. Psa 35:17; 62:3; 74:10; 80:4; 90:13; 94:3) but is so emotional and overwhelmed by his circumstances that he does not complete the question.

A PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE (4-7)

(4-5) Verse 4 basically sums up what has already been said in vv.1-3. Verse 4a contains 3 imperatives. These are followed in vv.4b and 5 by an appeal to two things that the psalmist thinks should motivate YHWH to fulfil his requests.

  • PETITION 5 – return, O LORD – The psalmist asks the Lord to retreat, to change his mind and make him better.
  • PETITION 6 – deliver my soul – draw me out, extricate me from danger.
  • PETITION 7 – oh save me – bring me to a place of safety

MOTIVE 1 – The psalmist appeals to YHWH’s integrity – for thy mercies’ sake – He does not merely say ‘according to thy mercies’ but ‘for the sake of thy mercies’ (a plural word), i.e. so that YHWH’s mercy will not be brought into disrepute. ‘Mercy’ is ḥesed – the Lord’s covenantal, faithful, enduring love for his people. The psalmist suggests that failure on the part of YHWH to intervene and deliver him would amount to disloyalty.

MOTIVE 2 – The psalmist appeals to YHWH’s vanity – For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? – Allowing him to die would have implications for YHWH as well as the psalmist – YHWH would lose a worshipper on earth – YHWH is praised and worshipped here but that does not happen in Sheol, in the abode of the dead God’s name is absent. The psalmist suggests that it would therefore be in YHWH’s self-interest to intervene and spare him.

(6-7) In the first section the focus is on YHWH – ‘Lord’ occurs 5 times in vv.1-4. In this section the focus is on the psalmist who describes how he feels (in effect this is a prayer) and refers to himself 5 times. His statements are hyperbole – poetic exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally.

  • I am weary with my groaning – He has been severely ill for a long time and is physically exhausted.
  • all the night make I my bed to swim – He is sleepless (and rich – a bed was a sign of wealth) and weeps incessantly.
  • I water my couch with my tears – He melts his bed – his situation has brought him to tears, he is very distressed.
  • Mine eye is consumed because of grief – his eye (representing his whole body) is wasting away – his overall health is failing.
  • it waxeth old because of all mine enemies – he has aged prematurely because his foes are exploiting the situation – they are threatening him.

A DECLARATION OF FAITH (8-10)

Psalms of lament often feature a sudden change of mood. At v.8 the psalmist, remembering YHWH’s past help, gains the confidence to tell his enemies to go away and leave him alone. The last few verses focus on the psalmist’s enemies, they are mentioned 3 times: mine enemies v.7; workers of iniquity v.8; mine enemies v.10.

Somehow or other the psalmist has become convinced that YHWH has heard his prayer, taken it seriously and is ready to respond favourably. He says: ‘the Lord hath heard’ twice (vv.8, 9) and ‘the Lord will receive’ once (v.9). This new-found assurance enables him not only to dismiss his enemies, whose activities must have contributed to his distress, but to pray that that they would retreat (return), and that his and their situations would be reversed; i.e., that they too, suddenly (in a moment) might become sick, humiliated and disgraced. This reversal will be brought about by YHWH’s power and the psalmist will be vindicated.

SUMMATION

Psalm 6 serves as an example to believers for whom life seems to be falling apart and who find themselves tearfully unable to cope with any more trouble and pain. The psalm is an encouragement to handle discouragement, confusion and suffering by honestly crying out to God rather than meet the situation with stoicism or denial.

The psalm shows that it is possible to grapple with such agonising questions as ‘Why is this happening to me?’ and ‘How long will my suffering last’ without loss of faith. Even when life is grim the believer can trust in God’s unchanging character and covenant love and, even should the suffering arise from divine chastening (Heb 12:6-11), persevere and fervently appeal to God’s mercy and grace in anticipation of deliverance and restoration.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Alter, R. (2009). The Book of Psalms: a Translation with Commentary. New York ; London: W.W. Norton.

Brueggemann, W. and W. H. Bellinger, Jr (2014). Psalms. New York: Cambridge University Press.

‌Declaissé-Walford, N. L., Jacobson, R.A. and Tanner, B. L., (2014). The Book of Psalms. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Mandolfo, C., (2014).  ‘Language of Lament in the Psalms’, in William P. Brown (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms, Oxford Handbooks Oxford University Press.

Oesterley, W. O. E. (1955). The Psalms: Translated, with Text-critical and Exegetical Notes, London: S.P.C.K

Perowne, S. (1898). The Book of Psalms : a New Translation, with Introduction and Notes Explanatory and Critical. Andover, W. F. Draper.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Foster, G. M. (1976). Disease Etiologies in Non-Western Medical Systems. American Anthropologist, Vol. 78, No.4, pp.773–782.

Garro, L. C. (2000). Cultural Meaning, Explanations of Illness, and the Development of Comparative Frameworks. Ethnology, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp.305–334.

Wiele, T. V. D. (2020). Theologies of Illness, Now and Then: Reading Psalm 6 in Light of Personalistic Medicine Systems. Horizons in Biblical Theology, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp.143–158.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Ronchetto, K. (2016). Lamenting a Wasting Disease: A Commentary on Psalm 6. Studies in Mediterranean Antiquity and Classics: [online] Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/classicsjournal/vol4/iss1/1 [Accessed 19 Feb. 2026].

Sperling, S.D. (2018). Psalm 6 in Comparative Perspective. Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society, [online] Vol. 33, No.1. Available at: https://janes.scholasticahq.com/article/4369-psalm-6-in-comparative-perspective [Accessed 19 Feb. 2026].

Posted in Exposition

Psalm 5: Facing A New Day With Faith

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 5 is traditionally understood as a morning prayer composed by King David. Its setting is an unspecified time when he was under pressure – possibly from opponents making life-threatening false accusations against him. The psalm is also classed as a personal lament since it contains the main elements of lament – invocation, complaint against enemies, petition and expression of hope – see the Introduction to my post on Psalm 3.

David begins the day by committing his distress to the Lord: asking him to hear, guide and protect him. His prayer focuses on the deliverance of the righteous who experience God’s goodness and protection and contrasts them with the wicked who bring God’s judgement upon themselves because of their evil words and deeds.

The superscription TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN UPON NEHILOTH, A PSALM OF DAVID attributes the psalm to David and and supplies a musical instruction. The meaning of ‘Nehiloth’ is unknown but it is thought to refer to flutes.

STRUCTURE

1-3 PETITION

4-6 CONDEMNATION OF THE WICKED

7-8 WORSHIP

9-10 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WICKED

11-12 DIVINE BLESSING OF THE RIGHTEOUS

EXPOSITION

PETITION (1-3)

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

The psalmist starts with an opening appeal to YHWH to listen to his petition. In vv.1-2 he uses three imperatives that are typical of lament:

  • Give ear – listen or heed – he asks God to be available
  • Consider – pay attention, understand – he asks God to be attentive
  • Hearken – listen attentively – he asks God to be acquainted with his problem.

These lend urgency to the psalmist’s impassioned request for the Lord to hear and understand his situation and presumably intervene on his behalf. The depth of his distress is conveyed in v.1 with the juxtaposition of ‘my words’ and ‘my meditation.’ ‘Words’ describes the feelings that the psalmist is able to articulate whereas ‘meditation’ (sighing or groaning) points to distress so profound that it cannot be expressed coherently in words. The psalmist is confident that the Lord understands and responds not only to what can be put into words but also to unspoken turmoil and burdens that can only be felt.

In v.2 David’s prayer becomes even more intense when he addresses YHWH as ‘my God’ and ‘my King.’ David was king of Israel but he recognised the fact that YHWH was his king; the one who had the right to govern and rule his life. The idea of YHWH as king may be traced back as far as the Song of Moses which ends with ‘The Lord shall reign forever and ever’ (Exod 15:18). ‘My God’ intimates that David was in a close covenant relation ship with the Lord. The verse ends with the assertion that he prays exclusively to YHWH; he does not worship other gods as well.

Like Psalm 3 this is a morning psalm (cf. 143:8) because that is when David says he prays to the Lord. The repetition of ‘morning’ may suggest priority; David consciously seeks God in advance of the decisions, conflicts, or temptations that he would experience during the day. ‘Direct’ means to arrange or set in order – thus David’s prayer was not an afterthought, he was was disciplined and consistent – unlike some of us who are rather haphazard as regards prayer. ‘Look up’ means to watch. Perhaps ‘look out’ would also be an appropriate translation. Confident that YHWH hears his prayer David eagerly awaits the answer. Jesus said: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22

  • The task – ‘I will pray’
  • The time – ‘in the morning
  • The tranquillity – ‘I will look up’

Ralph Spaulding Cushman (1945, pp. 84-85) wrote a little poem called THE SECRET on this theme:

I met God in the morning,
When my day was at its best
And His presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered;
All day long He stayed with me;
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them
Brought to us a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind.
When I too had loosed the moorings
With the Presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way;
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day.

CONDEMNATION OF THE WICKED (4-6)

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. –God’s holiness
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. – God’s hatred
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. – God’s harshness

‘For’ introduces the reason for David’s confidence in prayer; it is based on the certainty that YHWH is holy. YHWH’s rejection of the wicked and their evil deeds is expressed in a series of six statements; three negative and three positive:

  • thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness – YHWH is not a God who enjoys wickedness.
  • evil shall not dwell with thee – YHWH does not share space with evil.
  • the foolish shall not stand in thy sight – ‘the arrogant’ or ‘boasters’ will not have a place of honour in God’s presence.
  • thou hatest all workers of iniquity. – (cf. Luke 13:27)
  • thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing – liars
  • the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man – lit. ‘man of bloods’ plural – bloodshed or murder.

Botha (2018, p.4) comments: ‘There is progression from the first set of three statements to the second set, because to not associate with certain people develops into descriptions of Yahweh’s positively ‘hating’, ‘destroying’ and ‘abhorring’ this class of characters.’

The psalmist does not directly claim to be righteous but by praising God’s holiness and judgement upon the wicked he identifies himself as one of the righteous.

WORSHIP (7-8)

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

In strong contrast to the wicked who cannot stand in YHWH’s sight the psalmist intends to enter YHWH’s ‘house’ and with reverence bow down towards ‘ thy holy temple.’ Though innocent, he recognises that it is only on the basis of YHWH’s great mercy (hesed – steadfast love) that he will have the privilege of doing so (cf. Psa 15; 24:3-6). Critical scholars assert that ‘temple’ refers specifically to Solomon’s temple and use this verse to deny Davidic authorship of Psalm 5. Smith (2006) discusses this in his useful article Could David Have Written Psalm 5? – which may be read online – and shows (2006, p.79) that ‘even after the construction of the temple, the chronicler used the word “house” to describe the tabernacle of David. Thus there is no reason why David himself could not have referred to the Zion tabernacle as “your house” (Psa 5:7).’

David asks YHWH to lead him in the right way so that he can avoid the snares of his adversaries. ‘Thy way’ is the way in which YHWH would have him go and David asks that it will be ‘straight’ – safe and morally pure. David laments the presence of his enemies but does not tell us who they are or what, if anything, they have done to him. Has he literally been verbally threatened or physically attacked by people who are in rebellion against YHWH (v.10) or does he just automatically regard anyone who displays evil characteristics as his enemy?

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WICKED (9-10)

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

Having already implied (vv.4-6) that his enemies are wicked, boastful, evildoers, liars, bloodthirsty and deceitful the psalmist describes them in more detail and asks that they be punished for their rebellion against YHWH. He says that:

  • there is no faithfulness in their mouth – they are dishonest.
  • their inward part is very wickedness – they are inwardly corrupt.
  • their throat is an open sepulchre – ready to swallow prey, their words kill, they threaten the lives of others. This is quoted in Rom 3:13 as proof of the total depravity of sinners.
  • they flatter with their tongue – they are smooth talkers.

Their rebellion against YHWH is displayed by their words and deeds. The psalmist therefore petitions God:

  • destroy thou them – pronounce them guilty, hold them accountable, punish them.
  • let them fall by their own counsels – be brought to ruin by their own devices.
  • cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions – drive out the evildoers because of their crimes.

DIVINE BLESSING OF THE RIGHTEOUS (11-12)

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

In contrast to the punishment of the wicked, those who put their trust in God will experience his protection and experience ongoing (‘ever’) joy. Their delight will not be in their improved circumstances but in YHWH himself – let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. To love the Lord’s name is to love his character and reputation. The psalm closes with an assurance that the Lord will bless the righteous and that they will be encircled by his shield of goodwill. Those who trust, worship and walk in God’s ways will live under his protection.

Contrasts:

  • The speech of the wicked is deadly (v.9) but the righteous shout for joy (v.11).
  • The wicked fall by the very plans they devise (v.10) but the righteous take refuge (‘put their trust’) in the Lord (v.11).
  • God banishes the wicked (v.10) but shelters (‘defendest’) the righteous (v.11).

SUMMATION

Psalm 5 is a morning prayer by King David. It is a lament in which David expresses his pain and frustration with the wicked and his desire for God’s justice and protection. It is also, however, a psalm of trust and confidence, in which he affirms his faith in God’s goodness and mercy. He draws a vivid contrast between the godly and the ungodly: the righteous can approach God’s presence, while the wicked -boasters, liars, bloodthirsty men – cannot stand before him. Thus David emphasises God’s intolerance of sin. While condemning the wicked, David declares his confidence that God’s steadfast love will let him worship in the temple and that the Lord will lead him along a righteous path.

The theme of the closing verses is deliverance: the Lord will shelter and bless those who take refuge in him, surrounding them with favour like a shield. What began as lament transforms into praise: encouraging believers to celebrate YHWH’s defence of his people, shout or sing for joy, and trust God for deliverance. The psalm thus serves as a model for daily dependence on the Lord and a reminder that divine protection and deliverance are assured for those who put their trust in God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Cushman, R.S. 1945. Hilltop Verses and Prayers.  Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, New York

‌JOURNAL ARTICLES

Auffret, P., 1995. ‘Conduis-Moi Dans Ta Justice!’: Étude Structurelle du Psaume 5. Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society, Vol. 23

Barus, A., 2020. Allah Mendengar Seruan dan Tempat Berlindung: Penelitian Puitis Mazmur 5. Jurnal Amanat Agung, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 202–234.

Botha, P. J., 2018. Psalm 5 and the polarity between those who may stand before Yahweh and those who may not. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, Vol. 74, No. 1., pp.1-7

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Smith, K. 2006. Could David Have Written Psalm 5? [online] Available at: https://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/conspectus/vol02/smith_psalm-5.pdf [Accessed 13 Feb. 2026].

Posted in Exposition

From Anxiety to Assurance: Insights from Psalm 4

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 4 is an individual lament in which the author cries out to the Lord for relief in his current distress. Although the crisis in Psalm 3 is political /military and that in Psalm 4 personal the two psalms are often paired on the basis of similarities in language and content.

  • the notion that the Lord is on the side of the author and responds favourably whenever he calls.
  • the use of Selah
  • the expression there are many that say (3:2; 4:6)
  • morning and evening (3:5; 4:8)
  • the author lies down and goes to sleep peacefully, undisturbed by the trouble around him (3:5; 4:8).

Commentators vary as regards the structure of Psalm 4. Some say it naturally falls into two parts, whilst others divide it into three or four parts.

STRUCTURE

1-2 PLEA AND REPROACH

3-4 REMEMBRANCE AND RESTRAINT

5-6 RELIANCE AND REQUEST

7-8 REJOICING AND REST

EXPOSITION

PLEA AND REPROACH (1-2)

(1) The psalmist David begins with an urgent plea for the Lord to hear and answer his prayer. When I call refers to the trying circumstances in which the psalmist currently finds himself.

He addresses the Lord as God of my righteousness, thus appealing to him as the supreme righteous judge. God of my righteousness could mean either ‘my righteous God’ or something like ‘the God who takes up my righteous cause.’ David is claiming innocence and wants the Lord to vindicate him.

The perfect tense ‘have enlarged’ would indicate that David bases his confidence that God will uphold his cause on the fact that he has received help before – ‘you who have enlarged (made room) for me in my distress’. When we recall past answers to prayer we can find renewed courage to ask again.

On the other hand, the verb could be a precative perfect – expressing a wish or desire – and in that case would be translated as an imperative – ‘give me room.’ That would fit well with the three imperatives in verse 1: hear; have mercy; listen.

(2) David interrupts his prayer in order to address those who are causing him distress. It seems that they are falsely accusing him as well as mocking his faith in YHWH. These issues are conveyed by two rhetorical questions:

  • How long will ye turn my glory into shame? Here, David questions the motives of his accusers who are trying to ruin his reputation, highlighting the injustice he faces as they attempt to turn his royal dignity into reproach.
  • How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing? I would suggest, based on vv. 4-7, that ’emptiness’ and ‘lies’ refer to the worship of false gods.

David addresses his foes as sons of man. Many commentators suggest that because the word for man here is ish rather than adam a specific category of people is intended, i.e. not common people but important, influential people like aristocracy or nobles.

Selah – stop and think. In this modern age many of us know how deeply gossip, slander, misrepresentation, social media attacks, or persistent criticism can wound. When anxiety rises or reproach hurts, we can start where David starts – with who God is and what he has already done – and bring our specific problems honestly to him.

REMEMBRANCE AND RESTRAINT (3-4)

(3) With a degree of confidence David reassures himself and informs his opponents that the Lord has separated the godly (those in a covenant relationship with YHWH) for himself. The Lord will therefore hear and answer David’s prayer when he calls to him. By opposing David these people oppose the Lord. There are echoes of verse 1 in verse 3 – ‘hear’ and ‘call.’

(4) Having spelled out the facts of the matter David advises them, almost paternally, that in view of the fact that the Lord will fulfil David’s requests they ought to reflect on God’s goodness to his people and be disturbed. That should lead them to change their attitude and stop sinning. The verb the KJV translates as stand in awe means tremble, panic, flinch, agitate. The Septuagint Greek translation (LXX) has ‘be angry’ – i.e. if ‘you get infuriated’ – and it is that translation that the Apostle Paul cites in Ephesians 4:26.

David also advises his foes to commune with your own heart upon your bed. They are to take time to soberly and seriously consider their attitude and actions, realise that they are wrong and make the wise decision to end their opposition to David, and the Lord.

RELIANCE AND REQUEST (5-6)

(5) David continues giving advice to his opponents and warns them that they ought to put their trust exclusively in YHWH (not in other gods) and as evidence of their faith offer the sacrifices of righteousness; i.e. sacrifices offered with the right attitude and thus acceptable to YHWH.

Barré (1995, p.61) comments on vv. 4-5:

The two verses appear to present the logical stages in the process of turning from idolatry to the worship of Yahweh: (1) realization of one’s wrongdoing (idolatry) and fear of Yahweh’s wrath (5aa: “Quake [with fear]”); (2) ceasing consequently to continue in this sin (5aß: “and sin no more”); (3) sincere repentance and conversion (5bc: “weep bitterly within your hearts // wail loudly upon your beds”); (4) the offering of “fitting” sacrifices to Yahweh – perhaps meaning sacrifices offered by someone with a righteous heart ) or sacrifices offered to Yahweh rather than some false god (6a: “Offer fitting sacrifices”); (5) finally, the penitents are admonished to trust in Yahweh alone (6b: “and put your trust in Yahweh”); in context, this probably means: Put your trust in Yahweh rather than in the false gods whom you have trusted in up to now.

(6) David continues: Many are saying, who can show us something good? There is some discussion as to whether the ‘many’ of v. 6 are the ‘sons of man’ in v.3 or a different category of persons. Even if they are not one and the same both groups display a lack of trust in YHWH’s providence. They are asking for proof of divine favour.

Since good (Heb, ṭôb) refers to rain in Deut 28:12 and Jer 17:6 some argue that the background context of Psalm 4 is a period of drought during which some people prayed to other deities, e.g. Baal, to send rain and also castigated David for his exclusive faith in YHWH. That view is worth consideration; certainly there is little in Psalm 4 to support the traditional idea that, just because it follows Psalm 3, it relates to the end of Absalom’s rebellion.

David’s response to the question Many are saying, who can show us something good? (i.e. ‘which god will give us a good harvest and grant us prosperity?’) is to resume the prayer which he interrupted at the end of v.1. Appealing to the Aaronic Blessing which was familiar to all Israelites he requests that YHWH lift up the light of his face upon the people.

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26

By shining his face upon the people YHWH would display proof not only of his providence but also his presence (cf. in Exod 33:14 My presence shall go with thee . . . the word translated ‘presence’ is ‘face’).

Note: For a detailed consideration of the priestly blessing see my earlier post THE AARONIC BLESSING

REJOICING AND REST (7-8)

(7) David contrasts the despair of the ‘many’ with his own confidence in God’s goodness. Again (see v.1) referring to the Lord’s provision in the past David says: ‘you have put joy in my heart.’ He expresses that true satisfaction comes from God, who fills his inner being with joy greater than material prosperity. His gladness is greater than the pleasure his enemies enjoy when they have a good harvest – for which they are praying. Notice their corn and their wine.

(8) The psalm concludes with a powerful affirmation: I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Here, David expresses the profound peace that comes from trusting in God. Confidence that God, who has delivered him in the past, will help him in the current crisis enables David to live without anxiety and to quietly lie down at night and sleep peacefully. This verse teaches that true security and rest, even amidst turmoil, are found in the Lord, David may have been feeling rejected and alone as for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety could be taken as meaning ‘ You, Lord, lonely as I am, will keep me safe.’

SUMMATION

Psalm 4 is a reminder of the importance of turning to God in times of distress, maintaining faith amidst slander, and finding peace through trust in divine grace. David’s journey from distress to peace is a model for believers as we navigate our own challenges. Whenever we struggle to sleep because of worry or fear we can make 4:8 our evening prayer and entrust our rest to the Lord. The psalm does not promise that all problems will vanish before morning but it does offer something equally precious: the possibility of real peace amidst unresolved troubles because we know that the Lord hears our cry and guards our rest.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Flanigan, J. (2001). What the Bible Teaches: Psalms, Ritchie Old Testament Commentary, Kilmarnock.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Barré, Michael L., (1995) “Hearts, Beds, and Repentance in Psalm 4,5 and Hosea 7,14.” Biblica, vol. 76, no. 1, pp. 53–62. 

Posted in Exposition

Surrounded, but Secure: Crisis and Confidence in Psalm 3

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Psalms 3 and 4 are viewed as companion psalms because (according to their titles) both were composed by David and each one falls naturally into 4 stanzas, each composed of 2 verses. Psalm 3 is often said to be a Morning Psalm since 3:5 mentions waking from sleep and Psalm 4 an Evening Psalm since 4:8 speaks of lying down to sleep.

