Holy War (Deuteronomy 20:1-20)
Holy War (Deuteronomy 20:1-20)
The term "holy war" refers to a sort of warfare that is dedicated to the purposes of the Lord. God himself is also an active participant it this kind of war. The Old Testament does not use the term “holy war.” Instead, it was coined by the German scholar Friedrich Schwally in the early...
Love and Affection
Primary expressions for the word love in the New Testament are two nouns ἀγαπη and φιλία, including their cognates. These words are present in various contexts, creating a vibrant semantic range. In the bible, there exist another two words for love ἔρως and στοργή that are however present in...
Song of Angels: Gloria in Excelsis (Luke 2:14)
Gloria in Excelsis refers to a short hymn that is pronounced by angels when the birth of Christ and savior was announced to shepherds. The name "Gloria in Excelsis" is based on the first three words from the verse in the Latin translation: "Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae...
Suffering of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18-22)
The 1 Peter 3:18-22 is arguably the most challenging passage in the entire list and maybe in the entire New Testament itself. This Christological text might have contained fragments of an ancient hymn (among others in the list: 1 Peter 1:18-21; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 1 Peter 3:18-22; 1 Peter 5:5-9). It...
Mystery of True Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)
This short hymnic passage of 1 Timothy 3:16 interrupts Paul’s address to Timothy with an exposition of “the mystery of true godliness.” This break is apparent by the change of personal pronoun from the second person (you) to the third (he) as well as also pointed by relative pronoun “which (ὃς...
Hymn of Peace (Ephesians 2:14-16)
Paul breaks his speech to the Ephesians in verses 2:14-16, and begins a short discourse that is composed as a hymn. This is well discerned by a change of the personal prepositions from the first person plural (we) to the third person singular (he). In this discourse, Paul brings to the...
Davidic Messiah (Psalms of Solomon 17:1-51)
This very famous psalm (among the NT scholars) describes a Davidic, messianic figure who will purge Jerusalem of Gentiles. The psalm is important for christology studies in that it unveils messianic hopes among some branches of early Judaism. It promotes a belief that the messiah would soon come to...
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...
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...
Man and woman are one flesh (Genesis 2:24)
The content of this passage describes the establishment of the institution of marriage and the creation of a new family unit. It sets forth the foundational principle that when a man and a woman enter into the covenant of marriage, they are to leave their parents and become united, both physically...
Feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15)
In the Gospels, there are two separate miracle accounts of feeding the multitude. The first account, "Feeding of the 5,000", is recorded in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-15). The second account, the "Feeding of the 4,000", with seven loaves of bread and...
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...
Last Supper (Mark 14:12-26)
Markan version of the Last Supper recounts the events surrounding the event, where Jesus and his disciples look for a place to spend and share a Passover meal before his crucifixion. The first thing the text focus on during the Last Supper is that Jesus identifies his betrayer (Judas) in verse...
Christology (study of Christ)
The New Testament Christology studies the nature and significance of the person of Jesus Christ. Especially prominent is the understanding of Christological titles in the NT and their variations or emphasis among NT authors. The most important of these titles is the Messiah and the Son of God. In...
Teaching about Divorce (Matthew 19:1-12)
Matthew 19:1-12 recounts Jesus' teachings on marriage and divorce, emphasizing the sacredness of marital bonds and the importance of upholding the original intent of God's design for marriage. The passage begins with the Pharisees testing Jesus by asking whether it is lawful for a man to divorce...
Leprosy: Regulations About Defiling Skin (Leviticus 13:1-46)
The Leviticus 13-14 presents the major discussion of צָרַעַת (zaraʻat) meaning "skin disease" traditionally associated with leprosy. According to today's scientific findings, however, the entity causing leprosy is bacillus Mycobacterium leprae (Hansen's disease). Therefore, today the agreement...
Hebrew: Frequency Vocabulary (49-30 Occurrences)
The exercise contains words that occur between 49 to 30 times in the Old Testament. Mastering this vocabulary will increase your ability for a more fluent reading of the Old Testament in the Hebrew language.
Cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13-22)
The story of Cleansing of the Temple seems to be presenting Jesus in a violent way. In this way, we are not used to imagining him. What happened to the kind and loving Jesus, the Lord of love? It is challenging to find a balance between these pictures. To understand the story we need a little help...
Apocalypse of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1-3)
The first three verses of the Apocalypse of John compose an introduction to the whole book. We are introduced to the main agenda, expectation, and form of the book. The first and foremost information we are confronted with is “revelation (ἀποκάλυψις [apokalypsis])” (Rev 1:1). This Greek word...
The Testimony of Jesus' Acts (Luke 1:1-4)
The prologue to the Gospel of Luke highlights the author's aim to provide a trustworthy and orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Luke, a physician and companion of the Apostle Paul, seeks to compile an accurate record based on the testimonies of those who were eyewitnesses and...
Coptic Alphabet
The Coptic alphabet is the script used for writing the Coptic language, the liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and is the final stage of the Egyptian language. The Coptic alphabet is an adaptation of the Greek alphabet, with the addition of some characters borrowed from the ancient...
Millennium: Destruction of the dragon and the enemies (Revelation 20:1-15)
The section of 20:1-15 could be labeled in various ways. If we choose the title Millennium, our perspective will focus on the part of the events described in relation to this frame. The text speaks of a period of one thousand ears in regard to heavenly kingdom and its earthly realization during the...
Adoption (Romans 8:14-17)
Verses of Romans 8:14-17 open one of the essential Pauline theological themes that we call adoption. In these verses, Paul develops his thesis from Romans 8 about the implications of the presence of the Holy Spirit in Christian life. One of the outcomes is the interconnection of God and people and...
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
Magnificat refers to a hymn that Mary pronounces before the birth of Jesus Christ. The name "Magnificat" is based on the first word from the first verse in the Latin translation: "Magnificat anima mea Dominum (My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord)" (Luke 1:46).
Song of Zechariah: The Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)
Benedictus refers to a hymn of thanksgiving that Zechariah pronounces during the circumcision of John the Baptist. The name "Benedictus" is based on the first word from the first verse in the Latin translation: "Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel (Blessed be the Lord God of Israel)" (Luke 1:68).
Song of Simeon: Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32)
Nunc dimittis refers to a hymn that Simeon pronounces when seeing a Messiah as he was promised by the Holy Spirit before his death comes. The name "Nunc dimittis" is based on the first two words from the first verse in the Latin translation: "Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum...
God's Supreme Revelation (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Opening verses of the Epistle to the Hebrews do not start with greeting nor addressing the recipients as is typical for biblical epistolary literature. Although the epistle is placed among epistolary literature it does not share its form. It is rather closer to homily (sermon) by its own literary...