Isa 9:5 (English translations v. 6) gives a series of names for the promised Child. Modern translations, motivated by the idea that the names are paired, group them into four, of which the first is “Wonderful Counselor” or (NIV) “Extraordinary Strategist.” Older versions such as the KJV and the ASV, set “Wonderful” apart as a name by itself. How many should we understand?
These three verses suddenly switch from the third person of the context to the first person, and the commentaries are rife with proposals for who is speaking at this point. There is not even agreement that all of the “I”‘s are spoken by the same person. Some commentators hear two different voices here (Targum, Calvin, Alexander, Young), or even three (Gill, Motyer). Candidates for the speaker include the Lord, Isaiah, or the Messiah.
Continue reading Who is speaking in Isa 8:16-18?…
This week’s message explores the Immanuel prophecy. It argues that
Isaiah describes the coming judgment in Isa 6:12 with the words, “the Lord removes men far away.” “Men” is actually the definite singular construction האדם: “The Lord removes the man far away.” Careful exegesis will note this usage, and explore its meaning. Continue reading Uncreation in Isa 6:12…
The latest study is on Isaiah 6:9-10, which commands Isaiah to harden people to the Word of God. How does hardening happen? Continue reading Hardening Hearts…
The words “atone” and “atonement” are common in the English OT, describing Israel’s animal sacrifices.This vocabulary has been carried over into Christian theology and hymns to describe the death of Christ as an “atonement” for sin, or “atoning” for sin. But it is extremely rare in English translations of the NT. Is it really appropriate to speak of our Lord as “atoning for sin”? Continue reading Did Christ atone for sin?…
The Lord’s description of himself at the end of Rev 1:17 as “the first and the last” ο πρωτος και ο εσχατος is commonly explained as a divine title, roughly synonymous with “the Alpha and the Omega,” based on the parallel with Isaiah’s descriptions of the Lord (41:4; 44:6; 48:12). Continue reading The First and the Last…
In his comments on John 20:19, D. Carson suggests that the risen Lord’s greeting to his disciples, “Peace be unto you” ειρηνη υμιν is more than just a traditional Hebrew greeting. Arguing from the Lord’s previous promise of peace in 14:27 and 16:33, and from the general observation that “shalom was also the embracing term used to denote the unqualified well-being that would characterize the people of God once the eschatological kingdom had dawned,” he concludes, “Jesus’ ‘Shalom!’ on Easter evening is the complement of ‘it is finished’ on the cross, for the peace of reconciliation and life from God is now imparted.” Continue reading Peace be unto you…
“John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
Compare this verse with its counterpart in the synoptics (BW: enter “John 19:30” in the command line, then select “Tools/Synopsis Window” to bring up a harmony of the gospels). All four gospels report that the Lord says something, and then dies, but only John notes that “he bowed his head.” Is John simply adding a detail from his personal observation of the event (Alford, Carson), or does he attach some meaning to it? Gill suggests the gesture shows his submission to the Father’s will. Morris draws a tentative link with Matt 8:20 and Luke 9:58, where the phrase refers to taking rest in sleep (“the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”). Continue reading Finding What’s Not There…
How many women are standing by the cross in John 19:25? “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” Is “Mary the wife of Cleophas” the sister of “his mother,” or are the two distinct women? Because it is unlikely that two sisters would both be named “Mary,” most commentators prefer the latter reading. But “sister” could refer to a sister in law or a cousin. It would help if we knew how often omission of the conjunction in a list in John is simply asyndeton as opposed to apposition. Continue reading How Many Women?…