Psalm 3 is classified as an individual lament. Mandolfo (2014, p.115) maintains that ‘there are approximately forty-two psalms of lament in the canonical book of Psalms. About thirty of those are individual psalms of lament; the rest are communal.’ She further explains (2014, pp.115-116) that ‘the following features are typical of most lament psalms:

1. Invocation —the initial cry to God to take notice
2. Complaint —the description (usually general) of the psalmist’s suffering that
includes a complaint either against God or some enemy/ies
3. Request —the psalmist petitions God to act on the psalmist’s behalf
4. Expression of Confidence —often a recital of God’s trustworthy characteristics
5. Vow of Praise —assurance of praise that will follow deliverance (though the verbal tenses in this section are sometimes ambiguous).’

Psalm 3 exhibits the above features identified by Mandolfo.

THE TITLE OF THE PSALM

Psalm 3 is the first of seventy-three in the Psalter to be entitled A Psalm of David and also the first to bear a superscription indicating historical setting. Its context is Absalom’s rebellion and attempted coup against his father King David. Details of this conspiracy occupy 2 Samuel chapters 15-18. Betrayed by family and friends, David was in a precarious situation; having been forced to flee Jerusalem he found himself surrounded by enemies. The titles of several psalms situate them in the life and experience of David, Along with the relevant chapters in the books of Samuel and in probable historical chronological order they are:

Psalm 59 – 1 Samuel 19 – when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

Psalm 34 – 1 Samuel 21 – when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech. . .

Psalm 56 – 1 Samuel 21 – when the Philistines took him in Gath.

Psalm 142 – 1 Samuel 22 – a prayer when he was in the cave.

Psalm 52 – 1 Samuel 22 – when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul. . .

Psalm 54 – 1 Samuel 23 – when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?

Psalm 57 – 1 Samuel 24 – when he fled from Saul in the cave.

Psalm 63 – 1 Samuel 24 – when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

Psalm 18 – 2 Samuel 22 – in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul

Psalm 51 – 2 Samuel 12 – when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Psalm 3 – 2 Samuel 15-18 – when he fled from Absalom his son.

The titles of two more psalms situate them in the life of David but, although there have been many suggestions, they cannot easily be placed in the accounts in the books of Samuel, Kings or Chronicles.

Psalm 7 – Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

Psalm 60 – . . . Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aram-Naharaim and with Aram-Zobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the Valley of Salt twelve thousand.

In spite of the fact that the superscription informs us that Absalom’s revolt was the historical context Psalm 3 itself does not specifically mention either David or Absalom.

STRUCTURE

1-2 David’s Complaint

3-4 David’s Confidence

5-6 David’s Courage

7-8 David’s Conquering

EXPOSITION

David’s Complaint (1-2)

Psalm 3 is the first lament in the Psalter and also the first psalm to directly address the Lord. According to the title it was written by David during a period of crisis in his life. As a result of the revolt led by his son Absalom David had to to flee for his life. No doubt troubled about his son, betrayal by family and friends, about leaving his palace and kingdom and possibly also about his relationship with YHWH (v.2) David addresses this lament – a cry of distress – to the Lord. How wise and honest of him to bring his problems directly to the Lord, rather than blame God for them or deny that they existed! The pressure that he is under is emphasised by the triple repetition of ‘many.’

  • Many are they that trouble me – who the ‘many are’ – those that trouble David.
  • Many are they that rise up against me – what the ‘many’ are doing – they ‘rise up’ in co-ordinated opposition to David.
  • Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God – what the ‘many’ are saying – God has abandoned David – they taunt him about his faith saying: ‘God has abandoned him, he either will not or cannot deliver him.’

Selah. This word appears at the end of 3 of the 4 stanzas (vv. 2, 4, 8). It could be a musical notation, or perhaps mean something like stop and think, what has been said is true.

David’s Confidence (3-4)

But – with this word David withdraws his attention from the activities of the ‘many’ and focuses on what God is. Thus the psalm shifts from complaint to confidence. He says that YHWH is:

  • a shield for (about, surrounding) me – shield is the only metaphor in Psalm 3 and it stands for protection or defence. The Lord as a shield is not only in front of David but all around him, protecting from his foes who have set themselves around him (v.6).
  • my glory – David’s true dignity comes alone from YHWH, the one who chose him and gave him the kingdom.
  • the lifter up of mine head – YHWH is the one who reverses humiliation and gives restoration and encouragement.

David expresses his confidence in the Lord as the one who will protect, honour and provide for him in his distress.

In v.4. he goes on to affirm his experience of answered prayer. Until this point in the psalm David has been addressing the Lord directly (note: he never directly addresses his enemies) but now he begins to speak about the Lord to others – I cried. . . he heard. The ‘holy hill’ can refer specifically to the Temple (Isa. 56.7; 65.11; 66.20) or more generally to the city of Jerusalem (Psa. 48.1, Dan. 9.16). Even though he finds himself in exile away from Jerusalem David still recognises it as the place of the Lord’s presence and authority and appreciates the fact that his prayers still reach the Lord there. He can therefore say: I cried. . .he responded.

Selah – Stop and think – God answers prayer!

David’s Courage (5-6)

I lay down – I slept – I woke up – he sustained me.

David reports what had happened on his flight from Jerusalem. He was so confident of the Lord’s protection that he lay down and slept – not fitful sleep or the sleep of exhaustion but that of trust. He attributes the fact that he woke up safe to YHWH’s care. David expresses trust using the image of sleep. Even though he was under threat he had profound faith in the Lord’s protection and was able to rest. This support and protection during the night gave David a further boost in confidence.

If the Lord protects him at night while he sleeps then David can be courageous for he has no need to fear during the day either. Even if myriads (tens of thousands) of troops surround him he will not be afraid. He will not panic in the face of great odds because any fears he has will be overruled by his sense of trust in the Lord. He will sleep at night, then rise in the morning and face what another day brings.

David’s Conquering (7-8)

Verse 7 and 8 counterbalance verses 1 and 2. The first two verses have enemies rising up against David and saying that there is no deliverance for him in God. In the last two verses the Lord rises up to defeat David’s enemies and deliverance belongs to the Lord.

Once more David addresses YHWH directly and using the language of holy war (Num 10:35; Psa 68:1) issues a double imperative calling upon God to enter battle on his behalf – arise. . .deliver. Expressing raw emotion he asks God to intervene immediately.

For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

David says to the Lord: you struck. . .you smashed. With these perfect tense verbs he may be reminding the Lord that this is something that he has already done in the past and can therefore do again now. More likely, however, these are prophetic perfects. David is so sure that these things will happen that he speaks of them as if they have already taken place.

The Lord would not literally strike the cheek bones of David’s foes or break their teeth. David employs these images of battle – in which faces and teeth would be smashed with weapons – to intimate that with the Lord’s help he will conquer his enemies.

Is it appropriate for Christians to not only express fears, frustrations, and complaints to God but also pray against our enemies, as in the imprecatory psalms? The short answer is ‘No!’ Consider the following New Testament verses:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:38-39

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:43-44

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:25-26

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

David ends the psalm with recognition that deliverance is God’s right alone and then moves beyond his personal circumstances to pray for God’s blessing upon his people as a whole, even though many of them had turned against him.

THE ENDURING SIGNIFICANCE OF PSALM 3

Psalm 3 speaks powerfully to those who experience bullying, betrayal, opposition or sadness for it is a model of faith in the midst of crisis. The psalm illustrates how one might navigate distress and process feelings of isolation, worthlessness and betrayal by engaging honestly and prayerfully with God through lament.

Psalm 3 challenges its readers to, like David, place their confidence alone in God who is a shield around them, the one who lifts up their head and is the source of their deliverance. Believers ought not to collapse under pressure but bring their complaints directly to God and move from a desperate cry for help to confidence that God has not left them and that he hears and answers prayer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Flanigan, J. (2001). What the Bible Teaches: Psalms, Ritchie Old Testament Commentary, Kilmarnock.

Mandolfo, C., (2014).  ‘Language of Lament in the Psalms’, in William P. Brown (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms, Oxford Handbooks Oxford University Press,

Posted in Exposition

Ezekiel 25: Judgement on Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Up to the end of chapter 24 Ezekiel’s ministry has been dominated by messages of impending doom and symbolic acts warning of the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem/Judah. The warning phase has now passed and the siege of the city by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces has begun.

The fulfilment of Ezekiel’s prophecies will confirm him as a genuine prophet of YHWH; that confirmation comes two years later in chapter 33 when news of Jerusalem’s fall reaches Ezekiel and his fellow exiles in Babylonia. From chapter 33 onwards Ezekiel’s tone changes and he delivers promises of renewal, restoration and return.

Sandwiched between the prophecies of judgement (1-24) and the prophecies of hope (33-48) lies a distinct section composed of oracles against nations that surround Judah. These have, at one time or another, mocked, harmed or exploited the people of God.

The main point of these oracles is to salvage or build YHWH’s reputation among the exiles from Judah – who no longer have a land, a city or a temple – by assuring them that far from being just a local deity who can’t protect his own people YHWH is the supreme God who controls global events. He is sovereign over all nations, whether small or large, and is hence the one who directs Nebuchadnezzar and the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem.

Although the oracles are, for the most part, addressed to the offending nations it is unlikely that they were ever aware of them or realised that events in their history were being orchestrated by YHWH, the God of Israel/Judah.

Ezekiel delivered the oracles against foreign nations on different dates (cf. 26:1; 27:1, 29:17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:17) but they are grouped together in this section, except for a further diatribe against Edom (35:1-15) and one against Gog of the land of Magog (38:1-39:29). Ezekiel is not the only prophet who prophesied against the nations – see Amos (chps. 1-2), Isaiah (chps.13-23) and Jeremiah (chps. 46-51).

The number seven is significant – signifying completeness – in Ezekiel’s oracles against the nations (cf. Deut 7:1). Seven are condemned in the eight chapters 25-32: (Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt) and against Egypt there are seven separate prophecies (29:1-16; 17-21; 30:1-19; 20-26; 31:1-18; 32:1-16; 17-32). Dates are given for those against Egypt, except that in 30:1-19.

The formula ‘The word of the Lord came unto me, saying’ occurs 13 times in the oracles against the nations – 7 of these relate to Egypt, 1 to Sidon, 4 to Tyre and the one in 25:1 covers all four small nations addressed in chapter 25.

The oracles against the nations share a similar structure:

  • introductory formula
  • the nation identified
  • the reason for condemnation given – ‘because. . .’
  • the punishment stated – ‘I will. . .
  • concluding formula – ‘. . . shall know that I am the Lord’

STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER 25

1-7 AGAINST AMMON

8-11 AGAINST MOAB

12-14 AGAINST EDOM

15-17 AGAINST PHILISTIA

EXPOSITION

AGAINST AMMON 1-7

Verse 1 begins with the standard prophetic word formula: ‘The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying.’ This covers the entire chapter and emphasises that the messages do not originate with Ezekiel but come from YHWH. Having pronounced judgement upon Jerusalem/Judah in chapters 1-24 Ezekiel now turns his attention to foreign nations. The first of these is Ammon, a nation to the east of Judah. The oracle is undated.

In v.2 Ezekiel is addressed as ‘Son of Adam,’ emphasising his humanity in contrast to YHWH’s majesty. Then there is a call to Ammon to hear the word of the Lord God before the oracle begins in v.3 with ‘Thus saith the Lord God.’ This divine designation, sometimes translated as ‘Sovereign Lord,’ emphasises that YHWH has judicial supremacy over all nations, not just Israel/Judah.

The reason given for Ammon’s condemnation is that the nation celebrated (said ‘Aha’) when the Temple was destroyed, when the land of Israel was desolated and the people of Judah taken into Babylonian captivity. This looks ahead to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

Verses 4-5 announce YHWH’s punishment upon the Ammonites. The ‘sons of the East’ (the Bedouins from Arabia) will move into the Ammonite territory desolated by the Babylonians (this occurred five years after the fall of Jerusalem) and graze their camels on what was once Rabbah – the Ammonite capital. Verse 6 repeats the key point that Ammon rejoiced at Judah’s misfortune and v.7 emphasises that Ammon will disappear as a political entity. The punishment will testify to YHWH’s control of the nations – ‘thou shalt know that I am the Lord.’

The Bible does not give much information about the Ammonites; most of what is known about them comes from 7th century BCE Assyrian sources. It is from the Old Testament, however, that we learn that the progenitor of the Ammonites was Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot as the result of an incestuous union with his younger daughter (Gen 19:38).

In the time of the Judges the Ammonites were engaged in military conflict with the Israelites under Jephthah c.1100 BCE (Judg 11:4-40). Some years later (c.1020 BCE) the Ammonites under their chieftain Nahash were defeated in battle at Jabesh-Gilead by the Israelites led by Saul (1 Sam 11:1-15).

In the time of David the Ammonites led a coalition against Israel but this was defeated by Israelite forces under Joab and Abishai. Their capital city  – Rabbath-Ammon (modern day Amman, capital of Jordan) – was breached and the Ammonites became subject to David (2 Sam 10-11; 1 Chron 20).

During the reign of Jehoshaphat of Judah (c. 870-849 BCE) an attack by a confederacy of Moabites and Ammonites was repulsed (2 Chron. 20:1-30). Jotham of Judah (c. 740-732 BCE) went to war against the Ammonites; he defeated them and imposed an annual tribute (2 Chron 27:5).

The Ammonites were at their most prosperous during the 7th century BCE under Assyrian rule. It is estimated that they became vassals of Assyria c. 734 BCE and, remarkably, remained loyal until c. 620 BCE. Although paying tribute to Assyria their own rulers were allowed to manage without the presence of an Assyrian governor and to control the profitable caravan trade from Arabia.

It is ironic that the Ammonites rejoiced when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians because they were next on Nebuchadnezzar’s To-Do list; this was represented in Ezekiel 21:19-22 by the picture of Nebuchadnezzar halting at a crossroads to decide which of the two cites – Rabbah or Jerusalem – to attack first. It was the desolation of Ammonite territory by the Babylonians that enabled the fulfilment of the prophecy given in Ezek 25:4-5 that the derelict site that was once Rabbah would be occupied by the Arabians.

AGAINST MOAB 8-11

The Moabites were another people with close kinship ties with the Israelites. According to Gen 19:37 their progenitor was Moab, the son of Lot by an incestuous union with his elder daughter. Moab was a relatively small fertile territory lying east of the Dead Sea to the south of Ammon and thus southeast of Judah.

Generally the Moabites and the Israelites coexisted peacefully but throughout their shared history there were occasional periods of hostility and armed conflict. Eventually the Moabites were subdued by David, who treated them brutally after defeat (2 Sam 8:2) and they remained dominated by Israel under David and Solomon.

Later, while Israel was oppressed by the Syrian King Hazael (c. 843-796 BCE) of Aram-Damascus, bands of Moabite raiders availed themselves of the opportunity to launch attacks on Israelite territory (2 Kings 13:20).

Like the Ammonites, the Moabites were vassals of Assyria during the 7th century BCE and then became subordinate to the Neo-Babylonians when they came into ascendancy. It was as vassals of the Babylonians that they, along with other groups, attacked Judah when King Jehoiakim (c.609-598 BCE) rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.

The prophet Jeremiah names Moab as one of the states having discussions with King Zedekiah of Judah (597 to 586 BCE) about rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 27:3).

In v.8 Moab (linked with Seir, i.e. Edom) is condemned for saying that Judah is just like all the other nations. In other words, YHWH did not view Judah as anything special because he allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed by the Babylonians. As punishment for saying this (vv. 9-11) Moab’s territory will become vulnerable to attack and will be ‘given as a possession’ by YHWH to the ‘sons of the East’ (the Arabians), just like the Ammonites – who will ‘not be remembered among the nations’ i.e. totally wiped out.

Three of Moab’s most important frontier towns that are identified as vulnerable were later destroyed. Beth-jeshimoth (Num 33:49; Josh 12:3; 13:20), Baal-meon (Jer 48:23) and Kiriathaim (Num 32:37; Josh 13:19; Jer 48:1, 23) were once Israelite towns, in the territory allocated to the tribe of Reuben, but by Ezekiel’s time this area was occupied by the Moabites.

Again, Moab’s punishment is so that ‘they shall know that I am the Lord.’

AGAINST EDOM 12-14

A third nation with kinship ties to Israel was Edom. The Edomites were descended from Esau but despite their common heritage both nations detested one another. Edom occupied an arid region to the south of Judah and south of the Dead Sea.

The short oracle in vv. 8-14 condemns Edom for ‘taking vengeance’ upon the house of Judah. This is a reference to Edom allying with the Babylonians and participating in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem (Psa 137:7; Obad 1-14; Lam 4:21-22). For this the Sovereign Lord will make Edom desolate; the districts of Teman and Dedan are specifically mentioned – standing for ‘all Edom’ (cf. Jer 49:7-8). The population will fall by the sword.

In v.14 YHWH promises to ‘lay vengeance’ upon Edom (which in v.12 had itself taken vengeance on Judah). In this verse YHWH refers to ‘my people,’ ‘my anger,’ ‘my fury’ and ‘my vengeance.’ Interestingly, the punishment of Edom will not be carried out by the Babylonians but by ‘my people Israel.’ This may predict attacks on Edomites during the Maccabean-Idumean Conflict; especially during 163 BCE, 2 Macc 10:15-16. The oracle against Edom ends not with ‘they shall know that I am the Lord’ but with ‘they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.’

There are longer oracles against Edom in Ezekiel 35, Isa 34, Jer 49:7-22 and Obadiah. See my earlier posts:
Understanding the Book of Obadiah: A Concise Overview
Pride and Fall: Obadiah 1-14
The Day of the Lord: Justice and Restoration in Obadiah 15-21

AGAINST PHILISTIA 15-17

The last nation in the group of four condemned in Ezekiel chapter 25 is Philistia. The oracle begins ‘Thus saith the Lord’ emphasising that what follows is a direct message from YHWH and thus authoritative. The reason for the condemnation is stated as ‘Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred.’ The exact vengeful action taken by the Philistines is not specified but what is significant in v.15 is that the Lord judges motives as well as actions. The verse goes on to speak of their malice of soul (‘despiteful heart’) and ‘the old hatred’ behind their effort to destroy God’s people.

Because of that persistent hatred (‘Therefore,’ v.16) the Sovereign Lord says that he will stretch out his hand in judgement against the land of the Philistines, wipe out the Cherethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea. He will execute terrible vengeance upon them to punish them for their actions and when he has done so then they will know that he is YHWH. Again YHWH’s control over global affairs is asserted.

It is believed that the ancestors of the Philistines may have been the Peleset: a group of sea people from the Aegean who tried to invade Egypt during the reign of Rameses II in the 13th century BCE but were repulsed. They later took control of the coastal area of Palestine to the south and west of Judah but did not expel the original Canaanite inhabitants. Although originally sea people their main occupation was farming – they became traders in grain and were famous for their monochrome pottery.

The term Cherethites (cf. Zeph 2:5) in Ezekiel 25:16 seems to refer to the Philistines’ origins as sea people from southern Europe (Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7 Crete – ‘Caphtor’). The Greek Old Testament – LXX -(translates ‘Cherethites’ as ‘Cretans’). Some scholars suggest that the Cherethites were a group of Philistine elite warriors.

Although the area settled by the Philistines became known as Philistia it was not a united political state as such but more a confederacy of five main cities: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath (Josh 13:3). The most southerly was Gaza, north of that was the port city Ashkelon, and to the northwest of Ashkelon was Ashdod. Farthest north was Ekron, the only one of the five actually founded by the Philistines. The site of Gath is unknown.

Such was the Philistines’ prowess as warriors that none of these cities was built on a height for defence – the Philistines didn’t see that as necessary. Each city had a chief or king – it seems that these men met at times to discuss matters of concern relevant to all five cities (1 Sam 5:8; 6:15-16). The Bible gives the name of only one of those kings – Achish of Gath (1 Sam 21:10-15).

The Israelites also emerged in Canaan shortly before 1200 BCE and they and the Philistines became mortal enemies. The Philistines dominated the Israelites throughout the time of the Judges (Judge 15:11). The area around Gaza (see Judg 16) is the setting of most of the heroic exploits of Samson against the Philistines recorded in Judges 13-16. Samson’s death, nonetheless, may have occurred at Ashdod since that was the location of the main temple of the Philistine god Dragon (1 Sam 5:1-5).

1 Samuel chapters 13 and 14 record a failed rebellion against the Philistines led by Saul and his son Jonathan. A later battle proved disastrous for the Israelites since several of Saul’s sons, including Jonathan, were slain and Saul, sorely wounded and unwilling to fall into Philistine hands, committed suicide (1 Sam 31:1-6). His body was desecrated by the Philistines (1 Sam 31:9-11).

Eventually David managed to weaken the Philistines and drive them back (2 Sam 5:19-25) but did not occupy their territory. That is the last recorded conflict between Israel and the Philistines although one of the Pharaohs, whose daughter married King Solomon, captured the Philistine city of Gezer and transferred it to Solomon as a wedding gift (1 Kgs 9:16).

Like the other nations in the region the Philistines became vassals of Assyria during the 8th century BCE. They rebelled during the reign of Sargon II (721-705 BCE) as a result of which he attacked and captured Ashdod, deporting many of its citizens and resettling them far away. There is a passing reference to Sargon’s action against Ashdod in Isa 20:1. Sargon also destroyed Gath, wiping it from the map.

Philistia was greatly weakened by the Assyrians but finally destroyed as a political entity by the Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 604-562 BCE).

SUMMATION

Ezekiel chapter 25 marks a shift from prediction of judgement on Judah to that of judgement upon Judah’s closest neighbours. Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia are addressed in turn and condemned for their attitude towards Judah. Their contempt, mockery, hostile actions and gloating over Judah’s misfortunes equate to hostility towards YHWH, Judah’s God. The oracles assert that all are morally accountable to YHWH because his sovereignty and authority extend far beyond the borders of one nation. World history is the working out of his purposes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Charles River Editors. (2016). The Enemies of the Ancient Israelites: The History of the Canaanites, Philistines, Babylonians, and Assyrians, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

‌Gottwald, N. K. (2001). The Politics of Ancient Israel. Westminster John Knox Press.

Killebrew, A. E. (2005). Biblical peoples and Ethnicity: An Archaeological Study of Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, And Early Israel 1300-1100 B.C.E., Society of Biblical Lit.

Macalister, R. A. S. (2004). The Philistines: Their History and Civilization. Wipf and Stock Publishers

‌JOURNAL ARTICLES

Herr, L. G. (1997). Archaeological Sources for the History of Palestine: The Iron Age II Period: Emerging Nations. The Biblical Archaeologist, 60(3), 114–183.

Kletter, R. (1991). The Rujm El-Malfuf Buildings and the Assyrian Vassal State of Ammon. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 284, 33–50.

Landes, G. M. (1961). The Material Civilization of the Ammonites. The Biblical Archaeologist, 24(3), 66–86.

