Structure of Psalm 140

March 25, 2024Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
Psalm 140 is a prayer of David against a violent man who was attacking him especially with his tongue. The phrase "man of violence(s)" occurs three times, in verses 3, 4 and 11. The word "tongue" occurs in verses 3 and 11. While David was in great trouble, he was not greatly shaken by it.…

Structure of Revelation 22:6-21

March 18, 2024Posted inBook of Revelation
The last section of the book of Revelation is a complex interweaving of concluding material. Understanding its structure requires paying close attention to repeated words and phrases. Consider first the direct statements of Jesus. “Behold, I come quickly’ (v. 7) which he repeats in verse 12 and varies slightly in verse 20. That is the…

The Structure of Psalm 86

March 4, 2024Posted inChiasms, Psalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
When you hear someone begin to talk again about a chiasm in some Biblical passage, you may be inclined to groan and ask why commentators and Bible teachers are always looking for these things. What good are they, and why must I be constantly afflicted with them? There are two things that we should remember.…

Psalm 112: A Companion to Psalm 111

February 26, 2024Posted inChiasms, Psalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
The content of Psalm 112 is very different from Psalm 111. Psalm 111 praises the Lord for his great works and sure precepts; Psalm 112 blesses the righteous man. Nevertheless, there are three important considerations that demonstrate their close relationship. 1) They are both acrostic according to line rather than verse. Each has twenty-two lines…

Psalm 111: A Chiasm and an Acrostic

February 19, 2024Posted inChiasms, Psalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
Psalm 111 is another carefully constructed song.  It is an acrostic, but its acrostic structure is a little different from other acrostic psalms. Those usually have twenty-two verses of two (sometimes more) lines each, and each verse begins with the Hebrew letter next in order. But this psalm has twenty-two lines, each of which begins…

Psalm 150: Universal Praise

February 7, 2024Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
Hallelujah! Praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in the firmament of his strength. Praise him for his mighty deeds. Praise him according to the abundance of his greatness. Praise him with the blast of the trumpet. Praise him with the lute and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance. Praise him with strings…

The Restoration of Job and His Friends

January 29, 2024Posted inJob
The last eleven verses of Job describe God’s work of restoring first Job’s friends (vv. 7–9) and then Job (vv. 10–17). But these two restorations are different. The restoration of the three friends is to the favor of God through the forgiveness of their sins. The restoration of Job is to the prosperity he had…

Job 40:6 to 42:6 – Behemoth and Leviathan

January 22, 2024Posted inJob
God’s speech to Job in Job 38–41 has two main parts. After the first part (chapters 38–39), God challenged Job:”Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it” (Job 40:2). Job responded by confessing his insignificance and promising to say no more (40:3–5). But God was…

God to Job: Who is This?

January 15, 2024Posted inJob
The Lord’s answer to Job takes up four chapters and has two parts. In chapters 38:1–40:5 God speaks and Job responds (40:3–5), and in chapters 40:6–42:6 the Lord speaks again and again Job responds. Throughout both parts of the speech the Lord continues the theme begun by Elihu, especially in chapter 37:14–24. There Elihu asks…