Accusation of a woman (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
Accusation of a woman (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
The content of this passage deals with the situation in which a husband accuses his wife of not being a virgin at the time of marriage. The passage prescribes a specific procedure to be followed by the parents of the accused woman, the husband, and the community elders. If the accusation is proven...
Adultery and Betrothal Transgressions (Deuteronomy 22:22-29)
The text presents a series of laws concerning sexual misconduct, focusing on adultery and transgressions related to betrothal. These verses emphasize the importance of maintaining moral and ethical standards within the community, especially regarding sexual relationships and marriage. The...
Dissatisfaction with a woman (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 outlines the regulations regarding divorce and remarriage in ancient Israel, with a particular focus on protecting the rights and dignity of women. The passage begins by explaining that if a man finds something indecent about his wife, he may write her a certificate of...
Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
In this passage, the practice of levirate marriage is described. This custom instructs that if a man dies without having any children, his brother is expected to marry his widow in order to provide an heir for the deceased brother. The passage displays that if a man dies without children, his...
Joshua
The biblical book of Joshua describes the conquest and settlement of the land of Canaan by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites. The book is divided into two main parts: the conquest of the land and the distribution of the land among...
Judge Othniel (Judges 3:8-11)
Othniel (עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז, Otniel ben Kenaz) was the first of the judges of Israel. The name Othniel can be interpreted as „Protector of God“ or „Protection (is) God“. Some time after the death of Joshua, the Israelites once again turned to sin and fell under the subjection of...
Judge Ehud (Judges 3:12-30)
Ehud (אֵהוּד בֶּן־גֵּרָא, Ehúd ben Géráh) is the second judge who was sent by God to deliver the Israelites from Moabite domination resulting in peace lasting for eighty years. He is described as being left-handed and a member of the Tribe of Benjamin. The judge is sent to the Moabite King...
Judge Shamgar (Judges 3:31)
Shamgar deflected Philistine raids into Israel and slaughtered 600 of the invaders with an ox goad. The text is very unordinary compared with the records of other judges. The reference to Shamgar has no introduction, conclusion, or relation to the length of reign. It continues directly from the...
Judge Debora and Barak (Judges 4:1-5:31)
Deborah was the fourth judge and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. She presented her judgments underneath a date palm tree. Since Deborah had a prophetic gift, she instructed Barak that God appointed him to lead an attack against Jabin, the king of Canaan, and his military commander...
Jotham's Parable (Judges 9:7-21)
There are not many parables in the OT as we can find in the NT. The parable is a critique on the aftermath of the narrative about Gidon. The metaphorical picture it conveys is from the realm of trees evaluating certain qualities of them.
Judge Tola (Judges 10:1-2)
Tola judged Israel for 23 years after the death of Abimelech. He lived and was also buried at Shamir in Mount Ephraim.
Judge Jair (Judges 10:3–5)
The name of judge Jair (יָאִיר) means "he enlightens." He was a man from Gilead of the Tribe of Manasseh, east of the River Jordan, who judged Israel for 22 years. The passage mentioning this judge is only of three verses long and describes general whereabouts, years of reign and sons of Jair.
Judge Ibzan (Judges 12:8-10)
Ibzan is the ninth judge of Israel. He was from Bethlehem and had very numerous offspring. He ruled over Israel for seven years.
Judge Elon (Judges 12:11-12)
Judge Elon served as a judge of Israel for ten years. He was a member of the tribe of Zebulun.
Judge Abdon (Judges 12:13-15)
Abdon was the eleventh Judge of Israel, the son of Hillel. He had very numerous offspring who rode on seventy donkeys.
Ruth
The biblical book of Ruth is a narrative account that tells the story of Ruth (רוּת [rûṯ]), a Moabite woman, who marries a Hebrew man named Mahlon. Ruth and Mahlon's family leave their hometown of Bethlehem and settle in Moab, but tragedy strikes when Mahlon and his brother die, leaving Ruth and...
David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1-58)
The story of David and Goliath is a famous biblical account found in 1 Samuel 17:1-58. The story takes place during the time of the Israelites' battles against the Philistines. The story of David and Goliath illustrates God's sovereignty, his ability to use unlikely people for his purposes, the...
Surely God is good to Israel (Psalm 73)
Psalm 73 is one of the Psalms of Asaph (see 50 and 74-83). It is numbered as 73 in Masoretic numbering while in Septuagint and Vulgate the numbering it is 72. This psalm is raising a topic of prosperity of righteous and wicked people. For the author, as he observes, it seems like those who are...
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever (Psalm 89)
The Psalm looks to the Lord as a creator. The scientific question of how creation took place goes away, and the main theme is the nature of the Lord, which reveals in creation. King David and his descendants are also a significant theme in the text. They are the object of the Lord's grace....
Praise the Lord, my soul (Psalm 104)
This psalm praises the act of creation. It is composed as a prayer to God, celebrating what he has done in his creative power. The crucial aspect of this creation account is that the creation is habitable and liveable. It is Lord who guarantees that everything works toward prosperity and life,...
In My Distress I Cried Unto the Lord (Psalm 120)
Psalm 120 is the first of the fifteen Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). It's a short psalm, expressing a cry for deliverance and peace in the midst of distress and falsehood. The psalm starts with the psalmist expressing his deep distress and how he turns to the Lord for deliverance. In his...
I lift up my eyes to the mountains (Psalm 121)
Psalm 121 is a song of ascents, part of a group of Psalms 120-134 traditionally sung by Jewish pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three major festivals. This particular psalm encourages believers to trust in the Lord for protection and provision. The passage shifts the focus from human...
I was glad when they said to me: Let us go to the house of the Lord! (Psalm 122:1-9)
Psalm 122 is a part of the Songs of Ascents, which is a collection of psalms (Psalms 120-134) sung by pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three major Jewish festivals. Psalm 122, attributed to David, expresses joy and reverence for Jerusalem as a place of worship and divine...
I Lift Up My Eyes to You (Psalm 123)
Psalm 123 is a short but profound passage within the Songs of Ascents, which were songs sung by pilgrims as they made their journey to Jerusalem for the major Jewish festivals. This psalm, specifically, is a prayer for mercy, expressing deep dependence on God. The text is a plea for God's mercy...