Posted in Exposition

Psalm 1 – Two Opposite Ways To Live

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs composed by various writers and compiled over many centuries. These songs, usually with musical accompaniment, were part of Israel’s liturgy. They have also found their place in Christian worship; not least because the thought and language of the psalms appear in the teaching and prayers of Jesus.

The psalms have universal appeal because they reflect real-life situations and therefore express lamentation, praise, petition, thanksgiving and worship. Psalm 1, usually classified as a wisdom psalm, comes first in the collection and presents the Old Testament belief that life lived in accordance with the word of God leads to usefulness and blessing whereas an ungodly life is worthless and leads to ruin.

Psalm 1 gives no hint as to who wrote it or when it was written. However, it likely predates the prophet Jeremiah who references it in Jer 17:7-8:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

DIVISION

1-3 THE RIGHTEOUS – the blessed life of one who lives by the word of the Lord

4-6 THE WICKED – the worthless life of the ungodly.

EXPOSITION

THE RIGHTEOUS (1-3)

(1) THE COMPANY THE BLESSED MAN SHUNS

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psalm 1 begins with a beatitude – ‘blessed is’ (also Psa 32, 41, 112, 128). ‘Blessed’ means happy, privileged, blissful. The noun is plural here and could be literally translated: ‘Oh, the happinesses of!’ ‘Man’ means human being and, since it is not restricted to males, could therefore be translated ‘one’ or ‘person.’ The psalmist announces the blessedness (deep happiness) of one who lives life in a certain way. This is the person lives an upright life; however, the word ‘righteous’ does not appear until the last verse. Verse 1 is negative – it tells us what the righteous person does not do, then v.2 is positive and tells us what the righteous person does.

Three relative clauses in v.1 explain how the blessed man walks, sits and stands (cf. Deut 6:7). These three postures are a negative progression. The verbs are in the perfect tense but translated as present.

a. walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, – the righteous man will not seek or take advice from wicked people. ‘Ungodly’ refers to an unbeliever, someone not in a covenant relationship with the Lord. Walking has to do with activity.

b. standeth not in the way of sinners, – the righteous man will not abide or linger in the way of life of sinners. A ‘sinner’ is someone who goes astray, who habitually fails to obey the Lord. The Greek equivalent means someone who misses the mark or falls short of the target. Standing has to do with identity.

c. sitteth not in the seat of the scornful. – the righteous person will not join in with or get comfortable with those who are contemptuous of and actively oppose the things of God. Sitting has to do with enjoyment.

The best example of someone whose life demonstrates these three successive steps of entanglement with sinners is righteous Lot. He first of all ‘pitched his tent toward Sodom’ (Gen 13:12), then went to live among the wicked (2 Pet 2:7-8) and then ‘sat in the gate of Sodom’ (Gen 19:1) as a judge or magistrate.

Believers ought be be careful about their counsel, their company and their conversation.

(2) THE COMMUNION THE BLESSED MAN SEEKS

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

In v.2 the psalmist moves on to describe what the happy man does. The ‘but’ presents a contrast. It emphasises that the righteous life is not all negative – there is a positive side to it.

  • He delights in the Lord’s instruction. – ‘Law’ (torah) is a general word meaning instruction, direction, guidance, teaching, law. This man delights not just in instruction as such but in the instruction of the Lord. The divine torah was not just passed on orally (e.g. Deut 1:5) but recorded in writing from early times (Josh 24:26). Torah came to refer almost exclusively to the Pentateuch but in Psalm 1 is probably used in its wider sense; doubtless including the collection of songs in which this psalm is the first. ‘Delight’ – meaning pleasure or desire – has the idea of inclination. This man positively delights in communion with the Lord through his torah.
  • He meditates on the Lord’s instruction. – ‘Day and night’ is a merism meaning ‘all the time.’ The happy man habitually views everything through the lens of the law of the Lord; upon which he meditates constantly. ‘Meditate’ (hāg̱āh) is the figurative sense of a word which contains the idea of mumbling or muttering – probably reflecting the fact that in ancient times people read aloud (e.g. the Ethiopian Eunuch, Acts 8:30). The word is used for the the sound of the human voice (Psa 35:28), for the cooing of a dove and for the growling of a young lion (Isa 31:4).

One might say that in v.2a the blessed man loves God’s word, in v.2b he learns God’s and in v.3 he lives God’s word.

(3) THE CHARACTER THE BLESSED MAN SHOWS

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

‘And he shall be’ – lit. this one is – refers to the blessed man of v.1. The psalmist uses a simile (‘like a tree’) to represent prosperity. The blessed man is:

  • Prominent – ‘like a tree’ he stands out. There ought to be a marked difference between the life of a believer and that of an unbeliever.
  • Planted – ‘by the rivers of water’ – the tree has either been deliberately cultivated or transplanted in that location – a stream or irrigation channel. This would remind us of sanctification – being set apart for God.
  • Productive – ‘bringeth forth his fruit’ – he shows proper growth, fulfils his purpose. This would suggest service for God.
  • Predictable – ‘in his season’ – he is reliable.
  • Perpetual – ‘his leaf also will not wither’ – with his roots firmly in soil near a stream this man is constantly sustained and nourished by his communion with the Lord.
  • Prosperous – whatever he does leads to a successful conclusion.

In the book of Joshua also prosperity is linked to meditation upon and observance of the law of the Lord:

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:7-8

(4) A STARK CONTRAST

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

In sharp contrast to the blessed man who is firmly-rooted, productive and resilient the ungodly ‘are not so.’ They are the opposite of the tree for the simile describing the ungodly is ‘they are like chaff’ – the dried husk that is separated from wheat during threshing. Chaff is worthless and useless – it is hard, inedible and utterly at the mercy of the wind. It is without root, unstable, has no substance, serves no useful purpose and lacks permanence. It will just be swept away. This image represents someone who is fickle and driven by every desire or cultural trend.

(5) A SAD SEPARATION

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Verse 5 introduces the logical consequence. Because they are chaff they ‘will not stand.’ This word for ‘stand’ in v.5 is not the same as that in v.1. A courtroom scene is in view here – possibly this points forward to a time of final judgment when the Lord will be the judge – although here it would seem that the righteous, sitting in assembly, are thought of as the ones who judge. In such a situation the ungodly will have no valid defence and as sinners will have no place among the righteous.

‘Righteous’ is a plural noun. Up to this point the blessed man has been mentioned in the singular whereas six times plural words have been used for the wicked (v.1 ungodly, sinners, scornful, v.4 ungodly, v.5 ungodly, sinners). Now the blessed man is no longer solitary – he belongs to the community of the righteous – the people of God. Good will not be overwhelmed by evil.

(6) CONCLUSION – TWO PATHS

For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

‘For’ gives the reason why all that has already been said in the psalm (the contrast between the blessed man and the ungodly) is true. The Lord ‘knows’ (has regard to, notices, approves of) the path of the righteous but the path of the ungodly will perish. Here, for the first time in the psalm, the Lord is viewed as active. ‘Know’ is often used in an intimate sense and implies a personal relationship as well as knowledge or perception.

The righteous love, learn and live God’s word and as they apply it to themselves the Lord approves and watches over them on their path of life. The wicked, however, tread their own path by themselves. That path perishes, and by implication all those on it as well. The psalm that begins with ‘blessed’ ends with ‘perish.’

SUMMATION

Psalm 1 describes two opposite ways to live. It begins by declaring that the ‘blessed’ person is someone who avoids the influence of the wicked. Instead of taking advice from evildoers he delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it constantly. He is likened to a tree planted by streams of water – stable, well-nourished, fruitful, useful – and is assured of success in all his endeavours.

By contrast, the wicked are like chaff that gets blown away by the wind; an image that emphasises their lack of substance and permanence. The psalm concludes with an assertion that the way of the righteous is known by the Lord but the way of the wicked will perish. Each leads to a different outcome; either a life of blessing and fulfilment or one that is ineffective and unprofitable.

It is the responsibility of anyone who reads Psalm 1 to reflect upon and evaluate the influences upon his/her life and, it is hoped, choose to tread the blessed path of the righteous.

Posted in Exposition

Ezekiel 24:15-27: The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 24 opens with YHWH revealing to the prophet on 15 January, 588 BCE that the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem has begun that very day. Ezekiel then delivers the parable of the cooking pot to his fellow-exiles. It depicts Jerusalem as a cauldron filled with ‘choice cuts’ (its inhabitants) set on a blazing fire (the siege). The pot has corrosion (the bloodguilt and violence that characterises the city). Its contents must be emptied into the fire; then the pot will be heated until red hot in order to be purified.

This next section (24:15-27) transforms the metaphor of the cooking pot into a tragic living reality for Ezekiel. Just as the siege is announced to Ezekiel in 24:1 by a word from YHWH likewise he is informed of his forthcoming personal loss by a specific divine word in 24:15. That word commands Ezekiel to use his personal grief to perform a prophetic sign-act to the exiles.

DIVISION

15-18 YHWH ANNOUNCES THE DEATH OF EZEKIEL’S WIFE
19-24 EZEKIEL ANSWERS THE EXILES’ QUESTION
25-27 YHWH ADDRESSES EZEKIEL PERSONALLY

EXPOSITION

YHWH ANNOUNCES THE DEATH OF EZEKIEL’S WIFE (15-18)

This section (24:15-27) begins with YHWH addressing Ezekiel using the customary prophetic word formula ‘son of Adam.’ The oracle that follows focuses on a tragic personal loss for Ezekiel. YHWH will suddenly (‘at a blow’) take away the ‘delight of Ezekiel’s eyes’ but Ezekiel is forbidden to mourn, weep, shed tears, sigh aloud, cover his beard, eat the bread of men, or sit barefoot and bareheaded.

It is unclear whether that which is forbidden is petitionary mourning (as in Joel 1:13-14) in response to the announcement – i.e. asking the Lord to reverse his decision – or posthumous mourning; after the ‘delight of Ezekiel’s eyes’ has died. The traditional view is that posthumous mourning is in view. Once the ‘delight of his eyes’ is taken away Ezekiel is not to engage in a traditional public show of grief. The acts of mourning which are forbidden are ritual rather than emotional. Emotional mourning is permitted; he can mourn inwardly and sigh softly but must eat, drink and dress as normal.

It is only when we come to v.18 that we learn that Ezekiel’s ‘dearest treasure’ (NLT) is his wife: So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. This is reported in the first person (‘I’) but Ezekiel does not tell us his wife’s name or age and does not indicate how he felt or thought when his loved one’s imminent death was announced.

The fulfilment of the prophecy is swift but the timeline is unclear. Do the two mentions of ‘morning’ refer to the same morning or two different mornings?

  • Ezekiel delivers the prophecy to the exiles in the morning and immediately complies with YHWH’s instructions (that same morning). Then his wife dies that evening. OR
  • He delivers the prophecy to the exiles in the morning, his wife dies that evening and he obeys YHWH’s command the following morning.

The second possibility is the most commonly accepted. In either case he has little time to process his grief. I did . . . as I was commanded is a striking example of immediate and total obedience to the word of the Lord – at great personal cost.

EZEKIEL ANSWERS THE EXILES’ QUESTION (19-24)

Doubtless aware of Ezekiel’s love for his wife the exiles are shocked by his violation of the expected social and religious norms of mourning. They realise that this is a symbolic act and so they ask him for an interpretation of the sign and how it applies to them: And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? This is the only occasion in the book when the exiles directly address the prophet Ezekiel – normally what they say is quoted to Ezekiel by YHWH.

Ezekiel answers their brief question by telling them that a word from YHWH came to him, telling him what he was to communicate to the people. The thrust of the message is that Ezekiel’s behaviour in the aftermath of his wife’s death is a prescriptive sign to the exiles. It shows how they ought to respond to the fall of the city of Jerusalem and specifically the temple. The death of Ezekiel’s wife is an analogy for the ‘death’ of the temple. The exiles’ response to that ought to mirror Ezekiel’s response to his wife’s death.

YHWH (v.21) intends to desecrate his sanctuary (by the blood of Judah’s slain sons and daughters and the presence of foreigners). The temple is the pride of the people’s power (cf. Lev 26:19), the desire of their eyes and that with which they have sympathy – i.e. they cherish the temple because to them it represents the glory and strength of the nation.

Notice that in vv.22-24 the collective response of the exiles to the fall of the sanctuary is to mirror the individual response of Ezekiel to the death of his wife. There are obvious parallels;

  • in v.17 Ezekiel’s wife is the delight of his eyes, in v.21 the sanctuary is the delight of the people’s eyes.
  • Like Ezekiel in vv.16-17 the people (vv.22-23) are not to publicly mourn, weep, cover their lips, eat the bread of men or go about bareheaded and barefoot.

Covering the upper lip seems to have been a sign of shame and sorrow, cf. Lev 13:45; Mic3:7. ‘The bread of men’ refers to food brought to the bereaved by family and friends. Other descriptions of mourning occur in Ezekiel 7:18 and 27:30-31.

The exiles are to imitate Ezekiel – he is a sign to them:

  • And ye shall do as I have done: Ezek 24:22
  • according to all that he hath done shall ye do: Ezek 24:24

In addition (v.23), they are to pine away (cf. 4:17; 33:10) for (on account of) their iniquities and groan one to another. Their grief will be compounded by the recognition that they have brought this disaster upon themselves because of their sin. They are not to make a public display of mourning but rather groan because of conviction of their guilt. The exiles share responsibility with those in Judah for the destruction of the city and the temple.

When the disaster comes the people of Judah and the exiles will recognise that YHWH is the Sovereign Lord

YHWH ADDRESSES EZEKIEL PERSONALLY (25-27)

Addressing himself to Ezekiel personally – thou son of man – YHWH refers to the false hope that the Judahites have placed in the temple, the city and future generations. They have considered these to be their strength (stronghold), joy, glory, delight and heart’s desire. Soon all will be taken from them.

As for Ezekiel, an eyewitness will escape the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and bring confirmation of its fall to him in Babylonia. Since his call Ezekiel has been mute (3:26-27), speaking only when he receives a direct oracle from YHWH, but on the day the messenger arrives Ezekiel’s speech will be restored, his silent mourning will end and his ministry enter a new phase. That too will be a sign to the exiles and they will recognise the presence of YHWH. This prophecy is fulfilled in 33:21-22.

SUMMATION

The death of Ezekiel’s wife symbolises the impending destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Babylonian forces of Nebuchadnezzar and emphasises the severity and finality of the coming judgement. The prophet’s personal tragedy demonstrates that YHWH’s judgement is irrevocable and his muted grief is a prophetic sign of how the people should and would react to the coming destruction.

Up to this point Ezekiel has been proclaiming YHWH’s judgement upon Jerusalem and Judah. The fall of the city and the temple will confirm that he is indeed a true prophet and that YHWH has been in control of events throughout as Ezekiel has said. With the fall of Jerusalem the old era will pass and the lifting of Ezekiel’s silence mark a new phase in his ministry. The exiles will recognise that YHWH is the Sovereign Lord and on that basis future restoration can be built. With his status as a true prophet confirmed the people will listen to Ezekiel, whose ministry will transition from one that proclaims judgement to one that offers hope. But before moving on to the restoration section of his book (chapters 33-48) Ezekiel records oracles against some of Judah’s hostile neighbours (chapters 25-32).

Posted in Exposition

Psalm 100 – A Psalm Of Thanksgiving

Posted on by writtenexposition

A PSALM OF PRAISE.
​1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

INTRODUCTION

This short but well-known psalm has a superscription that is usually translated ‘A psalm of praise’ or ‘A psalm of/for thanksgiving.’ People who may not be fully familiar with Psalm 100 would, nevertheless, probably recognise the words of some old Christian hymns that its content has inspired. The two most famous are Thomas Ken’s doxology ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow’ and the sixteenth century ‘All people that on earth do dwell’ – composed by John Calvin’s friend Louis Bourgeois and translated from French to English by William Kethe. Unfortunately neither of these hymns specifically mentions thanksgiving; however, ‘praise’ and ‘thanksgiving’ are more or less synonymous. This is explained by W. S. Plumer (1867, p.895) in his ‘Studies in the Book of Psalms:’

In our version the word rendered praise is elsewhere twice rendered praise, once sacrifice of praise, twice confession, about twenty times thanksgiving, once in the plural sacrifices of praise, thrice thanks, thrice thank offerings. The English version does not nicely discriminate between praise and thanksgiving. It is doubtful whether the Hebrew does, though some think differently. In v. 4 of this Psalm the word, rendered Praise in the title, is rendered thanksgiving. Many notice that no other Psalm has the same title as this.

The psalm is anonymous – its author is unknown – nor do we know when it was written or how it was used in Israelite liturgy. Some think that it was written by Moses, or is a psalm of David, others speculate that it was composed after the return from Babylonian exile for use in the restored temple worship.

Many scholars class it as a processional hymn sung by pilgrims at the entrance to the Temple (cf. v.4), others suggest that it was sung to accompany a thank-offering (cf. Lev 7:12) – but there is no mention of sacrifice in the psalm. Many things about the psalm are unknown but we do know from its title that Psalm 100 is a song of thanksgiving.

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

Psalm 100 has a bipartite structure.

1-3 An Invitation to Worship the Lord
4-5 An Invitation to Thank and Praise the Lord

Each of these two sections contains an invitation expressed in 3 lines which is then followed by 3 reasons to comply (i.e. 3 calls followed by 3 causes).

1-3
Calls – make a joyful noise. . .; Serve the Lord. . .: Come before his presence. . .
Causes – the Lord he is God; he hath made us. . .; we are his people. . .

4-5
Calls – enter into his gates. . .; be thankful unto him; bless his name
Causes – the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; his truth endureth. . .

Notice:
Psalm 100 contains seven imperatives: make a noise; serve; come; know; enter; be thankful; bless.

References to the one who is the focus of Psalm 100: the Lord; him; he; his (people, sheep, pasture, gates, courts, name, mercy, truth).

EXPOSITION

1-3 An Invitation to Worship the Lord

(1)
Audible – the emphasis is on the loudness of the shout – like a fanfare acclaiming the Lord as king.

Joyful – worshipping the Lord should be a joyful act.

Global – this shout rings out across the world calling upon every person in every nation, not just Israel, to worship the one true God.

(2) The word ‘serve’ can refer to any type of work but here in the religious sense it equates to worship. This ought to be performed with an attitude of delight. The happiness and exuberance will express itself in ‘singing’ – a joyful shout – when they ‘come before his presence.’ The same word translated ‘come’ is translated ‘enter’ in v.4. ‘His presence’ is a reference to the Jerusalem temple which was regarded as the dwelling place of the Lord. This idea is developed further in v. 4.

(3) ‘He’ and ‘We’

He is God

The fourth imperative ‘know’ that follows on from the invitation to worship is very important because, in a world that has a wide variety of deities, it makes the exclusive claim that the Lord (YHWH) – Israel’s God – is the true God whose authority and sovereignty must be recognised and acknowledged. ‘The Lord, he is God’ – YHWH, the God of the Exodus, is Elohim – the true God.

The person who worships the Lord must be convinced in his/her own mind as to who he is – the one true God- and, having reached that verdict, celebrate him and renounce allegiance to all other deities.

He made us

If the Lord is the one true God then he is the creator (‘he hath made us’). He is all-powerful and we are dependent on him. The KJV reads ‘and not we ourselves’ but other versions translate this as ‘we are his.’ Alternatively, some scholars view this as an asseverative (earnest declaration) and translate it as ‘indeed;’ linking it with the next statement ‘we are his people.’ The Oxford Bible Commentary (2007, p.393) provides the following succinct explanation:

The Hebrew words ‘his’ (lit. ‘to him’) and ‘not’ are identical in sound but differ in spelling. Aquila, the Targum, and Jerome have ‘his’, as do all the most recent English translations, while the LXX, Symmachus, and the Syriac follow the alternative meaning, ‘and not we ourselves’, made familiar through the AV. . . A modern proposal is to take the word as a note of emphasis, producing: ‘and we are indeed his people’.

We are his

‘We are his people’ follows logically from the fact that he is our creator. He has made us and we are his by right therefore we owe allegiance to him. Some commentators interpret v.3 strictly as referring to Israel. They take ‘He has made us’ as a reference to YHWH making Israel a nation (e.g. Deut 32:6, 15: Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? . . .But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.). They view ‘we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture’ as referring to the redemption of the nation by the Exodus, freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and bringing them into a covenant relationship with himself and leading and guiding them to The Promised Land.

For Christians this points to the greater, ultimate redemption accomplished by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. By it we are saved, rescued from the slavery of sin and death, brought into a relationship with God and guided through life’s wilderness until we reach heaven, our permanent dwelling place.

The pastoral metaphor of sheep and their shepherd(s) is a common one in the Bible (Psalm 23 ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ and Jesus as the Good Shepherd in Jn 10:1-30 are well-known). See also Psa 74:1; 78:70-72; 79:13; 80:1; Isa 40:11; 44:28; Jer 10:21; Ezek 34:1-24; Zech 10:3; 11:4-17. Those who are shepherded by the one true God do not recognise the authority of false shepherds – false deities – lifeless idols that cannot guide and care for their worshippers.

Thus far the psalmist has made it clear that in order to worship God there are certain things we must acknowledge (‘know’). The three things are: 1. that he is the one, true God; 2. that he has made us therefore we are dependent upon and accountable to him; 3. that as the people (‘his people’) of the Lord we have a privileged relationship with him; enjoying his ongoing care, protection and provision like sheep from a shepherd.

4-5 An Invitation to Thank and Praise the Lord

This second part of the psalm moves to the very substance of worship; thanksgiving and praise rendered to the Lord by his people. The scene shifts to the outer gate of the Jerusalem temple – the building where God’s presence dwells. The last three of the psalm’s seven imperative verbs are in this section and they invite believers to enter the Lord’s presence, in his courts give thanks to him and bless his name. These detail the attitude of entry into God’s presence, a believer does not come to God reluctantly in fear or out of a sense of obligation but with a heart that overflows with thanksgiving and adoration – an attitude of gratitude.

In v.4 (enter into his gates with thanksgiving) we have another occurrence of tôḏāh, translated ‘praise’ or ‘thanksgiving’ in the title of the psalm. One can imagine pilgrims entering the temple gates and processing jubilantly into the courts – a movement from the outside world into the serenity of a sacred zone. Thankful for redemption, a relationship with the Lord God and the blessings of salvation they joyfully enter the courts ‘with praise'(tehillāh, a song of praise’) and bless the name of the Lord.

Thanksgiving and praise are almost indistinguishable but perhaps we could say that thanksgiving is primarily our response to what the Lord has done. It is gratitude for his blessings, gifts, guidance and activities in our lives and acknowledgment of the benefits those have brought us. Thanksgiving says: ‘Thank you, Lord, for. . .’

Praise, however, is primarily our response to who the Lord is. Praise is exalting God for his attributes like power, love, holiness, justice and faithfulness; independent of anything he does for us. Praise says: ‘You are worthy, Lord, because you are. . .’

