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Does the divine council in Psalm 89:5-7 literally exist?

Answered by . March 1, 2023 - 1:25 am

Psalm 89:5-7 employs Ancient Near East language of a court of the gods in heaven. Or more accurately the court of One God, since Jewish religion is strictly monotheistic. So in this court there is one God, YHWH, and a surrounding court of courtiers, much like the court of an absolute monarch on earth. 5 Let the […]

Who or what is Belial?

Answered by . January 14, 2023 - 6:42 am

Old Testament The Hebrew phrase wicked men, literally “Sons of Belial” is an expression rendered literally in older English Bibles so for example: Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; (Deuteronomy 13:3 KJV) […]

What does the Escape-Goat, Azazel, mean in Leviticus 16:8?

Answered by . December 31, 2022 - 4:32 am

And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:8 KJV) The reading Azazel is found is several modern English translations: ESV NRSV. The KJV reading is retained in NIV NASB. And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot […]

“strain at a gnat and swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24)

Answered by . December 31, 2022 - 12:57 am

“You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (Matthew 23:24 ESV) Many people have heard the claims that Jesus’ saying about a camel through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:24)  could have been ‘rope’ not camel in Aramaic when supposedly Jesus originally said it. But there is no real evidence for […]

What is the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha?

Answered by . December 20, 2022 - 3:22 am

  The Old Testament pseudepigrapha is a title given by scholars to group together various Jewish writings roughly contemporary with the New Testament many of which take the form of pseudepigrapha, texts claiming to be written by a named Old Testament figure. These texts overlap with the Dead Sea Scrolls and early rabbinical documents found […]

Does Psalm 138:1 acknowledge the existence of pagan gods?

Answered by . November 17, 2022 - 9:32 pm

“I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;     before the gods I sing your praise;” (Psalm 138:1 ESV)   This contradicts Isaiah’s statement (Isaiah 45:5) that there are “no elohim” but the LORD. To get around this the Jewish translators of the Greek Old Testament substituted “gods” with “angels” in this verse – […]