Interestingly, ‘bless his name’ seems to bring those two aspects, thanksgiving and praise, together. To ‘bless his name’ is to express thanksgiving and praise by acknowledging and declaring both who God is and what he has done.

Verse 5 begins with ‘For;’ thus giving the reasons why we ought to thank and praise the Lord.

a) ‘The Lord is good’ – verse 3 affirms that the Lord is God; now v.5 states that the Lord is good. The word ‘good’ carries meanings like: well-pleasing, fruitful, morally correct, proper. As such, the Lord is the source of all blessings.

b) ‘his mercy is everlasting’ – ḥeseḏ: ‘Mercy’ is a popular word in the Old Testament and signifies God’s kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, love, acts of kindness. It is sometimes translated as ‘steadfast love’ or ‘covenant love.’ It is the basis of God’s acts of kindness towards his people and is said to be ‘everlasting’ (from eternity). The Lord is dependable because having shown lovingkindness in the past he will continue to show it in the future. Thinking about this prompts the believer to worship and praise the Lord even more.

Note: goodness and mercy are often linked together, see 1 Chron 16:34; 2 Chron 5:13; Ezra 3:11; Psa 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 136:1.

c) ‘his truth endureth to all generations’ – ‘Truth’ has the idea of faithfulness. In Deut 32:4 it is used to describe God’s character. The Lord keeps his promises, he can never fail for his faithfulness extends from one generation to another.

SUMMATION

Psalm 100 summons not just Israel but all people everywhere to worship God alone; the one, true God. The psalm focuses on the Lord and makes it clear that worshipping him is not a sombre duty but a happy response to who he is and what he has done. The believer is to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise.

The main reason why there ought to be this response is the character of God himself. He is our God, our Creator and our Shepherd who is unchanging and fully dependable. He is good, his love endures forever and his faithfulness continues through all generations.

The superscription of the psalm identifies it as a psalm of thanksgiving. When thanksgiving is mentioned our minds immediately turn to temporal blessings such as family, friends, finances and the like. However, in just a few short verses, Psalm 100 digs deeper. It doesn’t just tell us to give thanks but points to the how, the why and the who behind true thanksgiving.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2007). The Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Plumer, W.S. (1867). Studies in the Book of Psalms: Being a Critical and Expository Commentary : with Doctrinal and Practical Remarks on the Entire Psalter. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black

JOURNAL ARTICLES

‌Amzallag, N. (2014). The Meaning of todah in the Title of Psalm 100. Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 126(4). pp.535-545

‌DIGITAL RESOURCES

Hymnary.org. (2023). All People That on Earth Do Dwell. [online] Available at: https://hymnary.org/text/all_people_that_on_earth_do_dwell. accessed 26 November, 2025

Hymnary.org. (n.d.). Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow. [online] Available at: https://hymnary.org/text/praise_god_from_whom_all_blessings_ken. accessed 26 November, 2025

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Posted in General

A GOOD WORD

Posted on by writtenexposition

‘Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.’ Prov 12:25  

Have you ever had heaviness of heart? Have you ever been anxious, worried about the present and apprehensive about what the future might hold. If so you are not the only one. All of us at one time or another find ourselves in that situation. This little verse addresses the problem of a heavy heart.  

It paints a picture, in just a few words, of someone who is bowed down, who is figuratively stooped and bent over because of an anxious heart. This person is downcast and discouraged, full of uneasiness, fear, apprehension and stress. This is someone who has come to the end of his tether, who just does not know what to do. Worry has given way to despair, and the burden is so heavy that this person has hit rock-bottom, now looks downward all the time, and cannot even look up for help.

But then something occurs that brings about a noticeable change. Depression and dejection have lifted. That person is no longer stooped, the load has lightened. What has happened? A good word was spoken to him, and this good word banished the heaviness in his heart.

We human beings need to hear a good word every now and then. From time to time we all require encouragement. In this verse a wise man observed that a good word makes a person glad. The good word actually uplifts the anxious heart.

Think of some examples of individuals in the Bible who had heaviness of the heart;

Nehemiah:- ‘And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.’ Neh 1:4

David:- ‘I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.’ Psalm 38:6

Jeremiah:- ‘When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.’Jer 8:18

Where is that necessary ‘good word’ likely to come from. Let me suggest three possible sources.

1. THE WORD OF GOD

‘…thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart…’ Jer 15:16

Ideally, for a Christian, the first recourse for support should always be the living word of God. We ought to turn immediately to the Bible whenever we need ‘a good word’. There are many ‘exceeding great and precious promises’ (2 Pet 1:4) and encouraging verses in God’s word. Verses such as:

‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’ 2 Tim 1:7

‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.’ Psalm 31:24

‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ Jn 14:27

When we are bowed down with worry let us turn to the Bible, and find relief from heaviness of heart.

2. THE ASSEMBLY OF GOD

‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ Heb 10:25

We ought to receive encouragement at the meetings of the assembly of God, the local church. There may be exceptions but, generally speaking, whenever we attend a meeting, especially the ‘Breaking of Bread’, we receive ‘a good word’ as a result of hearing:

  • The hymns of worship sung.
  • Thanks given to God for his great plan of salvation.
  • The word of God publicly read and preached.
  • The name of the our Lord Jesus uplifted and praised.

3. THE CHILDREN OF GOD 

Still thinking of v.25 of Hebrews 10:

“… exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Every Christian has a responsibility to encourage others. According to the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews this is something we ought to do often. Do you ever take the time to speak ‘a good word’ of encouragement and comfort to a fellow-believer?

Finally, it is possible to become so bowed down with anxiety that we just don’t get anything from reading the Bible, attending church meetings (even if able to do so), or conversing with other Christians. In the event that we find ourselves in such a distressing situation let us console ourselves with the thought that God loves us. At the very least, when nothing else seems to be going right, we can rely on that.

‘The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’ Jer 31:3

Notice that ‘thee’ is singular. God’s love for each one of us is personal and individual.

Aren’t we thankful that there is a remedy for heaviness (anxiety, fear and apprehension) in our hearts. This verse supplies the solution. Proverbs 12:25 says plainly that ‘a good word’ will restore our joy.

‘Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.’

Posted in Exposition

1 JOHN 2:24-29

Posted on by writtenexposition

John has already encouraged his followers by telling them (v.20) that they know all things because they possess the Holy Spirit. This is in contrast to those who deny that Jesus is the Christ and thus deny the Father as well as the Son.

ETERNAL LIFE

[24] The main translations do not make it clear that the word ‘you,’ as the first word in the verse, is emphatic. Some translations, such as the Darby Bible, convey this by opening the verse with ‘as for you.’ This shows that the apostle John is continuing to draw contrasts between the believers and the antichrists, as in vv. 22-23. He encourages his followers to make sure that the foundational truths that they had heard from the beginning of their Christian profession remain in them. If these teachings that they have heard from the beginning remain in them then they will remain in God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. The repetition of ‘which ye have heard from the beginning’ emphasizes the importance of adherence to the truths of the gospel message.

[25] The readers are reminded of the promise that ‘he’ (i.e. Jesus Christ himself) has given them, which is the gift of eternal life. In the Johannine Writings the word epaggelía (‘promise’) only occurs here and in 1 Jn 1:5, where it is translated ‘message.’ The promise referred to may be that given by Jesus in Jn 10:28.

[26 – 27] John now summarises what he has already written to them in vv. 18-25.

In v.26 he again addresses the topic of false teachers and adds to what he has already said by describing them as people ‘who are seducing you’; thus labelling them as deceivers who are trying to lead his readers astray. John, however, is writing to inform the believers and warn them about wrong teachings that would undermine their faith.

In v.27 he again refers to the spiritual resource that the believers have in the Holy Spirit who is the anointing (chrísma) from Jesus Christ (autós – ‘himself’, ‘the same’ – as in 2:20). This is another reason, besides the warning from John, why they need not be deceived by false teachers. The Holy Spirit instructs them about everything they need to know and what he teaches is truthful and reliable. They are to remain in the true teaching, as indeed they have, and thus abide in Christ.

[28 -29] ‘And now’ shows that John is about to move on to a different topic. He makes the transition by repeating the exhortation to his ‘little children’ (tekníon) to abide in Christ and asserts that doing so will produce two results at Christ’s Second Coming.

Abiding in Christ will bring confidence (parrēsía) when he shall appear (phaneróō – make know, manifest, visible). Parrēsía occurs four times in 1 John. It relates to confidence before Jesus Christ at the Parousia (2:28; 4:17) and confidence before God in prayer (3:21; 5:14).

In addition, abiding in Christ will result in ‘not being ashamed’ before him at his parousía (coming, advent, presence). This is the only reference to parousía in John’s writings. The word is also used for the second advent of Christ in the writings of Paul (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:1,8), James (5:7,8) and Peter (2 Pet 1:16; 3:4,12).

Parousía is one of three technical terms the New Testament uses for the Second Coming of Christ. The others are epipháneia (2 Thess 2:8; 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 4:1,8; Titus 2:13) and apokálupsis (1 Cor 1:7; 2 Thess 1:7; 1 Pet 1:7, 13).

Being confident and unashamed convey the idea that judgement is connected with the Parousia so in v.29 John advises his readers that since the judge is righteous they too ought to be righteous. i.e. do what is right, live in a manner that is acceptable to God. At the end of v.29 John introduces a topic that he will now take up in chapter three and to which he will return several times (3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18). The topic is the idea that Christians are ‘born of God’.

1 JOHN 2:1-2

1 JOHN 2:3-11

1 JOHN 2:12-14

1 JOHN 2:15-17

1 JOHN 2:18-23

THE TEN IMPERATIVES IN 1 JOHN

Posted in Exposition

1 JOHN 2:3-11

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The latter section of 1 John chapter 1 contains three assertions, aimed at false teachers, which begin with the expression ‘If we say.’ These are:

1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1.10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

ASSURANCE

This section in chapter 2:3-11 contains another three assertions but these are aimed at believers, whose faith might have been rocked by false teaching and who are in need of assurance that they are genuine Christians. These assertions all begin with the expression ‘ the person who says’ ( KJV ‘he that saith’). They are:

2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

These might actually be direct quotations from John’s opponents who were not genuine. Anyone, however, who can truthfully say: ‘I know him’, ‘I live in him’ and ‘I live in the light’ is sure to be a true Christian.

2:3 John introduces the theme of obedience and its relation to knowing God. He emphasizes that the evidence of a genuine relationship with God is seen in willingness to obey God’s commands. True knowledge of God is not just theoretical but results in a transformed life, characterized by a desire to follow God’s teachings and live in obedience to His will.

‘I KNOW HIM’

‘Hereby’ This phrase en toútō without a noun antecedent is a device John uses frequently in this epistle (2:3, 5, 3:10,16, 19, 24; 4:2, 6, 9, 10, 13; 5:2) to mark the change to new topic or to emphasize the importance of what he is about to say.

‘We know that we know.’ The first ‘we know’ is present tense and the second is perfect tense. The latter has the idea of ‘we have come to know’ indicating that the knowledge was obtained once for all and is continuing; it is a past experience that has ongoing consequences in the present.

‘him‘ Jesus Christ the Righteous One who is our advocate and propitiation (2:1-2).

2:4 John emphasizes his point by giving a negative example. He asserts that merely claiming to know God without obedience is a lie. Claiming to know God while living in disobedience is hypocritical and untrue. Our actions must match our words.

2:5 John restates positively the point that true knowledge of God should lead to a life of obedience and righteousness. When people genuinely obey God’s word, it is an indication that the love of God is being perfected or completed in them. By ‘the love of God’ does John mean their love for God (objective genitive) or God’s love for them (subjective genitive)? Both human love for God (cp. Ex 20:6; Jer 2:2) and God’s/Jesus’ love for human beings (cp. Jn 15: 9-10; 1 Jn 4:12) could be in view, but probably more the former.

An essential component of genuine love for God is obedience to God’s commands. It is a clear sign that one is truly a member of God’s family, and knows him intimately.

‘I LIVE IN HIM’

2:6 Once more John sets a high standard for the believers. Claiming to live (menṓ, remain) in Christ requires a life that emulates Jesus’ character, conduct, and teachings. This verse emphasizes that being a Christian involves imitating Christ and growing in Christlikeness in our daily lives. One must walk (peripatéō) as he walked.

THE COMMANDMENT IS BOTH OLD AND UP-TO-DATE

2:7 Having already mentioned the idea that the keeping of God’s/Jesus Christ’s commandments perfects love John now addresses the Christians as ‘beloved’ (agapētós)- N.B: other manuscripts read ‘brothers’ (adelphós). John assures his readers that his message is not a new teaching. ‘New’ has the idea of ‘novel’ or ‘previously unheard of’. The command to love had been around for a very long time e.g. ‘Love God and love your neighbour!’ (Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18; Mt 22:37-40; Rom 13:8; 2 Jn 6). This command is something that they had possessed (‘ye had’) ‘from the beginning’ i.e. since they first heard the gospel. Here ‘commandment’ in the singular, as elsewhere in John’s writings, refers to the commandment of love (Jn 13:34; 15:12; 1 Jn 3:23; 4:21; 2 Jn 5-6).

THE COMMANDMENT IS BOTH NEW AND TRUE

2:8 ‘Again’ i.e ‘on the other hand’ or ‘on second thought’. Here John seems to present a paradox by calling it both an old command and a new command. While the command to love one another is not new, in a sense it (‘which thing’) is new both in their case and in the case of Jesus Christ. For them it is new because they have recently come from darkness to light. As regards Christ it is new because he reaffirmed it. He called it new (Jn13:34) and exemplified it in his life (Mk 10:21; Jn 11:5,26; 13:1; 15:13; 19:26). Its full expression was realised first of all in Jesus Christ and now in them as they walk as he walked.

N.B. I have taken ‘which thing’ as referring to the command to love. Strictly speaking, this is grammatically incorrect as the noun ‘commandment’ is feminine but the pronoun ‘which thing’ is neuter. But what else could John have in mind? For various suggestions as to what ‘which thing’ might refer to please consult technical commentaries. As far as I know, there is not a satisfactory solution to this grammatical difficulty.

‘The darkness is passing (present tense) and the true light is now shining.’ John tells the believers that something wonderful is happening; darkness is dissipating (parágō) and the light is shining. This is a process that is not yet complete but will presumably be fulfilled at the Second Coming (2:18 ,28), which John reckons will be soon. The apostle Paul articulates a similar thought in Rom 13:12.

The concepts of darkness and light recur in the writings of John and make an appearance early in his Gospel as themes in the Prologue. For some thoughts on the themes in the Prologue (Jn 1:1-18) please see my previous posts:

(1) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(2) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(3) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(4) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(5) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(6) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

‘I LIVE IN THE LIGHT’

2:9 John highlights the inconsistency of claiming to live in the light (in Christ) while harbouring hatred or ill-will towards a fellow believer (‘adelphós’ – ‘brother’, ‘one of the same origin’ – Whether singular ‘brother’ or plural ‘brethren’ this is a New Testament technical term for a Christian believer either male or female, generally speaking no gender distinction is implied e.g. Jn 21:23; Acts 9:30; Rom16:14). Love for others, especially within the Christian community, is a key marker of walking in the light of Christ.

2:10 John states that someone who loves his or her fellow believers lives in the light. Love enables believers to walk in righteousness and unity with one another, removing obstacles that might cause them to stumble or fall away from their faith.

2:11 John reiterates the significance of love by maintaining that hatred towards a fellow believer is evidence that someone in a state of spiritual darkness. Hatred blinds an individual to the truth and causes him to walk aimlessly without direction or understanding.

Thus John maintains that being in the light and hating one’s brother are mutually exclusive. With John there are no grey areas, there is either light or darkness, there is either love or hatred. He restates this thought in 3:15 and 4:20.

In the 1871 JFB ‘Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Whole Bible’ the authors include a quotation which gives a useful summary of vv. 10-11:

“In him who loves there is neither blindness nor occasion of stumbling [to himself]: in him who does not love, there is both blindness and occasion of stumbling. He who hates his brother, is both a stumbling-block to himself, and stumbles against himself and everything within and without; he who loves has an unimpeded path” [BENGEL].

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., and Brown, D. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 528.

1 JOHN 2:1-2

1 JOHN 2:12-14

1 JOHN 2:15-17

1 JOHN 2:18-23

1 JOHN 2:24-29

THE TEN IMPERATIVES IN 1 JOHN

Posted in Exposition

1 JOHN 2:1-2

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2:1-2 JESUS CHRIST IS OUR ADVOCATE

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (KJV)

These two verses follow on from the previous chapter which is about Jesus Christ (1:1-4), Fellowship (mentioned 4 times in 1:3-7) and Sin/sins (9 times in 1:7-2:2). John addresses his audience affectionately as ‘my little children,’ showing his pastoral concern for those younger in the faith than he is and at the same time reminding them of his authority. Tekníon (‘little sons’) is the diminutive of the Greek ‘sons’ (‘son’ is téknon) and in this epistle occurs here and at 2:12; 3:18; 4:4, 5:21. A different word for ‘little children’ (paidíon meaning ‘infants) is used at 2:13,18. In John’s Gospel Jesus uses both words in addressing his disciples: tekníon in Jn 13:33 and paidíon in Jn 21:5.

John gives one of his reasons for writing as the desire that they avoid sinning but, at the same time, he acknowledges that they may still fall into sin at times. They are not sinless but they are to sin less.

‘And’ has the idea of ‘furthermore’. John recognizes that a Christian will sin from time to time. The change from the indefinite third person ‘any man’ to the first person plural ‘we’ is notable in that the apostle John includes himself along with those he is addressing as someone who is liable to sin. He assures them that believers who sin have an ‘advocate’ before God the Father in Jesus Christ. If those he is writing to (scholars often refer to them as ‘the Johannine community’) commit sin Jesus Christ is their advocate with the Father, just as he is John’s advocate too.

An advocate (paráklētos) is someone who is called to another person’s side to provide help or comfort. It can mean a legal adviser who represents someone in court but it refers more generally to someone who provides help of any kind. The main thought is of aid, encouragement or comfort. The emphasis is not so much on the ability of the advocate to help but on his dignity or standing as someone who can bring about a positive outcome for the person in trouble. In the New Testament the word occurs only here (2:1) and in The Upper Room Ministry section (Jn 13-17) of John’s Gospel (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). In John’s Gospel the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit. On this point The Complete Word Study Dictionary helpfully comments that: ‘Christ designates the Holy Spirit as Paraclete (John 14:16), and calls Him állos, another, which means another of equal quality and not héteros, another of a different quality. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is designated by Jesus Christ as equal with Himself, i.e., God (1 John 2:1).’ In 1 John the Paraclete is Jesus Christ. He is described as ‘the Righteous One,’ emphasizing His perfect and sinless character, which qualifies him to be our advocate.

John goes on to explain that Jesus’ role as the advocate is rooted in His sacrificial work on the cross. He is the propitiation for our sins, which means His death on the cross reconciles us with God and satisfies God’s righteous demands for justice.

PROPITIATION

Verse 2 begins with ‘And,’ which tells us that what follows is another comment by John on the topic of sin. The word ‘He’ (lit. ‘himself’) keeps our attention focused on Jesus Christ. It is he, no one else, who is ‘the propitiation for our sins.’

The Greek word hilasmos here translated ‘propitiation’ occurs only twice in the New Testament; both occasions are in 1 John (2:2; 4:10). It is an act of atonement (the reconciliation of human beings with God) and a means of appeasing God’s wrath. The word carries two main connotations; propitiation and expiation. There is ongoing debate as to which is most prominent. Some scholars emphasize propitiation (an averting of God’s wrath), others expiation (removal of sin, cleansing). The object of propitiation is a person (God), the object of expiation is a problem (sin). Some Bible versions try to convey both ideas by translating hilasmos as ‘atoning sacrifice’. However, hilasmos does not focus on sin itself but on the means by which sins are dealt with and forgiven.

Jesus Christ the Righteous is the hilasmos. Because he is righteous he was able to be the sacrifice that is the means of appeasing the God’s anger and of delivering human beings from the defilement of sin. Sins are forgiven on the basis of his completed work on the cross.

Importantly, John clarifies that Jesus’ sacrifice as a means of propitiation is not for the benefit of a particular group (like the Johannine community) but is directed to the whole world. Kósmos is the universe or world and its contents; people and things. Here it may be a figure of speech (metonymy) meaning ‘the inhabitants of the world.’

Note that some translations, including the KJV, insert ‘the sins of‘ before ‘the whole world’ but this is not in the original. ‘For the whole world’ does not refer back to ‘for our sins’ but is one of three perí (concerning or regarding) clauses in verse 2, all of which link back to hilasmos.

‘himself the propitiation (hilasmos) –

  1. perí (concerning) our sins
  2. not perí (concerning) our own alone
  3. but also perí (concerning) the whole world‘

1 Jn 2:2 does not teach universalism. In 1 Jn 5:19 John clearly distinguishes between those who are ‘of God’ and ‘the world’.

For a detailed technical treatment of the words and grammar in verse 2, including the triple perí, please see:

Do, T., 2013, ‘Does πϵρὶ ὅλου του̑ κόμου imply “the sins of the whole world” in 1 John 2,2?’ Biblica, Vol. 94, No. 3, pp. 415–435.

1 JOHN 2:3-11

1 JOHN 2:12-14

1 JOHN 2:15-17

1 JOHN 2:18-23

1 JOHN 2:24-29

THE TEN IMPERATIVES IN 1 JOHN

Posted in Exposition

NEHEMIAH 13:15-31

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13:15-22 RESTORATION OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE

Nehemiah finds that in his absence (‘in those days’) some in Judah have not been observing the Sabbath, but engaging in trade and commerce on the holy day. The offenders listed were involved in the main industry – agriculture – and included wine makers, farmers, fruit growers and haulage operatives. The word translated ‘sheaves’ means ‘heaps’ and need not be restricted to grain. As well as violating the command not to work, the loading and transportation of goods by donkey into Jerusalem also transgressed the concept of no (or very limited) travel on the Sabbath (Ex 16:29; Acts 1:12). Sabbath observance is prescribed in the one of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:8-11; 31:12-17) and was viewed by Isaiah (56:1-8) as something that results in blessing. The prophets Jeremiah (17:19-27), Ezekiel (20:12-24) and Amos (8:4-5) identified profanation of the Sabbath as a cause of the woes that befell the Israelites; because they had became just like the heathens around them.

Nehemiah also observes that merchants from Tyre who had set up a trading colony in Jerusalem were selling fish and all kinds of wares to the local people on the Sabbath.

THE PHOENICIAN PORT OF TYRE

Tyre was an important port for the Phoenicians, a nation famous in ancient times for seafaring and commerce. Just as the Arabs with their camel trains dominated the transportation of goods over land so the Phoenician merchant navy dominated the shipping routes; conveying goods to and from the three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) bordering the Mediterranean. They carried not only seawater fish from the Mediterranean and freshwater fish from the Nile but also an abundance of other foodstuffs, exported in cylindrical clay jars. These included: fish paste, pine nuts, olives, olive oil, wine, honey and grain. They shipped luxury goods like furniture, metal tableware (e.g. decorated bowls, candelabra), purple dye, and carved ivories, and were also experts in the delivery of bulk timber by sea (1 Kgs 5:9; 1 Chron 22:4; 2 Chron 2:3-16; Ezra 3:7). The prowess of the Phoenicians (Tyre and Sidon) as merchants and human traffickers is acknowledged by the Old Testament Hebrew prophets (Isa 23:1-8, 17-18; Ezekiel 27:1-36; 28:1-5; Joel 3:4-7; Amos 1:9). Ezekiel chapter 27 is of special historical interest because it not only gives a list of commodities traded by the Tyrians but also details the many and widespread locations where they did business.

NEHEMIAH PROMOTES SABBATH OBSERVANCE

Nehemiah confronts the Judaean nobles and accuses them of profaning the Sabbath (for this expression see: Neh 13:17, 18; Ezek 20:16, 21, 24, ; 22:8; 23:38) and adding to God’s wrath against them. He warns them about God’s punishment (13:18). He then institutes practical measures to enforce Sabbath observance and ensure the sanctity of the day.

  • Nehemiah closes the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath and initially has his servants guard them so that no burden could be carried into the city.
  • Some of the merchants camp outside the city gates so that the locals can go out and buy from them. Nehemiah tells them to leave or face forcible removal. They leave.
  • Nehemiah then hands over responsibility for guarding to gates to the Levites, after they purify themselves for the Sabbath.

13:22 Nehemiah again asks God to take note of his actions and ‘spare’ (have compassion on) him.

13:23-29 PROBLEM OF EXOGAMOUS MARRIAGES

Upon his return from Persia Nehemiah discovers that in his absence an old issue has resurfaced. Some Israelite men have married foreign women, contrary to God’s law (Deut 23:3-6)and the covenant that had been signed in chapter ten. One of the points of that covenant was the cessation of exogamous marriage (10:30). Nehemiah cites two specific examples of the problem.

1) Half the children spoke (Aramaic?) in a foreign dialect and could not speak ‘the language of the Jews’ i.e. Hebrew. Nehemiah could easily distinguish between the speech of children of Ashdodite mothers and that of children from all Jewish households. He was concerned about ungodly foreign cultural influence and was also very much aware that Jewish national identity was bound up with the worship of God. Since Hebrew was the language of the Jewish religion children who did not speak it could not be taught or understand the scriptures. Men who had married foreign wives were not only neglecting the Hebrew language, they were jeopardizing the purity of the Jewish religion.

Nehemiah therefore takes the offenders to court and challenges their actions. He calls down the curses of the broken covenant upon them, subjects them to a public shaming ritual (see Isa 50:6) and makes them take an oath once again not to marry their children off to foreigners. The reason (vv. 26-27) given for this is the sin of Solomon. In spite of the fact that God loved him (2 Sam 12:24-25) and made him king over all Israel (1 Kgs 4:1) Solomon entered into diplomatic marriages with foreign wives (1 Kgs 11:1-10; 2 Chron 8:11) who led him away from the true worship of Yahweh.

2) Jehoiada, son or grandson of the High Priest Eliashib, had married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, who was an enemy of Nehemiah (2:19; 4:1-2, 7; 6:1-9, 14) and a pagan. In the regulations recorded in Lev 21:10-15 the high priest was required to ‘take a virgin of his own people to wife’. In practical terms this prohibition against marrying a foreign wife probably extended to the sons and grandsons of a high priest since they could possibly become high priest in the future. Nehemiah expelled Jehoiada from Judea.

Nehemiah’s prayer at the end of this section (v29) is not about himself but he instead directs his prayer against the high priestly family who, because of intermarriage, had set a bad example to the people, defiled the priesthood and broken the covenant of 10:29-30.

13:30-31 SUMMARY OF NEHEMIAH’S CULTIC REFORMS

Nehemiah ends his memoir by summarizing his main achievements. He lists these as action taken against foreign marriages (10:30; 13:23ff), reorganisation of the temple duties of the priests and Levites (10:37-39; 12:44-47; 13:12-13), the institution of a wood offering (10:34) and the revival/rescheduling of the firstfruits offering (10:35-37).

SUMMATION

Nehemiah chapter thirteen emphasizes the need for continual vigilance in upholding God’s standards and reminds us that spiritual renewal is an ongoing process. The chapter underscores the importance of maintaining purity, honouring the Lord’s demands, and the people of God keeping separate from unholy influences. In spite of Nehemiah’s accomplishments chapter thirteen ends on a somewhat negative note. Sadly, the Israelites do not seem to have shared Nehemiah’s enthusiasm for the things of God. They yielded to secular and religious pressure from outside their community and, despite pledging ‘to walk in God’s law’ (10:29), they abandoned their commitments concerning intermarriage (10:30), Sabbath observance (10:31), and support of the Temple service (10:37-39) soon after Nehemiah left for Persia.

Chapter thirteen records Nehemiah’s final efforts to restore Jerusalem’s spiritual and moral fabric, and provides us with valuable examples of active leadership, faithfulness, and a timely warning about the possibility of departure from the will of God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Carson, D.A. (2018). NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible : Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as it Unfolds Throughout Scripture [Previously published as NIV Zondervan Study Bible]. Grand Rapids, Mi: Zondervan.

Grabbe, L.L. (2012). An introduction to Second Temple Judaism : History and Religion of the Jews in the time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel and Jesus. London Bloomsbury.

Knut Larson, Anders, M. and Dahlen, K. (2005). Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Nashville, Tenn. Broadman & Holman C.

López-Ruiz C. and Doak, B.R. (2019). The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Ruckman, P.S. (2004). The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. (The Bible Believer’s Commentary Series).

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Berlin, A.M. (1997). From Monarchy to Markets: The Phoenicians in Hellenistic Palestine. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 306, pp.75–88. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1357550.

Master, D.M. (2014). Economy and Exchange in the Iron Age Kingdoms of the Southern Levant. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 372, pp.81–97. doi:https://doi.org/10.5615/bullamerschoorie.372.0081.

Noonan, B.J. (2011). Did Nehemiah Own Tyrian Goods? Trade between Judea and Phoenicia during the Achaemenid Period. Journal of Biblical Literature, 130(2), pp.281–298. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/41304201.

Nehemiah 13:1-3

Nehemiah 13:4-14

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NEHEMIAH 13:4-14

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13:4-9 EXPULSION OF TOBIAH FROM THE TEMPLE

The main problem Nehemiah addresses in this section is the fact that Eliashib the priest had allowed Tobiah the Ammonite, a non-Jew, to occupy a spacious ‘room’ in the temple. Some suggest that Tobiah may have used the space for commercial purposes since in 13:5 the word liškāh (translated ‘room’ or ‘chamber’) often means storeroom (1 Chron. 9:26; 2 Chron. 31:11; Ezra 8:29; Neh. 10:38-39), but 13:7 uses the word nišḵāh, which refers to living quarters.

ELIASHIB

This ‘Eliashib the priest’ is probably the same Eliashib who was High Priest at that time (3:1, 20-21; 12:10, 22; 13:28) and would certainly have had the authority provide this space to Tobiah. He had participated in the building of the walls (3:1) but thereafter continued to associate with (‘allied’ = ‘close to’ v.4b) Nehemiah’s enemy Tobiah, especially while Nehemiah was away from Jerusalem. Sometimes ‘the priest’ is shorthand for ‘High Priest’, for example: Zadok (1 Kgs 1:8, 26, 32, 34, 38, 39, 44, 45; 2:35; 4;2 ,4) and Joshua in Ezra chapter 3, cp. Zech 6:11).

TOBIAH

Tobiah first appears in 2:10 where he is mentioned as one of the local dignitaries unhappy that Nehemiah had come ‘to seek the welfare of the people of Israel’. He and his friends mocked Nehemiah’s work on the walls, saying that the walls would be so weak that even a fox could knock them down (4:3). Tobiah, however, seems to have established close links with local Israelite officials, including members of the priesthood. This he partly achieved through marriage alliances with prominent Israelite families:

‘Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah (see 3:30). Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear’ Neh 6:17-19

The provision by Eliashib the priest of a large ‘room’ in the temple for use by Tobiah (13:5) was a serious violation of the law as Deut 23:3-6 prohibited non-Jews from entering the temple or participating in its worship. It would seem that little has changed since then; even today some religious leaders still think that they are above God’s laws.

The room allocated to Tobiah was in an area of the temple which had been designated for the storage of paraphernalia relating to worship (12:44,) such as:

  • Grain offering
  • Frankincense
  • Vessels
  • Agricultural tithes (corn, new wine, oil).

The people had previously committed themselves in writing to provide the above items and store them in the Temple (9:38; 10:38-39). These goods were for the support of temple staff: the Levites, the singers, the porters and the priests. Although the items had been sanctified (12:47), Eliashib the priest had removed them from the storage area in order to accommodate Tobiah. This was a deliberate act of desecration.

Nehemiah emphasizes that he was out of the country (because he had returned to report to the king in Persia) when this happened and did not therefore become aware of it until he returned to Jerusalem (13:6-7). Neither Eliashib nor Tobiah may have expected Nehemiah to return so soon.

Nehemiah was furious when he heard of the arrangement and took immediate action to correct the problem. Determined to restore the temple to its proper state he used his power as Persian governor to overrule this poor decision by the temple authorities. He summarily removed Tobiah’s furniture and belongings (13:8) and had the area purified (13:8-9) and restocked.

13:10-14 REORGANISATION OF THE LEVITES

Nehemiah learns that the giving of tithes had ceased during his period of absence with the result that the Levites and the singers, who were responsible for conducting the temple services (‘that did the work’ KJV), had not received their portions of tithes and offerings.

The Torah envisaged that the tribe of Levi would be supported by the other tribes by means of the tithe (Num 18:21-24; Deut 14:27-28). The apostle Paul directly references this Old Testament system and applies its principles to the support of Christian workers in the New Testament era:

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 1 Cor 9:13-14

The Levites had therefore left their duties (13:10, ‘fled’ i.e. the situation was forced upon them) and returned to their fields in order to support themselves financially; thus severely disrupting the worship of Yahweh. The passage may imply that this state of affairs was brought about by Tobiah’s occupation of the storage unit.

In theory the Levites ought not to have had pastureland other than that surrounding towns that had been allocated to them by the Lord (a list of the ‘Levitical cities’ is recorded in Josh 21:1-41 and in 1 Chron 6:54-81). It would seem, however, that in Nehemiah’s day Levites lived and farmed in various additional locations throughout the territory of Judah (7:72; 11:20; 12:27).

Since the ruling class in Judah had neglected their responsibilities with regards to the financial support of the Temple personnel, Nehemiah, as Persian governor, conducted a court case against them (13:11a) and accused them of forsaking the house of God, i.e. of breaking the covenant they made in 10:29ff. The word translated as ‘rebuke’ (5:7) and ‘contend’ (13:11,17, 25) in KJV means ‘to conduct a lawsuit or legal case’.

Nehemiah then gathered ‘them’ (the Levites and singers, not the rulers) together and got them back to their work in the temple. With the temple service revived the people of Judah responded positively. Soon the tithes were given and collected and proper distribution of the provisions restored. Nehemiah seized the opportunity to reorganise the Levites (13:13). No longer would responsibility for looking after the temple storerooms and distribution of support for the Levites be controlled by one man who, like Eliashib, might prove unreliable. Instead, Nehemiah assigned these tasks to a panel of three officials, Shelemiah, Zadok and Pedaiah. Hanan the son of of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah was appointed to assist them. All of these committee members were honest and trustworthy men who, it appears, acted on behalf of the main parties which had an interest in the smooth operation of the system of tithing.

Shelemiah was a priest.

Pedaiah was a Levite (cp 3:25).

Hanan, presumably, was a singer. He was a grandson of Mattaniah who was the Temple choirmaster (11:17, 22; 12:8, 25).

Zadok the Scribe would have represented the interest of the Persian government.

13:14 – Throughout this chapter Nehemiah finishes his account of each reform with a short prayer (13:14, 22, 31). Here he asks God not to blot out the good deeds he had so loyally and faithfully performed for the temple of God and its services.

In this prayer Nehemiah uses the metaphor of God maintaining a ledger. The idea occurs several times throughout scripture, for example: Psa 56:8; 139:16; Isa 65:6; Dan 7:9-10; Mal 3:16; Rev 20:12; 21:27.

Nehemiah 13:1-3

Nehemiah 13:15-31

Posted in General

LET THE PEACE OF GOD CALL THE SHOTS IN YOUR HEART!

Posted on by writtenexposition

‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.’ Colossians 3:15

I don’t know about you but I have never been much interested in sport. I do not follow any teams and am always at a loss when others start a conversation about cricket, soccer, rugby and (even at this Wimbledon season) tennis.

In the world of the New Testament it was athletic competitions with one winner rather than ball games or team sports that the people enjoyed. Since many of the big sporting events in those days were held in honour of pagan gods it is highly unlikely that the apostle Paul was a sports fanatic. However, he would certainly have been aware of major competitions like the four main Panhellenic Games: the Olympic, Pythian, Nemean and Isthmian Games. The latter games were held in honour of the sea-god Poseidon every two years at Corinth, a city where Paul lived for a year and a half (Acts 18:11).

Although not a fan Paul did make several allusions to sport in his letters:

APOSTLE PAUL’S REFERENCES TO ATHLETICS

1 Cor 9:24-27 speaks of the winner’s crown and the possibility of being disqualified.

2 Cor 5:10 mentions the judgement seat of Christ – bema – a raised platform on which the judges sat.

Galatians 2: 2 says; ‘lest I run or had run in vain.’

In Galatians 5:7 Paul again talks about running well (cp. Heb 12:1).

In Ephesians 6:12 he maintains: ‘we wrestle not against flesh and blood’

In Philippians 3:14 he says: ‘I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ.’

Near the end of his life Paul wrote: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.’ 2 Tim 4:7-8 (NLT)

Here in Colossians 3:15 the reference is not to competitors but to someone who moderates a sporting event – a referee or umpire .

The term ‘rule’ is the verb brabeúō which describes the activity of an umpire at the games. It means ‘to act as an umpire (brabeus)’.

Paul’s advice to the Christians at Colosse was: ‘Let the peace of God be the umpire in your hearts!’

In other words:

‘Let the peace of God call the shots in your life!

‘Let the peace of God be the umpire that settles your emotions and your decisions!

‘Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!’

How do most of us react whenever we have a bad day, when things are uncertain and everything seems to get on top of us? Often we get grumpy, irritable and upset.

In this verse the apostle Paul tells us that whenever we confront difficult situations we should let God’s peace dominate every emotion. We must choose to let God’s peace settle any detrimental thoughts and feelings that might rise up in our minds. We are not to get into an emotional frenzy. The peace that comes from God will be a guide that orders and directs our decisions, relationships and actions but order to let this peace call the shots we must acknowledge the lordship of Jesus Christ and follow his instructions.

Whenever we let this umpire called ‘divine peace’ control the game of life all decisions will be correct. There will be no anxiety, fretfulness or worry, and definitely no need for the spiritual equivalent of review technology like Hawk-Eye.

So, whenever overwhelmed by problems or emotions that would disturb us, we ought to stop, refocus, and let God’s peace call the shots in our hearts.

The umpire always has the final say. Does God’s peace serve as umpire in your heart, and in mine?

‘And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.’ Colossians 3:15

Posted in Exposition

NEHEMIAH 13:1-3

Posted on by writtenexposition

Nehemiah chapter 13 concludes the book of Nehemiah and provides insight into the reforms implemented by Nehemiah upon his return to Jerusalem from Persia. The background to chapter 13 may be summarised as follows:

BACKGROUND TO NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 13

Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer to king Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) of Persia, received news from home about the deteriorating state of Jerusalem and its broken walls. He therefore sought permission from the king for leave of absence from his job at Susa in order to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the walls and restore the glory of the city.

Having obtained the king’s blessing and support, Nehemiah travelled to Jerusalem in 445 BCE (2:1; 5:14) and rallied the people to rebuild the walls. Despite some local opposition, the walls were completed in fifty-two days (6:15). Nehemiah then focused on the spiritual renewal of the Jewish community. After twelve years in Jerusalem (5:14; 13:6) Nehemiah returned to the Persian court in 433 BCE. He must have continued to receive news from Jerusalem because he soon became aware that, in a spiritual sense, things were not progressing well there since his departure.

In chapter 13, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after an unspecified period of absence in Babylon. The date was probably 430 or 429 BCE. True enough, he finds that the people have reverted to various forms of disobedience and have neglected the laws of God. This final chapter highlights several significant events:

13:1-3 SEPARATION RENEWED

13:4-9 EXPULSION OF TOBIAH FROM THE TEMPLE

13:10-14 REORGANISATION OF THE LEVITES

13:15-22 RESTORATION OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE

13:23-29 PROBLEM OF EXOGAMOUS MARRIAGES

13: 30-31 SUMMARY OF NEHEMIAH’S CULTIC REFORMS

13:1-3 SEPARATION RENEWED

‘On that day’ (‘at that time’ i.e. in Nehemiah’s era) there was a public reading from the ‘book of Moses’ (cf. 2 Chron 25:4.; 35:12; Neh 8:1). This is certainly a reference to the torah (first five books of the Old Testament) since vv. 1b-2 cite Deut 23:3-6; a section of law dealing with persons excluded from Israelite worship. When the passage was read aloud the people learned that Ammonites or Moabites were specifically excluded from any religious assembly of Israel until ten generations had passed. This rule was to last forever. Interestingly, the reasons given for that do not include the origin of the two nations from the incestuous sexual relations each of Lot’s daughters had with him (Gen 19:30-38). Rather, the prohibition was based on on historical events. These two nations had opposed the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt and had hired a non-Israelite prophet called Balaam to curse them (Num 22-24). This, in turn, triggered a curse on them in accordance with God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 12:2-4. Although he could not actually bring himself to curse the Israelites Balaam nevertheless advised the Moabites how to lead them into sin (Num 31:16; 2 Pet 2:15; Jude 11; Rev 2:14).

MOAB

The Bible has nothing good to say about the Moabites or Ammonites but Moab in particular is singled out for criticism. The prophet Jeremiah gives a penetrating assessment of this inveterate enemy of the Israelites in his book:

‘Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.‘ Jer 48:11

Moab, as we have mentioned, had a bad beginning. Nevertheless, like many who oppose God and his people today, everything seemed to go well for them. Their history was characterized by comfort and prosperity. Unlike Israel, nothing disturbed or interfered with their lives of ease. They were never taken into captivity. Jeremiah paints a word picture from the ancient process of wine-making. Totally at ease in its wickedness, unthinking and unconcerned about its sinful idolatry, never having yearned for deliverance, Moab went to rot.

Jeremiah’s metaphorical language conveys a sense of stagnation and lack of transformation. Despite being a nation that had been established for a long time, Moab had never undergone significant changes or been refined through challenging experiences. As a result, the character and behaviour of the Moabites remained unchanged, they were self-assured and unyielding. This important verse condemns Moab’s pride and self-reliance, suggesting that their failure to grow spiritually and morally would lead to their downfall and judgment from God. Devastation would come upon Moab as a consequence of their actions.

After the public reading of the law a ‘separation’ (Ezr 9:1; 10:11; Neh 10:28) of ‘the mixture’ took place. Not just Ammonites and Moabites were separated, but all foreigners. Intermarriage with the Canaanite nations had been forbidden because family relationships with idolators was perceived as likely to cause a turning away from the worship of Yahweh, the one true God (Deut 7:3-4). This problem seems to have plagued the Israelites throughout their history. During the era of Ezra and Nehemiah at least three attempts were made over a period of thirty years (468-429 BCE) to resolve the issue. Although these measures were fairly drastic (e.g. mass divorce, covenant not to intermarry), they were not entirely successful (Ezra 9-10; Neh 9:2; 10:28-30; 13:1-3). Nehemiah returns to the topic of unacceptable marriages later in the chapter.

The New Testament teaches the same general principle; that when it comes to spiritual matters a mixture never produces positive results. Every so often there must be a return to the word of God; accompanied by self-assessment leading to remedial action. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18:

‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.’

Nehemiah 13:4-14

Nehemiah 13:15-31

Posted in Exposition

EZEKIEL’S VISION OF THE GLORY OF YAHWEH (1:4-28)

Posted on by writtenexposition

Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of the Lord is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. It is an elaborate, powerful and awe-inspiring description of God’s presence and majesty. Here is a summary of the key elements of the vision:

SUMMARY

The vision begins with Ezekiel seeing a great storm coming from the north. The storm is accompanied by lightning, thunder, and a brilliant light. In the centre of this light, Ezekiel sees what appears to be four living creatures. Each creature has four faces and four wings. Their legs are straight, and their feet resemble those of a calf. Their faces represent different aspects of creation: a human face, a lion face, an ox face, and an eagle face. These living creatures move with incredible speed and coordination, and their wings touch one another as they move.

The vision continues with Ezekiel seeing wheels, described as ‘terrifying’ (1:18), beside the living creatures. The wheels are covered in eyes and travel along with the living creatures, following their movements without turning.

Above the heads of the living creatures, Ezekiel sees a firmament (dome) that resembles a crystal expanse. Above it is a throne-like structure that appears like sapphire, and upon the throne is a figure that looks like a man. This figure shines with a brilliant light and is surrounded by a radiance that resembles a rainbow.

The vision concludes with Ezekiel understanding that this extraordinary sight represents the glory of the Lord.

COMMENTS

From verse four Ezekiel attempts to describe what he sees. The opening words are ‘And I saw.’ The expression occurs again in vv. 15 and 27.

He observes a whirlwind, symbolizing a powerful and dynamic force, coming from the north. Jeremiah also spoke of God’s judgement as a whirlwind (23:19; 25:32). In the ancient Near East there was a notion that the gods dwelt in the north. Ancient Canaanites (e.g. Hurrians, Hittites) believed that Baal lived at Mount Zaphon (zaphon became the Hebrew word for northward, the direction ‘north’). The Babylonians also believed that the gods resided in the north. Isa 14:13 refers to this belief by the nations. In Job 26:7; 37:22 the north is viewed as the opposite of earth; perhaps suggesting heaven as God’s home.

Israelites associated ‘the north’ with threats from hostile forces like Assyria and Babylonia. Ezekiel later prophesies that the final invasion of Israel before complete restoration will come from the north (38:6,15). From Ezekiel’s perspective, it is also the direction from which the Babylonian army will invade Judah.

The whirlwind is accompanied by a great cloud with blazing fire that seems to be consuming itself. In the Bible theophanies (appearances of God) are often described in terms of an atmospheric storm (Ex 19:16-18; Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4; Job 38:1; 40:6; Psa 18:7–15; 29:3–9; 50:3; 97:1-5; 104:3; Isa 29:6; Jer 23:19; Nah 1:3; Hab 3:8-15; Zech 9:14).

The cloud contains a fire, of which Ezekiel says ‘and a brightness about it.’ This is repeated in 1:27. The same word is used in Dan 12:3 of the brightness of heaven. The brightness and radiance of the fire are ‘like’ amber, which suggests a golden, glowing colour. The LXX and Vulgate translate ‘amber’ as ‘electrum’ – a shiny metal compounded of four parts gold and one silver (white gold). The only biblical occurrences of the word are in Ezekiel 1:4, 27; 8:2.

The storm, cloud and fire are symbols of wrath which together communicate the idea of the awe-inspiring presence and majesty of God.

Notice that Ezekiel avoids speaking of Yahweh in tangible terms. He describes God in the language of simile, using the terms ‘like’, ‘as’, ‘appearance’ or ‘likeness’ (1;4, 5, 13,16, 22, 24, 26, 27). Yahweh is indescribable, thus Ezekiel uses these words meaning ‘as it were’.

Within the whirlwind and fire, Ezekiel sees the ‘likeness’ of four living creatures (ḥayyāh -wild animals, as opposed to domestic animals). Verses 5b-14 give a description of these creatures. They have a human-like appearance, which probably implies that they possess intelligence and understanding. Each of them has (one head with) four faces, and four wings. Obviously supernatural beings, they are identified as cherubim in Ezek 10:1-22.

Ezekiel notes that their legs are straight, resembling the legs of a calf. Probably each creature has just one leg (Heb: ‘a straight foot’) with a hoof like a calf’s hoof, but, since Ezekiel says they were humanoid (presumably one head, human hands), he may mean that they have two legs each. Their hooves have a sparkling appearance, reminiscent of burnished bronze. The legs are described as ‘straight’. Some interpret this as meaning that the legs are parallel, others that they have no knee joints by which to bend their legs. This would imply that they never sit or lie down; they are constantly on the move.

1:10 describes the faces in some detail.

Lion – fearsome beast – Num 23:24; 24:9; Judg 14:18; 2 Sam 1:23.

Eagle – magnificent bird – Deut 28:49; 2 Sam 1:23; Job 39:27-30; Jer 48:40; Lam 4:19.

Ox – prized domestic animal – Ex 21:35- 22:15; Job 21:10; Prov 14:4.

Man – rules over over the animal kingdom – Gen 1:28; Psa 8:6-8.

From Ezekiel’s viewpoint (the south) coming towards him from the north was the human face at the front, the eagle face behind, the lion face to the right, the ox face to the left. In Ezekiel 10:14 the ox face has been changed to the face of a cherub and is called ‘the first face’.

In 1:8-9 and again in 1:11-12 their wings and movement are described. The four beings are connected to each other by two wings, thus forming a square. Two expressions are used in 1:9 and again in 1:12 to describe their movement:

a) ‘they turned not when they went’ and

b) ‘they went every one straight forward’.

Later, in v.24, Ezekiel describes the noise of the wings.

There are four wheels, representing mobility, under the four creatures. Each has the appearance of a wheel spinning within a wheel. They are described in vv. 15-21. The high rims (rings , v.18) are full of eyes – symbolizing the Lord’s omniscience (2 Chron 16:9; Zech 4:10, cp Rev 4:6, 8).

1:19-21 The wheels and the creatures move together as directed by the spirit. In 1:4 rûaḥ (wind, mind, breath, spirit) is translated ‘wind’, but in v.12 it is generally read as ‘spirit’. ‘The spirit of the living creature was in the wheels’ is usually interpreted as referring to the divine spirit. The LXX and Vulgate, however, render it ‘the spirit of life’, i.e. the life-giving spirit of the Lord. It may be, however, that Ezekiel just means that propulsion comes from the wind created by the whirling of the wheels. Ezek 10:13 says: ‘As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing the whirling wheels.’ (ESV). The cherubim look straight ahead, not up, as they move along.

Verse 22 introduces the firmament (dome, broad expanse, platform) above the heads of the four creatures (‘living creature’ – collective noun in the singular, see v.16 ‘the four had one likeness’). The best known use of this word ‘firmament’ is in Gen 1:6 where it is used of the heavens in the description of the second day of creation.

Although the passage primarily focuses on the visual aspects of Ezekiel’s vision we learn that his revelatory experience contained audio as well (1:24, 25, 28). In connection with the platform being borne by the creature Ezekiel mentions the great noise made by the wings (v.24). It is like ‘the noise of many waters’, ‘the sound of the Almighty’, and ‘the tumult of an army’. Ezekiel not only hears the noise of the wings below the expanse but also when the creatures let down their wings and stand still he hears a voice (or noise, sound) coming from above it; from the throne of the Lord.

The throne seems to be made of sapphire, which is blue in colour (see also 10:1). Elsewhere Micaiah the son of Imlah (1 Kgs 22:19) and Isaiah (Isa 6:1) saw Yahweh sitting on a throne. Above the throne Ezekiel sees a human figure. This is the appearance of the kabod (glory, lit. weight) of Yahweh in human form (1:28).

From the loins up (in everyday speech we would probably say: ‘from the waist’) this figure has the colour of amber and from that area downward the appearance of fire. The complete figure is enshrouded by a brightness that shines like a rainbow. Light is the overwhelming feature of the Lord’s presence since all the main parts of the vision (creatures, wheels, firmament, throne) are described in terms of fire and colour. The following colours are mentioned:

  • amber -1:4, 27
  • burnished brass (polished bronze) – 1:7
  • the colour of a beryl – 1:16
  • the colour of the terrible (awe-inspiring) crystal i.e. ice, frost – 1:22
  • the appearance of sapphire – 1:26

The vision began with a storm (1:4), in v. 28 the mention of a rainbow suggests that the vision is now over. Ezekiel is overwhelmed by the experience and reacts by falling on his face. He then hears a voice speaking to him.

SUMMATION

The function of this first vision in the book of Ezekiel is to validate Ezekiel’s claim to be a prophet of the Lord. His experience of the theophany / encounter with the kabod of the Lord establishes his prophetic authority. The vision proves that Ezekiel is not like the other Israelite exiles in Babylon. He sees and hear things that they cannot see or hear and must therefore act as a messenger of God’s word to them. The splendour of the glory of the Lord serves as a powerful affirmation of Ezekiel’s prophetic commission and will motivate and give him confidence to proclaim God’s messages to the people.

EZEKIEL 1:1-3 – INTRODUCTION AND SUPERSCRIPTION

‘AND HE SAID TO ME’ – EZEKIEL’S CALL TO BE A PROPHET – 2:1-3:15

EZEKIEL’S WATCHMAN ROLE: A PROPHETIC CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY- 3:16-27

Posted in General

WHO WAS ZADOK THE PRIEST?

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

The term ‘Zadok the Priest’ usually brings to mind a piece of music composed by George Frideric Handel in 1727 and first performed during the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline of England on 11th October of that year. Since then this iconic anthem has been sung at the coronation of every British monarch (with the exception of Edward VIII who abdicated the throne before the date set for his coronation) and was therefore played during the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

‘Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet anointed Solomon King.
And all the people rejoiced, and said:
God save the King! Long live the King!
May the King live for ever,
Amen, Alleluia.’

The biblical passage 1 Kings 1:38-48 is the inspiration for those words of the anthem:

So, what does the Bible tell us about Zadok?

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF ZADOK’S STORY

Zadok was a priest in the time of King David and King Solomon who ruled over the ancient kingdom of Israel; David being the second king and Solomon his son and successor. David is believed to have become king around 1010 BCE, while Solomon reigned c. 970 – 930 BCE. David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and united the Israelite tribes into a single kingdom, Solomon was known for his wisdom, for building the first Temple in Jerusalem, and for expanding Israel’s trade and influence. Zadok is famous for anointing Solomon as king.

ZADOK’S GENEALOGY

In 1 Chronicles 6:3-8 and 6:50-53, Zadok is listed as a descendant of Eleazar, Aaron’s third son. In 1 Chronicles 24:3, Zadok is again listed as a descendant of Eleazar. This genealogy stretching back to Aaron demonstrates that Zadok was of the priestly family descended from Aaron (the brother of Moses). He was therefore a member of the Aaronic priesthood.

ZADOK’S LOYALTY TO KING DAVID

Almost nothing is known about Zadok’s early life but it seems that he may have belonged to a family of warrior priests. We learn that David was proclaimed king of Judah after the death of King Saul and established his capital in Hebron (2 Sam 2:1-4) where he reigned over Judah for seven and a half years before being acclaimed as king over all Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5). 1 Chronicles chapter 12 records that thousands from Israel defected to David at Hebron and in the census list of armed contingents that came over to David there is a reference (vv. 27-28) to ‘Zadok, a young man of valour.’

The young Zadok supported David’s cause and appears to have been rewarded for his loyalty. Once David firmly established the united monarchy he appointed Zadok and Abiathar as co-priests (2 Sam 8:17; 20:25) in Jerusalem; likely as keepers of the Ark of Covenant which had been transported there and housed in a tented shrine (2 Sam 6:1-17; 7:2; 1 Kgs 2:26; 1 Chron 16:39-40). In David’s administration Zadok also served as chief officer of the Aaronites (1 Chron 27:17) and he worked closely with another priestly colleague called Ahimelech in the organisation of the rotating courses of the priests for religious service (1 Chron 18:16; 24:3, 6, 31).

Later Zadok again aligned himself with the king when David’s son Absalom rebelled. Since it seemed likely that Absalom’s conspiracy to usurp the throne would succeed David decided to flee Jerusalem. Zadok, Abiathar and a group of Levites left the city with him, taking the Ark of the Covenant as well. David, however, convinced that Jerusalem was the place where the ark ought to be, asked them to take it back. The two priests did so and, along with their two sons, remained there as secret agents. They kept David informed of events in the city (2 Sam. 15:13-36; 17:15-22). After Absalom’s rebellion failed David sent Zadok and Abiathar as emissaries to the elders of Judah in order to win back their support and negotiate his return to Jerusalem. Their mission was successful (2 Sam 19:11-15).

ZADOK’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE ANOINTING OF KING SOLOMON

Zadok once again demonstrated his loyalty to King David in the matter of Adonijah’s failed rebellion. Adonijah was the fourth son of King David, born in Hebron (2 Sam 3:4). He attempted to seize the throne while his father was still alive. The events surrounding Adonijah’s revolt are described in 1 Kings 1:5-53. Since David had grown old and infirm, Adonijah saw himself as the heir apparent and arranged to hold a grand feast at which he intended to proclaim himself king, and to which he invited many of David’s officials and supporters; but did not include others whom he knew would be loyal to David. The latter included Solomon, Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest. Adonijah had the support of Joab, the commander of David’s army, and Abiathar the priest (for Abiathar’s part in the insurrection Solomon later dismissed him from his position as priest, 1 Kgs 2:26-27).

The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, brought the matter of Adonijah to David’s attention. He immediately took action to ensure that Solomon would be his successor. David instructed Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest to proclaim Solomon as king (1 Kgs 1:34) and ride him on David’s own mule to the Gihon spring, where he would be officially anointed king over Israel.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 1 Kgs 1:38-39

This was done, and the people rejoiced, while Adonijah’s followers fled in fear. Thus David settled the succession question by appointing Solomon co-regent. Father and son ruled together until David’s death. Solomon was later anointed as king a second time; along with him Zadok was anointed to be (chief) priest (1 Chron 29:22), possibly serving for a time at Solomon’s temple.

SOME LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ZADOK

Be loyal to God and to your leaders. Zadok was loyal to God and to King David. Even when David made mistakes, Zadok remained faithful. This is a valuable lesson for us to learn, it is important to be loyal to those in authority, even when they make mistakes.

Be a person of action. Zadok was a man of action. He was willing to stand up for what he believed in, even when it was difficult to do so. We ought to be willing to stand up for what we believe in, even when that involves personal cost.

Be a person of integrity. Zadok was a man of integrity. He was honest, trustworthy. and was doubtless a great example to his children. David described Zadok’s son Ahimaaz as ‘a good man’ (2 Sam 18:27) – he may have been the same Ahimaaz who married Solomon’s daughter Basmath (1 Kgs 4:15). Another of Zadok’s sons (or perhaps a grandson? 1 Chron 6:8-9), Azariah, was one of the top officials in Solomon’s administration (1 Kgs 4:2).

Zadok was a priest who faithfully served God and the king. He made sound choices in life and was able to play an important role in the history of Israel. He is therefore an example for us to follow.

Posted in Exposition

EZEKIEL 1:1-3 – INTRODUCTION AND SUPERSCRIPTION

Posted on by writtenexposition

1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3. The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

INTRODUCTION AND SUPERSCRIPTION

These verses introduce the book of Ezekiel and provide historical background, as well as some information about the prophet Ezekiel and his message. They indicate when and where he was active; thus situating his visions within a specific historical and cultural context.

1:1 Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry is said to have begun ‘in the thirtieth year.’ The significance of the ‘thirtieth year’ is not explained but it is usually understood to mean that Ezekiel was thirty years of age at the time. The date given is the fifth day of the fourth month. This would have been the month of Tammuz and therefore the time of year was late June/early July.

The vision occurred while Ezekiel was among the exiles by the Chebar, which was most likely a canal near Babylon. It seems that many exiled Jews had been settled in this area. Ezekiel’s location by the canal underscores the fact that he was living among the exiles and sharing in their experiences and struggles.

1:2 Verse 2 provides more detailed historical context by specifying that it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. This information dates Ezekiel’s inaugural vision (592 BCE) and places it within the larger context of the Babylonian exile.

King Jehoiachin (2 Kgs 24:6-16; 2 Chron 36:9-10, also known as Jeconiah (Jer 24:1; 27:20; 28:4; 29:2) and Coniah (Jer 22:24, 28; 37:1), was the son of King Jehoiakim of Judah and a grandson of King Josiah. Jehoiachin became king of Judah at the age of eighteen (2 Kgs 24:8). His short reign was marked by political instability and conflict with the Babylonians. According to the Chronicler he ‘did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord’ (2 Chron 36:9). Jeremiah 22:24-30 has the Lord directly addressing Jehoiachin, prophesying his captivity and exile in Babylon. The Lord also declared that Jehoiachin’s descendants would neither prosper nor sit on the throne of David, thus signifying the end of the dynasty.

In 597 BCE King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported King Jehoiachin of Judah along with many of the leading citizens of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 24:15-16); including Ezekiel, who would have been twenty-five years of age at that time. Jehoiachin’s captivity in Babylon lasted for thirty-seven years. During that time, he was reportedly well-treated by the Babylonians and eventually released from captivity by King Evil-Merodach, who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar as ruler of Babylon. According to 2 Kings 25:27-30, Jehoiachin was then given a high position at the Babylonian court (new clothes, a daily allowance for the rest of his life, and allowed to dine at the king’s table).

Despite his short troubled reign and his captivity in Babylon, Jehoiachin was an important figure in the history of Judah. His deposition and deportation marked the beginning of the Babylonian Exile, a period of great spiritual and cultural significance for the Israelites. The Exile came to an end in 538 BCE.

During this difficult time Ezekiel, himself taken into captivity during Jehoiachin’s reign, provided spiritual guidance and hope to the exiles over a period of twenty years. The date of his inaugural vision in verse 2 is the first chronological marker in the book. The others are:

8:1 The vision of idols and abominations in the temple.

20:1 Ezekiel’s response to the elders.

24:1 The parable of a cooking pot

26:1 Threats against Tyre.

29:1 Prophecy against Egypt.

29:17 Desolation of Egypt.

30:20 Pharaoh’s defeat.

31:1 The cedar of Lebanon.

32:1 Lament over Pharoah..

32:17 Lament over Egypt.

33:21 News of the Fall of Jerusalem.

40:1 Vision of a new temple.

1:3 Verse 3 identifies Ezekiel as a member of the priestly class. This would suggest that his prophetic message was informed by his knowledge of Jewish ritual and tradition, which gave him religious authority to speak on behalf of God. Note that many respected commentators confidently assert that Ezekiel was a Zadokite priest. This they assume purely on the basis that Ezekiel speaks highly of the Zadokites in chapters 40-48, which contain his vision of how a future ideal temple might look and operate. In these chapters Ezekiel assigns a dominant role to the Zadokites (43:18-27; 44:15-16; 45:4; 46:19-24), presumably as a reward for remaining relatively (22:26) faithful (44:10-11, 15-16; 48:11) during the Exile. There is zero scriptural evidence for Ezekiel having a Zadokite heritage.

The reference to the “hand of the Lord” being upon him indicates that Ezekiel was divinely inspired and empowered to deliver God’s message to the exiles. The ‘land of the Chaldeans’ refers to the Neo-Babylonian empire ruled over by Nebopolassar (627-605 BCE) and his son Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BCE).

SUMMATION

The opening verses of Ezekiel set the stage for the prophetic message that follows. The fact that Ezekiel received his vision among the exiles by the Chebar canal underscores the fact that his message is directed to the Israelite community in exile. The political and social upheaval of the time is also reflected in the references to King Jehoiachin’s exile and the Babylonian conquest.

Ezekiel 1:1-3 offers spiritual lessons that are still relevant today:

First, we see that God is not limited by our circumstances. Even in the midst of exile and captivity, God can still reveal himself and speak to his people.

Second, we see that God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Ezekiel was a priest, but God called him to be a prophet and to deliver his message to the exiles.

Finally, we see that God’s word is powerful and authoritative. Ezekiel’s prophetic message was not his own, but rather it came directly from God.

As we read the book of Ezekiel, we are reminded that God is sovereign over all of history, and that his word has the power to transform our lives and to give us hope even in the midst of difficult situations.

EZEKIEL’S VISION OF THE GLORY OF YAHWEH (1:4-28)

AND HE SAID TO ME’ – EZEKIEL’S CALL TO BE A PROPHET – 2:1-3:15

EZEKIEL’S WATCHMAN ROLE: A PROPHETIC CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY- 3:16-27

Posted in General

COME, SEE, GO, TELL

Posted on by writtenexposition

Matthew 28:5-7

5 ‘And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;’

In these verses from Matthew’s gospel there are four verbs which, for me, sum up the message of Easter. The four words are imperatives, i.e. they give an order or instruction. They are commands.  COME, SEE, GO, TELL.

The Lord Jesus had been betrayed by Judas Iscariot, forsaken by his disciples, denied by Peter, tried by the Jewish and Roman authorities, sentenced by Pontius Pilate, crucified at Calvary, and buried in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Afterwards, on the morning of the first day of the week, some women came to the garden tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. Would they be able to gain access?

When they arrived they were surprised to find that there had been a great earthquake and a large stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb had been rolled back by an angel. He said that they were not to fear and that he knew that they were seeking Jesus. So he told them to ‘come.’

COME!

The Bible contains many invitations! The word “come” occurs often in the Bible. The first mention is in Gen. 7:1 when God called Noah and his family to come into the ark so that they might be saved from the flood. For Noah and his family to be saved they had accept the Lord’s invitation. This is still true today.

Jesus issued that same invitation in Matthew 11:28. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ That invitation still goes out to all who labour under the heavy burden of sin and guilt. Come, by faith, to the one who is no longer in the tomb! He has risen from the dead and is now in heaven! Come to Jesus who offers forgiveness, support and relief!


SEE!

The words ‘look’ and ‘see’ are similar but not exactly the same in meaning. When we casually look at something, we may not fully grasp what we are looking at. We may not comprehend the significance. By contrast, when we truly ‘see’ something we understand it. The angel wanted the women to ‘see’ (grasp and understand) that the tomb was empty; that Christ had risen from the dead and is alive forever.

GO!

The women were told to go. There was no suggestion or intention that from then on they should just stare into the empty tomb. As soon as we reach the point of seeing the empty tomb and trusting the living Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, we must ‘go’. We ought to go and learn more about him. We should go to him in prayer. We need to go and fellowship with like-minded believers (Acts 2:42).

TELL!

The women were instructed to tell the disciples about the resurrection. We too ought to tell the good news to those who are lost and dying. It is neither necessary nor practical for everyone to be involved in missionary activity abroad. You can do it wherever you are. In Mark 5 a demon-possessed man who was healed by Jesus wanted to journey with the Lord but was told instead to go home to his friends and tell the great things the Lord had done for him (Mk 5:19).

Have you COME? Do you SEE? If so, GO and live for him and TELL others about what he has done for you.

‘He is not here: for he is risen!’

The message of Easter is COME, SEE, GO, TELL

Posted in General

NATHAN : PROBABLY THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PROPHET MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF

Posted on by writtenexposition

Although it was still seven months to the coronation of King Charles III at the time of publication, the British tabloid newspaper Daily Mail printed ‘An A to Z guide to the Coronation’ by Claudia Connell on Saturday, October 15, 2022. The following was listed under N:

Nathan the Prophet

Perhaps not the most familiar of prophets but next May he’s going to be name-checked by the Archbishop of Canterbury in front of millions of TV viewers around the world. During the anointing of the King, the Archbishop will recall ‘as Solomon was anointed King by Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet.’

Who was Nathan the prophet and what was his legacy?

INTRODUCTION

Nathan the Prophet is a biblical character who was active in the political and religious life of Israel during the reign of King David c. 1000 BCE. He is the second of two prominent prophets in the Books of Samuel each of whom had a strong influence on King David. These two prophets lived during a period of great social, political and religious change; Samuel, who preceded Nathan, identified more with the earlier way of life, Nathan with the latest developments.

In the years leading up to 1000 BCE there was a growing trend in the Ancient Near East away from loose tribal confederacies towards the centralisation of political power. This produced a gradual change from a pastoral, nomadic existence to a more settled urban way of life, with the economy based on agriculture rather than herding. Territory (where one lived) rather than tribe (who one was) began to take precedence. Monarchy, rather than chiefdom, became the political norm. In spite of the inevitable loss of freedom and additional expense involved the Israelites desired this type of arrangement. Ignoring warnings by Samuel (1 Sam 8:11-18) they insisted that they too wanted government by a king – a system that had already been adopted by Edom (1 Chron 1:43) and Ammon (1 Sam 12:12). Samuel eventually succumbed to pressure (1 Sam 12:1) and reluctantly anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. Later he also anointed David (1 Sam 16:13), the second king.

Nathan the prophet had a close relationship with David and was considered one of his most trusted advisors. He is connected with several important events in David’s reign, including the confrontation with David over his affair with Bathsheba and the anointing of Solomon as David’s successor.

2 Samuel 7:1-29 & 1 Chron 17:1-27 A ‘HOUSE’ FOR GOD AND A ‘HOUSE’ FOR DAVID.

Nathan’s role in these chapters is significant for he delivers a message from God to King David regarding the building of the Jerusalem temple.

Having built a ‘house’ (palace) for himself in Jerusalem David expressed to Nathan his desire to build a ‘house’ (temple) for Yahweh. Nathan, rather presumptuously and without consulting Yahweh, told David to go ahead with the building project. However, Yahweh spoke to Nathan and instructed him to tell David that he would not build the temple, but that his son would do that. Nathan mediated this message to David, emphasizing that it was God’s plan and that David should not be discouraged since God would establish a ‘house’ (dynasty) for David. His offspring would reign over Israel and, by implication, the kingdom would last forever. Christians view this as a prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ, who would be a descendant of David and establish an eternal kingdom.

2 Samuel 12:1-25 NATHAN, DAVID, BATHSHEBA AND URIAH

In 2 Samuel chapter 12, the prophet Nathan again plays a crucial role in delivering a message from God, this time to confront King David about his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah.

The story of David, Bathsheba, Uriah, and Nathan in 2 Samuel 11 is a complex and interesting narrative that highlights themes of power, lust, betrayal, and repentance. It concerns King David’s sexual liaison with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David’s elite soldiers. It also details the role of Nathan the prophet, who is sent by God to confront David with his sin and call him to repentance.

David is described as staying behind in Jerusalem while his army goes out to battle. From his rooftop, he sees Bathsheba bathing and is overcome with lust for her. He sends for her and sleeps with her, even though she is married to Uriah, who is away fighting in the war against the Ammonites.

When Bathsheba becomes pregnant and send word to David, he tries to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah back from the front lines and encouraging him to go home and sleep with his wife. Uriah refuses to go to his house, saying that it would be unfair to enjoy home comforts while his fellow soldiers are still at war. David then sends Uriah back to the battlefield with a letter to Joab, the commanding officer of the army, instructing him to put Uriah in the front lines of battle and then withdraw so that Uriah will be killed. Uriah dies as planned, and David then takes Bathsheba as his wife.

Displeased with David’s actions YHWH sends Nathan the prophet to confront him. Nathan approaches David with a parable about a rich man who had taken a poor man’s only lamb, which the poor man loved and cared for like a daughter. In spite of the fact that he had many animals of his own, the rich man slaughtered the poor man’s lamb in order to feed a visitor. Outraged by the rich man’s actions David declares that he deserves to die for his cruelty. At this point, Nathan reveals that the rich man in the parable is David, who had committed a much greater injustice by taking Bathsheba (another man’s wife) and killing her husband.

Convicted by Nathan’s words David confesses his sin, acknowledging his guilt before God. Nathan tells David that God has forgiven him but warns him that there will be consequences for his actions, including the death of the child that Bathsheba is carrying. In addition, members of David’s own family would rebel against him and try to oust him as king.

The story of David, Bathsheba, Uriah, and Nathan is a cautionary tale about the dangers of power and lust, and the importance of accountability and repentance. It highlights the role of the prophet as a messenger of God speaking truth to the wealthy and influential and calling for justice and righteousness. It also underscores the idea that powerful leaders are not above the law and that all actions have consequences, both for the individual and for those around them.

1 Kgs 1:1-46; 4:5 SOLOMONS’S ACCESSION NARRATIVE

Nathan played a significant role in the succession of Solomon as king of Israel after David. As had been prophesied following David’s sin with Bathsheba, much strife and conflict took place within David’s family. David had many sons, and there seemed to be no clear line of succession. Adonijah, one of the sons, assumed that he was next in the line of succession and took steps to appoint himself co-regent with David, who was then in old age.

Nathan, however, intervened to ensure that Yahweh’s plan for the throne of Israel was fulfilled. He advised Bathsheba to go to David and remind him of a promise made to her that her son, Solomon, would succeed him on the throne (1 Kings 1:11-14). Nathan also supported Bathsheba’s claim by approaching David and confirming that Solomon was indeed the one to succeed him. Thus, through Nathan’s intervention, Solomon was anointed as king with David’s blessing, ensuring a relatively peaceful and orderly transition of power.

1 Chron 29:29 & 2 Chron 9:29 THE BOOK OF NATHAN THE PROPHET

The Book of Nathan the Prophet is mentioned in both 1 Chronicles 29:29 and 2 Chronicles 9:29. These verses suggest that Nathan wrote a historical account of King David’s reign, and that this account was preserved as a written record and was a source available to the compiler(s) of the Books of Kings and Chronicles. Material from it may also have been used in the Books of Samuel.

The mention of the Book of Nathan the Prophet in these verses reminds us that other texts and traditions existed as part of the religious and cultural landscape of ancient Israel, but did not become part of the biblical canon and have not survived.

2 Chron 29:25 NATHAN ASSISTED DAVID IN THE ORGANIZATION OF PUBLIC WORSHIP

2 Chronicles 29:25 describes the actions of Hezekiah, the thirteenth king of Judah, as he restores the worship practices of the temple in Jerusalem. The verse states:

‘And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.’

From this verse we learn that temple worship traditions and instructions handed down by earlier generations, in this case from David, Gad, and Nathan, were observed for centuries. Three hundred years after their institution Hezekiah honoured these traditions and instructions; ensuring the continuity of religious practices for which Nathan the prophet had been partly responsible.

SUMMATION

Nathan the Prophet played an important role in the lives of two kings and in the development of Israelite religion and literature. He was important as a prophet of Yahweh and for his good interpersonal, political and organisational skills. He is credited with having prophesied to David about the future of his dynasty and the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. He also confronted David about his affair with Bathsheba and helped to facilitate the succession of David’s son, Solomon, to the throne.

In addition to his role as an advisor to the king, it seems that Nathan was also a writer and historian. According to 1 Chronicles 29:29 and 2 Chronicles 9:29, he wrote a history of the reigns of David and Solomon, called the ‘Book of Nathan the Prophet’.

Overall, Nathan’s historical significance lies in his role as a key figure in the history of ancient Israel. As prophet and counsellor to kings he played an important role in the political and religious affairs of the Israelites, and his writings and prophecies helped to shape their religious and cultural identity.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

1) GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Alter, R. (2009). The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel. W. W. Norton & Company.

Alter, R. (2013). Ancient Israel : the Former Prophets : Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings : a Translation with Commentary. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Anderson, A. A. (1989). 2 Samuel. Paternoster.

‌Auld, A. G. (2011). I & II Samuel : a Commentary. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press.

‌Baretz, J. (2015). The Bible on Location. U of Nebraska Press.

Barron, R. (2017). 2 Samuel. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press, A Division Of Baker Publishing Group.

‌Brenner, A (1994). A Feminist Companion to Samuel and Kings. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

Beal, L. W. (2014). 1 & 2 Kings. InterVarsity Press.

Brueggemann, W. (2000). 1 & 2 Kings. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans.

‌Brueggemann, W. (2012). First and Second Samuel. Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press.

Cartledge, T.W. (2001). 1 & 2 Samuel. Macon, Ga.: Smyth & Helwys Pub.

Chisholm, R.B. (2013). 1 and 2 Samuel. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Franke, J. R. and Oden, T. C. (2014). Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel. InterVarsity Press.

Fox, E. (2014). The Early Prophets : Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings : a New Translation with Introductions, Commentary, and Notes. New York: Schocken Books.

Galil, G. Levwinson-Gilboa, E. Maeir, A. M. and Kahn, D. (2012). The Ancient Near East in the 12th-10th centuries BCE : Culture and History : proceedings of the international conference, held at the University of Haifa, 2-5 May, 2010. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag.

Gordon, R.P. (1984). 1 & 2 Samuel. Sheffield: JSOT.

‌Huffmon, H. B. (2008). A Tale of the Prophet and the Courtier: A Responsive Reading of the Nathan Texts. In S. Dolansky (Ed.), Sacred History, Sacred Literature: Essays on Ancient Israel, the Bible, and Religion in Honor of R. E. Friedman on His Sixtieth Birthday (pp. 33–42). Penn State University Press.

Japhet, S. (2009). Kingship. In The Ideology of the Book of Chronicles and Its Place in Biblical Thought  (pp. 308–383). Penn State University Press.

Jones, G.H. (1990). The Nathan Narratives. Sheffield: Jsot Press.

Laffey, A. L. (1988). An Introduction to the Old Testament : a Feminist Perspective. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

‌Lamb, D.T. (2021). 1–2 Kings. Zondervan Academic.

Lipinski, E. (2020). JERUSALEM IN THE BRONZE AGE AND IRON AGE I. In A History of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Judah (Vol. 287, pp. 7–26). Peeters Publishers.

McKenzie, S. L. (2000). King David : a Biography. New York: Oxford University Press.

‌McShane, A. (1990). Lessons for Leaders. John Ritchie Ltd. Kilmarnock

McShane, A. (2002). I & II Kings. John Ritchie Ltd. Kilmarnock

MacLeod, F. (2016). 1 & 2 Kings: A Devotional Look at the Kings of Israel and Judah. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

Mann, T. W. (2011). 2 Samuel. In The Book of the Former Prophets (1st ed., pp. 171–242). The Lutterworth Press.

‌Nelson, C. M. (1982). 1 & 2 Kings, Interpretation : a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, Old Testament. Atlanta: John Knox Press.

Newsome, J.D. (1982). 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel. Atlanta (Ga.): Knox Pr.

Peters, F. E. (1985). Holy Land, Holy City. In Jerusalem: The Holy City in the Eyes of Chroniclers, Visitors, Pilgrims, and Prophets from the Days of Abraham to the Beginnings of Modern Times (pp. 3–41). Princeton University Press.

Petroelje, S.L. (2012). Discover 2 Samuel. Faith Alive Christian Resources

Rosenberg, J. (1986). King and Kin : Political Allegory in the Hebrew Bible. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

‌Rossier, H.L. (2015). Meditations on 1 Kings. Irving Risch.

Rossier, H.L. (2015). Meditations on 2 Samuel. Irving Risch.

Segal, A. F. (2012). No Peace in the Royal Family. In Sinning in the Hebrew Bible: How The Worst Stories Speak for Its Truth (pp. 180–221). Columbia University Press.

Taylor, W. M. (1875). David, King of Israel: His Life and its Lessons, New York: Harper & Brothers

Willis, J. T., Graham P. M., Marrs, R. R. and Mckenzie, S. L. (1999). Worship and the Hebrew Bible : Essays in Honour of John T. Willis. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press.

Witherington, B. (2014). Courting the Prophets: Prophets and the Early Monarchy. In Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Prophecy (pp. 62–103). 1517 Media.

Woodhouse, J. and Hughes, R.K. (2015). 2 Samuel : Your Kingdom Come. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway.

‌JOURNAL ARTICLES

Bishop, E. F. F. (1935). Why ‘Son of David’?. The Expository Times, 47(1), pp.21–25.

Bodner, K. (2001). Nathan: Prophet, Politician and Novelist? Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 26(1), pp.43–54.

Bosworth, D. A. (2006). Evaluating King David: Old Problems and Recent Scholarship. CBQ, 68(2), pp. 191–210.

Bowman, J. (1989). David, Jesus Son of David and Son of Man. Ancient Near Eastern Studies, 27(0), pp.1–22.

Brown, R. M. (1984). The Nathan Syndrome: Stories with a Moral Intention. Religion & Literature, 16 (1), pp. 49–59.

Haran, M. (1999). The Books of the Chronicles ‘of the Kings of Judah’ and ‘of the Kings of Israel’: What Sort of Books were they?. Vetus Testamentum, 49(2), pp.156–164.

Harper, W. R. (1904). Constructive Studies in the Prophetic Element in the Old Testament. IV. Prophecy and Prophetism during the Davidic Period. The Biblical World, 24(1), pp. 47–58.

Harrington, D. J. (1991). ‘Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham …’; Christology and Second Temple Judaism. Irish Theological Quarterly, 57(3), pp.185–195.

Kalimi, I. (2016). Reexamining 2 Samuel 10-12: Redaction History versus Compositional Unity. CBQ, 78(1), pp. 24–46.

Kingsbury, J.D. (1976). The Title ‘Son of David’ in Matthew’s Gospel. Journal of Biblical Literature, 95(4), p.591.

Levin, Y. (2006). Jesus, ‘Son of God’ and ‘Son of David’: The ‘Adoption’ of Jesus into the Davidic Line. Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 28(4), pp.415–442.

Pagani, S. (2017). « Roi ou serviteur » ? La tentation du Prophète, ou le choix d’un modèle. Archives de Sciences Sociales Des Religions, 62(178), pp.43–68.

Reich, K.H. (2003). Teaching Genesis: A Present‐Day Approach Inspired by the Prophet Nathan. Zygon®, 38(3), pp .633–641.

Smith, S.H. (1996). The Function of the Son of David Tradition in Mark’s Gospel. New Testament Studies, 42(4), pp.523–539.

Van der Bergh, R. H. (2008) Deadly Traits: A Narratological Analysis of Character in 2 Samuel 11. Old Testament Essays, 21, pp.180-192.

Wantaate, F. (2019), Nathan as a Courageous Follower: An Inner Texture Analysis of 2 Samuel:1-14, American Journal of Biblical Theology, Vol. 19 (10)

2) BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR 2 Samuel 7:1-29 & 1 Chron 17:1-27 A ‘HOUSE’ FOR GOD AND A ‘HOUSE’ FOR DAVID.

BOOKS

Avioz, M. (2006). Nathan’s Oracle (2 Samuel 7) and its Interpreters. Bern ; Oxford: Peter Lang.

Eslinger, L. (1994). House of God or House of David. Sheffield Academic Press.

Janthial, D. (2013). L’oracle de Nathan et l’unité du livre d’Isaïe. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.

Knoppers G. N. (2007). ‘Changing History: Nathan’s Oracle and the Structure of the Davidic Monarchy in Chronicles’, In M. Bar-Asher et al (eds), Shai le-Sara Japhet: Studies in the Bible, its Exegesis and its Language, (pp. 99-123). Jerusalem: The Bialik Institute

MacDonald, N. (2015). Covenant and Election in Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism. Tübingen, Germany, Mohr Siebeck.

Schniedewind, W.M. (1999). Society and the Promise to David : the Reception History of 2 Samuel 7:1-17. New York: Oxford University Press.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Avioz, M. (2004). Nathan’s Prophecy in II Sam 7 and in I Chr 17: Text, Context, and Meaning. Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 116(4). pp. 542-554

Avioz, M. (2006). Josephus’ Retelling of Nathan’s Oracle (2 Samuel 7). Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 20(1), pp. 9–17.

‌Cudworth, T.D. (2016). Yahweh’s Promise to David in the Books of Kings. Vetus Testamentum, 66(2), pp.194–216.

Johnston, G. H. (2011). The Nature of the Davidic Covenant in the Light of Intertextual Analysis. A Paper Presented to the Old Testament Narrative Literature Study Group National Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society: San Francisco.

Knoppers, G. N. (1996). Ancient Near Eastern Royal Grants and the Davidic Covenant: A Parallel? Journal of the American Oriental Society, 116(4), pp. 670–697.

Kruse, H. (1985). David’s Covenant. Vetus Testamentum, 35(2), pp. 139–164.

Mroczek, E. (2015). How Not to Build a Temple: Jacob, David, and the Unbuilt Ideal in Ancient Judaism. Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Period, 46(4/5), pp. 512–546.

Phillips, A. (1966). The Interpretation of 2 Samuel xii 5-6. Vetus Testamentum, 16 (2), pp.242–244.

Sergi, O. (2010). The Composition of Nathan’s Oracle to David (2 Samuel 7:1–17) as a Reflection of Royal Judahite Ideology. Journal of Biblical Literature, 129(2), pp. 261–279.

Ttsevat, M. (1963). STUDIES IN THE BOOK OF SAMUEL: III The Steadfast House: What Was David Promised in II Sam. 7:11b—16? Hebrew Union College Annual, 34, 71–82.

Tsevat, M. (1965). The House of David in Nathan’s Prophecy. Biblica, 46(3), pp. 353–356.

Tsumura, D. T. (2010). Tense and Aspect of Hebrew Verbs in 2 Samuel 7:8-16—from the Point of View of Discourse Grammar. Vetus Testamentum, 60 (4), pp. 641–654.

Zimran, Y. (2014). “The Covenant Made with David”: The King and the Kingdom in 2 Chronicles 21. Vetus Testamentum, 64 (2), pp. 305–325.

‌3) BIBLIOGRAPGY FOR 2 Samuel 12:1-25 NATHAN, DAVID, BATHSHEBA AND URIAH

BOOKS

Afoakwah, J. D. (2015). The Nathan-David confrontation (2 Sam 12:1-15a) : a Slap in the Face of the Deuteronomistic Hero? New York: Peter Lang Edition.

Boda, M.J. (2021). A Severe Mercy : Sin and Its Remedy in the Old Testament. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press.

Karras, R. M. (2021). I Have Sinned Against the Lord: Sex and Penitence. In Thou Art the Man: The Masculinity of David in the Christian and Jewish Middle Ages (pp. 101–135). University of Pennsylvania Press.

McLaughlin, J. L. (2021). ‘Collateral Damage: Divine Punishment of Others for David’s Sins in 2 Samuel.’ In J. L. McLaughlin & C. Carvalho (Eds.), God and Gods in the Deuteronomistic History (pp. 143–159). Catholic University of America Press.

Koenig, S. M. (2018). Bathsheba Survives. University of South Carolina Press.

Mohammed, K. (2015). David in the Muslim tradition : the Bathsheba affair. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books.

Salisbury, J.E. (2001). Encyclopedia of Women in the Ancient World. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Abc-Clio.

‌The (2019). LIFE Women of the Bible. Time.

Widmer, M. (2015). David: Repentant Sinner, Priestly Intercessor, and Yhwh’s Change of Mind (2 Samuel 24). In Standing in the Breach: An Old Testament Theology and Spirituality of Intercessory Prayer (Vol. 13, pp. 224–250). Penn State University

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Abasili, A. I. (2011). Was it Rape? The David and Bathsheba Pericope Re-examined. Vetus Testamentum, 61(1), pp.1–15.

Berger, Y. (2009). Ruth and the David—Bathsheba Story: Allusions and Contrasts. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 33(4), pp. 433–452.

Berman, J. (2013). Double Meaning in the Parable of the Poor Man’s Ewe (2 Sam 12:1–4). Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 13. Article 14.

Buford, M. A. (2009). The Nathan Factor: The Art of Speaking Truth to Power. Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership, 2(2), 95-113.

Cohen, H.H. (1965). David and Bathsheba. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, XXXIII(2), pp.142–148.

Daube, D. (1982). Nathan’s Parable. Novum Testamentum, 24(3), 275–288.

Dorn, L. O. (1999). Untranslatable Features in the David and Bathsheba Story (2 Samuel 11–12). The Bible Translator, 50(4), pp. 406–411.

Firth, D. (2008). David and Uriah (With an Occasional Appearance by Uriah’s Wife) – Reading and Re-Reading 2 Samuel 11. 21. Old Testament Essays, 20/2, pp. 310-328

Garsiel, M. (1993). The Story of David and Bathsheba: A Different Approach. CBQ, 55(2), pp. 244–262

Jacobs, J. (2013). The Death of David’s Son by Bathsheba (II Sam 12:13-25): A Narrative in Context. Vetus Testamentum, 63(4), pp. 566–576.

Lasine, S. (1984). Melodrama as Parable: The Story of the Poor Man’s Ewe-Lamb and the Unmasking of David’s Topsy-Turvy Emotions. Research affiliated with Wichita State University

‌Létourneau, A. (2018). Beauty, Bath and Beyond: Framing Bathsheba as a Royal Fantasy in 2 Sam 11,1-5. Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 32(1), pp.72–91.

Nicol G. G. (1998) David, Abigail and Bathsheba, Nabal and Uriah: Transformations within a Triangle, Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 12 (1), pp. 130-145.

Schipper, J. (2007). Did David Overinterpret Nathan’s Parable in 2 Samuel 12:1-6? Journal of Biblical Literature, 126(2), pp. 383–391.

Van der Bergh, R. H. (2008). Is Bathsheba Guilty? The Septuagint’s Perspective. Journal for Semitics 17, no. 1 182-193.

4) BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR 1 Kgs 1:1-46; 4:5 SOLOMONS’S ACCESSION NARRATIVE

BOOKS

Finkelstein, I. and Silberman, N. A. (2007). David and Solomon. Simon and Schuster.

‌Kalimi, I. (2018). Writing and Rewriting the Story of Solomon in Ancient Israel. Cambridge University Press.

Miller, V. (2019). A King and a Fool?: The Succession Narrative as a Satire. Leiden, The Netherlands, Brill.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Ball, E. (1977). The Co-Regency of David and Solomon (1 Kings I). Vetus Testamentum, 27(3), pp.268–279.

Frolov, S. (2002). Succession Narrative: A “Document” or a Phantom? Journal of Biblical Literature, 121(1), 81–104.

Langlamet, F. (1982). DAVID, FILS DE JESSÉ: UNE ÉDITION PRÉDEUTÉRONOMISTE DE L’« HISTOIRE DE LA SUCCESSION ». Revue Biblique (1946-), 89(1), pp. 5–47.

Willis, J., Pleffer, A., & Llewelyn, S. (2011). Conversation in the Succession Narrative of Solomon. Vetus Testamentum, 61(1), pp. 133–147.

Posted in General

‘INTENDING AFTER EASTER’

Posted on by writtenexposition

READING ACTS 12:1-4, 20-23

‘And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.’ Acts 12:4

I have chosen this text for a ‘Thought for the Week’ because it is the only mention of Easter in the Bible (AV) and because the events of this chapter occur around Eastertime. King Herod Agrippa I was looking ahead to Easter, which was about a week away, and had plans for what he would do thereafter. He was ‘intending after Easter’.

Marcus Julius Agrippa I (King Herod Agrippa 1), born in 10 BCE, was one of four members of the Herodian dynasty mentioned in the New Testament. The others are:

  • His grandfather, Herod the Great, king of Judea, who reigned at the time of Jesus’ birth. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 he orders the massacre of all male infants in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus.
  • His uncle, Herod Antipas – He was one of Herod the Great’s sons, and ruled over Galilee and Perea during the time of Jesus’ ministry. He was the ruler who executed John the Baptist and who mocked Jesus at his trial.
  • His son, Marcus Julius Agrippa II (Herod Agrippa II), who ruled over parts of Judea and Galilee. He is called King Agrippa in the Book of Acts, which describes how he heard the apostle Paul’s defence against accusations of blasphemy.

See my posts: KING HEROD AGRIPPA II (part 1); KING HEROD AGRIPPA II (part 2); KING HEROD AGRIPPA II (part 3)

This man Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea and Samaria. He was brought up and educated along with the imperial family in Rome and was a close personal friend of the emperors Gaius (Caligula) and Claudius who granted him wide areas of territory to rule on Rome’s behalf as a client king.

Herod Agrippa I was a successful politician who managed to balance dual identity as a Jew and a Roman. Whilst maintaining excellent relations with Rome he acted as a devout Jew while in Judaea. He observed the festivals, offered sacrifices at the temple, and donated generously to Jewish causes. He was generally popular and was particularly highly regarded by the Jewish religious leaders whose approval he cultivated, especially the Pharisees.

As Acts 12:3 mentions, he also persecuted the early church, hoping to please the Jews who vehemently opposed the Christians. He executed James, the brother of John, and arrested Peter, planning to kill him ‘after Easter’.

The Greek word translated ‘Easter’ in Acts 12:4 is pascha which occurs 29 times in the New Testament. In 28 of those occurrences it is rendered ‘passover’ – referring to the night when the Lord passed over Egypt and killed all the firstborn of Egypt (Ex. 12:12). The Authorized Version (King James), like the modern Bible Versions, uses the word ‘passover’ where this word pascha occurs; with the notable exception of Acts 12:4, where it translates it as ‘Easter.’

The AV translators took on board Luke’s comment at the end of verse 3: ‘Then were the days of unleavened bread’. This tells us that Peter was arrested during the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-21). Since it always followed the Passover (Nisan 14th) the Passover that year had already come and gone. Herod could not possibly have had the Passover in mind as regards his plans for Peter. The next Passover was a year away! It seems likely that Herod had in mind an Ancient Near Eastern pagan spring festival (now called Easter) in honour of the goddess Astarte/ Ishtar which was celebrated around the same time as Passover and which was due to fall within a few days.

The end of Acts chapter 12 records that Herod Agrippa I died suddenly at Caesarea Maritima after the people hailed him as a god. ‘The angel of the Lord smote him’ (Acts 12:23) for accepting divine honours and he died in 44 CE at the age of fifty-four. His intentions were unfulfilled.

Many people make plans for the period after Easter, whether to travel, work, study or relax. Few, however, bear in mind that there may be unforeseen circumstances or changes that affect them. They might never be able to carry out their intentions. Herod was no doubt confident that he would execute Peter after Easter but things did not quite work out as he had planned. After Easter Herod was no longer alive.

This is a salutary lesson for those of us who have plans for the week ahead, and beyond. Our intentions, unlike those of Herod, might be legitimate and good. For some, however, carefully laid plans might not come to pass. Life is uncertain and time is short. Are there matters that we really ought to sort out before Easter? Is there someone we should speak to about spiritual matters? Is there unresolved friction with another family or church member? Is there sin that needs to be confessed to God and forsaken?

Most of us have plans for Easter and hope to see them through. Let us not forget, however, the sad case of King Herod Agrippa I – who was ‘intending after Easter’.

Posted in General

SOME THINGS SAID TO BE ‘OF DAVID’ IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

Posted on by writtenexposition

King David is a towering figure in the Bible. His name (according to my search of a KJV Bible app) occurs 841 times in the Old Testament and 54 times in the New Testament. The following is a list of things that are said to be ‘of David:’

OLD TESTAMENT

House of David – 1 Sam 20:16; 2 Sam 3:1; 7:26; 1 Kgs 12:26; 13:2, 14:8; 2 Kgs 17:21; 1 Chron 17:24; 2 Chron 10:19; 21:7; Neh 12:37; Psa 122:5; Isa 7:2, 13; 22:22; Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7, 8, 10, 12; 13:1.

City of David – 2 Sam 5:7; 6:16; 1 Kgs 2:10; 3:1; 9:24; 11:27, 43; 14:31; 15:8, 24; 22:50; 2 Kgs 8:24; 9:28; 12:21; 14:20; 15:7; 15:38; 16:20; 1 Chron 11:5, 7; 13:3; 15:1, 29; 2 Chron 8:11; 9:31; 12:16; 14:1; 16:14; 21:1, 20; 24:16, 25;27:9; 32:5,30; 33;14; Neh 3:15; 12:37; Isa 22:9.

Days of David – 2 Sam 21:1; 1 Kgs 2:1.

Throne of David – 1 Kgs 2:12, 24; Isa 9:7.

Statutes of David – 1 Kgs 3:3.

Heart of David – 1 Kgs 8:17.

Sons of David – 1 Chron 3:1, 9.

Reign of David – 1 Chron 4:31.

Mercies of David – 2 Chron 6:42; Isa 55:3.

Order (legal decision) of David – 2 Chron 8:17.

Way(s) of David – 2 Chron 11:17; 34:2.

Lord God of David – 2 Kgs 20:5; 2 Chron 21:12.

Commandment (edict) of David – 2 Chron 29:25; 35:15.

Instruments of David – 2 Chron 29:26; Neh 12:36.

Words of David – 2 Chron 29:30.

Writing of David – 2 Chron 35:4.

Ordinance of David – Ezra 3:10.

Sepulchres of David – Neh 3:16.

Horn of David – Psa 132:17.

Tower of David – Song of Solomon 4:4.

Tabernacle of David – Isa 16:5; Amos 9:11.

Seed of David – Jer 33:22.

NEW TESTAMENT

Son of David – Mt 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15; 22:42.

House of David – Lk 1:27.

City of David – Lk 2:11.

Seed of David – Jn 7:42; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8.

Mouth of David – Acts 1:16.

Mercies of David – Acts 13:34.

Tabernacle of David – Acts 15:16

Root of David – Rev 5:5; 22:16.

Offspring of David – Rev 22:16

Posted in General

THE MANNA POINTED TO JESUS CHRIST

Posted on by writtenexposition

READING: Exodus 16:4, 14-18; Numbers 11:7-9; John 6:35, 41, 48, 51.

It was bread from heaven – divine source – heavenly: Exod 16:4; Neh 9:15; Jn 6:33, 35, 41, 48, 51

It was small in size – humanity, humility Exod 16:14

It was round in shape – eternity – Exod 16:14

It was white in colour – purity – Exod 16:31

It was sweet to the taste – Psa 34:8; 1 Pet 2:3-4

It was sufficient for all. – Exod 16: 16-18

Posted in General

‘TOGETHER’ AS CHRISTIANS

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QUICKENED (MADE ALIVE) TOGETHER – EPHESIANS 2:5

Even when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

RAISED TOGETHER – EPHESIANS 2:6a

And hath raised us up together,

SEATED TOGETHER – EPHESIANS 2:6b

and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

GATHERED TOGETHER – MATTHEW 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

STRIVING TOGETHER – PHILIPPIANS 1:27

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

TALKING TOGETHER – LUKE 24:14

And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

LIVING TOGETHER – 1 THESSALONIANS 5:10

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Posted in Exposition

OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL

Posted on by writtenexposition

The precise dates given throughout the book of Ezekiel show that his prophecies centred on a specific major event in the history of Judah, that is, the Fall of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. The book therefore divides into two main sections: prophecies relating to the ten years leading up to the Fall of Jerusalem ( chapters 1-32) and prophecies relating to time after the Fall of Jerusalem (chapters 33-48).

The material is arranged in five blocks:

PART 1 – EZEKIEL’S CALL TO THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY – CHAPTERS 1-3

1:1-3 – Introduction and superscription

1:4-28 – Vision of the glory of YHWH

2:1 – 3:27 – Ezekiel’s Commission

PART 2 – ORACLES OF WARNING TO ISRAEL AND JUDAH – CHAPTERS 4-24

4:1-5:4 – The siege of Jerusalem portrayed in symbolic acts

5:5 – 17 – A prophetic sermon directed against Jerusalem

6:1 – 7: 27 – A prophecy of judgement on the land of Israel

8:1 – 11:25 – A vision of God’s glory leaving the Temple

12:1 – 14:23 – False Prophets

15:1-8 – Jerusalem as a useless charred vine

16:1-63 – Jerusalem as Yahweh’s adulterous wife

17:1-24 – The allegory of two eagles and a vine

18:1-32 – Individual responsibility

19: 1-14 – A lament over the rulers of Israel

20: 1-49 – A review of Israel’s history

21:1-32 – The sword of destruction

22:1- 31 – Sinful Jerusalem

23:1-49 – Two unfaithful sisters

24:1-14 – Sayings on the cooking pot

24:15-27 – The death of Ezekiel’s wife

PART 3 – ORACLES AGAINST THE SURROUNDING NATIONS – CHAPTERS 25-32

25:1-7 – Against Ammon

25:8-11 – Against Moab

25:12-14 – Against Edom

25:15-17 – Against the Philistines

26:1 – 28: 19 – Against Tyre

28:20 -26 – Against Sidon

29:1 – 32:16 – Against Egypt

PART 4 – A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND RESTORATION -CHAPTERS 33-39

33:1-20 – The prophet as watchman

33:21-22 – News of the Fall of Jerusalem

33:23-29 – Prophecy against those who remained in Jerusalem

33:30-33 – God addresses Ezekiel: a prophet whose predictions had been fulfilled

34:1-31 – The false shepherds of Israel and the true shepherd

35:1-15 – Oracle against Edom

36:1-38 – Renewal promised to Israel

37:1 -14 – The valley of dry bones

37: 15-28 – Two sticks – reunification

38:1-39:29 – Oracle against Gog of Magog

PART 5 – THE NEW ISRAEL – CHAPTERS 40-48

40:1 – 43:12 – The vision of a new temple

43:13 – 46:24 – The worship in the new temple

47:1-12 – The life-giving river

47:13-48:35 – The Land and the City

Posted in Exposition

WELCOME TO THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL!

Posted on by writtenexposition

Welcome to Ezekiel! What are today’s readers to make of this strange book, and of this weird prophet – someone who saw visions of fire, wheels and creatures with multiple wings and faces, and who shaved off his hair with a sword and did not mourn his own wife’s death? 

He was one of the writing prophets, men who were convinced that God spoke to them and through them. Their all-holy God controlled not just his own people but also the surrounding pagan nations and would definitely judge sin. Eventually, however, he would restore his people and all creation. When did they write?

These prophets were active for several centuries after the time of King Solomon. Following his death in 931 BCE the kingdom divided into two territories: Israel to the North and Judah in the South.

THE PRE-EXILIC PROPHETS

The prophets addressing Israel (and the approximate dates of their ministries) were;

Jonah c. 780 -753 BCE

Amos c. 765-753 BCE

Hosea c. 755-725 BCE

 In 722/721 BCE the Northern nation Israel was taken into captivity in Assyria and the Southern nation, Judah, continued as an independent state.

The early pre-exilic prophets in Judah were:

Micah c. 735-690 BCE

Isaiah c. 740-680 BCE

The late pre-exilic prophets in Judah were:

Nahum c. 630 BCE

Zephaniah c. 625 BCE

Habakkuk c. 607 BCE

Joel c. 590 BCE

Jeremiah c. 627-580 BCE

In 587/586 BCE the city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian army and there was a mass deportation of Jews to Babylon .

THE EXILIC PROPHETS

Obadiah ? c. 585 BCE – we do not know when he prophesied.

Ezekiel c. 593-571 BCE

Daniel c. 605-535 BCE

THE POST-EXILIC PROPHETS

Haggai 520 BCE

Zechariah c. 520-500 BCE

Malachi c 420 BCE

Daniel (Dan chp. 1) had been taken to Babylon in 605 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah under King Jehoiakim after defeating the Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish (see Jer 46.) Some years later (597 BCE), ten years before the fall of Jerusalem in 587 and the Exile, Nebuchadnezzar deported King Jehoiachin of Judah and ten thousand of the political and religious elite into captivity in Babylon. Ezekiel was one of those elite. 2 Kings 24:8-16:

8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

Ezekiel was therefore in exile in Babylon during the final siege and fall of Jerusalem. Although based far away in Babylon, he prophesied to the people living back in the homeland, Judah.

Ezekiel wrote in the first person throughout his long and complex book which is is grim and intimidating. He experienced strange visions and often dwelt on God’s wrath. The Book of Ezekiel, however, is quite easy to follow as it is highly organized and precise. The prophet records the dates of sixteen revelations and for eleven of those he gives the year, the month and the day (1:2; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 29:1; 29:17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:21; 33:21; 40:1).

Posted in Exposition

1 PETER 4:7-19 LIVING WITH ‘THE END’ IN VIEW

Posted on by writtenexposition

4:7-11 CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOUR AS THE END APPROACHES

4:12-19 SUFFERING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

4:7-11 CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOUR AS THE END APPROACHES

[4:7] The conjunction ‘but’ connects this passage back to the judgement of God (v.5). That is part of the consummation of history which is here called ‘the End’. That time is ‘at hand’ (Mk 1:15; Rom 13:12). For similar expressions see:

  • 1 Cor 7:29 ‘the time is short’.
  • Heb 10:25 ‘as ye see the day approaching’.
  • 1 Jn 2:18 ‘it is the last time’.

In light of the nearness of ‘the End’ Christians ought to be watchful and well-behaved (Mt 24:45-25;13; Mk 13:33-37; Rom 13:11-14; Phil 4:4-6; Heb 10:23-31; Jas 5:7-11; Rev 22:12).

‘sober’ (sōphronéō) self-controlled They are to remain clear-headed and not get overly-excited or emotional (see 2 Thess 2:2). It is not necessary for them to give up their usual routine, they are to be disciplined (nḗphō) and alert so that they can pray.

[4:8] Above everything else they are to keep their love for one another at full strength (see 1:22; 2:17) for love will cover a multitude of sins. This is a quotation from Prov 10:12. They are not to harbour grudges but overlook the offences of others.

‘fervent’ intense (ektenḗs)

‘have’ hold fast, adhere, cling (échō)

[4:9] ‘be hospitable’ (philóxenos)

This probably refers to the hosting of travelling apostles or other Christians. Hospitality was to be exercised without grumbling, especially perhaps should the visitors decide to overstay.

[4:10-11] ‘As every man hath received the gift (chárisma), even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace (cháris) of God.’

This is a general exhortation to Christians to use whatever gift they have received for the benefit of others. Every Christian is a steward (oikonómos). In those days a steward was the slave entrusted with managing his master’s household and property. The local church is viewed as a household in 1Tim 3:5, 15.

‘As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’

(poikílos) means many in number and varied in kind. God’s grace is diversified, it is bestowed freely and takes many forms. The word ‘manifold’ occurs twice in 1 Peter:

1 Pet 1:6 ‘manifold temptations’

1 Pet 4:10 ’ manifold grace of God’

Peter mentions two categories of gift which perhaps together stand for all of the gifts. These are a) speaking and b) serving. His not concern is not just with the gifts but also how they are exercised.

Those who speak (preach and teach) should speak realizing that they are speaking the words of God ( 2 Cor 5:20; 1 Thess 2:13). ‘Oracles’ are divine utterances (Acts 7:38; Rom 3:2). Those who serve are not to depend upon their own resources but must rely on the strength that God supplies. Keating (2011, p.108) comments: ‘Our ability to exercise these gifts does not come from within us — God himself supplies the words to speak and the strength to serve.’

‘Giveth’ – supplies (chorēgéō) This verb originally referred to the provision of a choir for a public festival at the benefactor’s own expense. Eventually it carried the idea of lavish or unstinting giving.

All speaking and serving should have the glorification of God through Jesus Christ as the chief aim.

V.11 finishes with a short doxology to God, the relative pronoun does not refer to Jesus Christ but to God. ‘Glory’ links to ‘glorified’ in the previous clause. ‘Dominion’ (krátos) is power, might, sovereignty. The doxology, like many in the Bible, ends with an ‘Amen’ – may it be so! (Neh 8:6; Psa 41:13; Rom 1:25; Gal 1:5; Phil 4:20; 1 Pet 5 :11).

From its first mention in Num 5:22 and a passage in Deut 27:15–26 (where the word appears 12 times) it would seem that ‘Amen’ started life in the Old Testament as a sort of legal shortcut. Instead of formally repeating all the words of an oath, Israelites would merely say: ‘Amen.’ ie, ‘I agree with that.’

4:12-19 SUFFERING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

This section returns to the theme of suffering which was introduced in 1:6 and which has been present throughout the letter so far (1:6-7; 2:18-25; 3:9-18; 4:1-4). There is no noticeable connection between this section and the previous verses but there are a few less obvious links.

  • The word (xenízō) meaning ‘think it strange’ or ‘be surprised’ is used in v. 4 and v.12.
  • The notion of glorifying God occurs in v. 11 and in v.16.
  • The idea of impending judgement is in v.5 and in vv.17-18.

4:12-16 The Christians will be partakers of Christ’s suffering. Peter reminds these ‘strangers’ and ‘aliens’ (1:1; 2:11) that even in their trials they are ‘beloved’ (agapētós). Using word play (see xenízō v.4) they are not to be ‘shocked’ (xenízō) as if it would be a ‘strange’ (xénos) thing for them to face a ‘fiery ordeal’ (púrōsis) lit. ’burning’. It is to try them: the word ‘is’ (gínomai); a present participle meaning ‘to begin to be.’ Their trial would be ongoing, not just a one-off event.

[13-16]

v.13 They will have future glory.

v. 14 God will have present glory.

‘But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.’

Their fiery trial amounts to ‘sharing’ (koinōnéṓ̄) in the sufferings of the Messiah. This should cause them to ‘rejoice’ (chairete) and also, when Christ’s glory is revealed, they will then ‘rejoice with exultation’ ( charete agalliomenoi).

Note the word ‘also.’ Their rejoicing in suffering now is but a foretaste of the rapturous joy they will experience when the glory of Christ will be fully revealed.

When Christians are insulted on account of Christ they are ‘blessed,’ not just in the future but in the present time. This section is reminiscent of the beatitudes in Mt 5:11-12. Peter has already mentioned the topic of suffering unjustly in 2:20 and 3:17.

The verb ‘to insult’ or ‘reproach’ (oneidízō), and its noun (oneidismós), is used elsewhere to describe how Jesus Christ was treated:

Mt 27:44 ‘cast…in his teeth.’

Rom 15:3 ‘that reproached thee.’

Heb 11:26 ‘the reproach of Christ

Heb 13:13 ‘bearing his reproach.’

The Christians who suffer unjustly because of Christ are already blessed for (i.e because) ‘the spirit of glory and of God resteth’ upon them. Achtemeier (2009, p.308) comments:

‘The clause is framed in uncharacteristically awkward prose …with repeated neuter articles preceding genitival phrases tied together with a coordinating “and,” thus making both phrases appear to modify “Spirit. “

J. N. D. Kelly (1969, p.186) explains:

‘In part the wording is inspired by LXX Is. xi. 2 (‘and the Spirit of God shall rest upon him’). But while the broad meaning of the sentence is reasonably clear, the Greek is bafflingly difficult to construe, and it is possible that the original text (copyists very soon began altering it) is lost. As the text stands, we have the neuter definite article with the genitive ‘of the glory’ (to tes doxes) followed by and, and then a second neuter definite article with Spirit of God (to tou theou pneuma). The article may be repeated so as to give emphasis: ‘the Spirit of the glory—yes, the Spirit of God’. In both cases, on this assumption, it is one and the same Spirit, the genitives denoting its possessor and source, which is first (because of the mention of glory in 13) described as ‘the glory’, and then for purposes of clarification as ‘God’. Admittedly the reduplicated article is cumbersome, but this is the best sense that can be made of the sentence. An alternative explanation is that two distinct subjects are required, and so we should take ‘the of the glory’ as a substantival phrase equivalent to ‘the presence of the glory’, i.e. the Shekinah; but the precedents quoted for this use of the bare article (Mt. xxi. 21; i Cor. x. 24; Jas. iv. 14; 2 Pet. ii. 22) are instances of a well recognized usage which is of dubious relevance here. The motive, too, for this curious periphrasis, alleged to be reverence, is odd in view of the writer’s readiness to speak of the divine glory elsewhere.’

‘On their part he (it) is evil spoken of, but on your part he (it) is glorified’ probably refers back to the ‘name of Christ’ in v.14a.

Verse 15 begins with a ‘But.’ Peter reminds his readers that the promised blessedness does not apply to those who are badly treated for criminal behaviour. He gives four categories which seem to be listed in descending order of gravity:

1) Murderer

2) Thief

3) Evildoer (kakopoiós) see 2:12,14; 3:17

4) Busybody (allotrioepískopos) mischief-maker, meddler, one who gets involved in the affairs of other people.

This is a hapax legomenon, a word that occurs just once in a body of literature. There are more than fifty such words in 1 Peter. A list of New Testament hapax legomena may be viewed or downloaded here.

There is no shame, however, in someone suffering as a ‘Christian’ (follower of Christ) but he should rather glorify God ‘on this behalf’ i.e. on being described as a Christian, on account of bearing the name ‘Christian.’ This is one of the earliest (see Acts 11:26; 26:28) occurrences of ‘Christian and the first to bring out the stigma ‘(ashamed’ v.16) attached to such a designation in the society of the time.

[17-19] ‘For’ explains the reason why Christians who suffer unjustly should give God glory in that situation. Peter is assuring the Christians that those who persecute them will not go unpunished. They must realize that God’s first concern is with believers, he will certainly turn his attention to the ungodly sinners later. In fact, the suffering which the believers endure now represents the beginning of God’s final judgement (note the absolute tó kríma ‘the judgement’) on all human beings see 1: 17; 2:23; 4:5.

The idea that judgement will start with God’s people is present in the Old Testament:

‘Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.’ Isa 10:12

‘For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.’ Jer 25:29

‘Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.’ Ezek 9:6

Also:

‘Now I urge those who read this book not to be depressed by such calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were designed not to destroy but to discipline our people.

In fact, not to let the impious alone for long, but to punish them immediately, is a sign of great kindness.
For in the case of the other nations the Lord waits patiently to punish them until they have reached the full measure of their sins; but he does not deal in this way with us,
in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterward when our sins have reached their height.’ 2 Macc 6:12-15 RSV


‘So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 2 Thess 5:4-8

Peter emphasizes the point that it is much better to suffer the refining judgement of God as a Christian now than the later damnation of the ungodly who reject God’s good news. He does this by use of two parallel questions each beginning with ‘And.’

v. 17b ‘and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?,

v.18 ‘And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?’

These two questions have much the same meaning, the latter is almost an exact citation of Proverbs 11:31 LXX.

The conclusion of v.19 is that in such circumstances Christians ought to realize that their suffering is not random but is in accord with the will of God. They must therefore commit their souls (i.e. themselves’) to God and continue in active well-doing. God is the faithful Creator, he has the power to create and therefore has the power to sustain them. He is someone who can be trusted. The word (ktístēs) for Creator occurs only here in the New Testament.

1 PETER BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 PETER – INTRODUCTION

1 PETER – OUTLINE

1 PETER 1:1-2 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 1:3-12 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 1:13 – 2:3 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 2:4-10 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 2:11-17 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 2:18-25 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 3:1-12 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 3:13-17 – COMMENTS

1 PETER 3:18-22 THE SPIRITS IN PRISON

1 PETER 4:1-6 THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THE DEAD

1 PETER 5:1-4 – EXHORTATION TO ELDERS

1 PETER 5:5-14 – CLOSING WORDS