Exegetically Speaking

Mike Woodruff is the lead pastor at Christ Church (Chicago) and chairs the board for the  Lakelight Institute . In this episode, he talks about taking Greek and Hebrew as a student preparing for ministry, and the continuing value of the languages for his teaching. Pastor Woodruff's publications include,  The Life of Jesus Christ ,   FutureView: Gaining Perspective on the Rising Waves of Change , ...

In 2 Chr. 17:3-6, remarkable things are said of King Jehoshaphat, culminating in a Hebrew word play that correlates the state of Jehoshaphat's heart with the Asherim that he tears down while seeking to elevate the Lord. Mark Lanier is a practicing attorney, a teacher in his local church in Houston, Texas, and the founder of the Lanier Theological Library (co-sponsor of this podcast) among other pr...

Both Moses and God are popularly thought of as the opposite of grace as portrayed in the Old Testament. Exodus 34 tells the story of a God who does measure out justice to his creation, but magnifies his grace far beyond measure. The difference is that of the life-horizons of an individual contrasted with countless generations. Dr. K. Lawson Younger is Emeritus Professor of Old Testament and Semiti...

In the laments of Isaiah 63 and 64, God is asked to look down at his people in salvation. In Isaiah 66 a response comes, declaring at whom the Lord will look: Those in Israel afflicted by this world, who tremble at his word. Dr. Andrew Abernethy is Professor of Old Testament, Assistant Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies in the Litfin Divinity School, and Program Director of the M.A. in Bibli...

Even in translation, Psalm 1, a favorite of many, can be appreciated for its art and truth. All the more in Hebrew, through which we can see and hear how the psalmist employs letters, repetition of words, sounds, and other devices to convey meaning. Dr. Frederico Villanueva is Regional Commissioning Editor for Langham Publishing and Scholar Care Coordinator of current Asian Langham scholars. His p...

Phil. 2:6-11 is and deserves to be one of the most studied passages on Christ in the biblical writings. One grammatical question concerns a participle in v. 6, which is usually understood as concessive ("although"). But might Paul intend a causal sense ("because")? The implications are profound. Dr. Michael Gorman is Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary's Seminar...

The prophet Isaiah anticipates what Israel will one day sing, and the words draw directly from the great song of deliverance sung by Moses, as if Isaiah had a copy to hand. Dr. Andrew Abernethy is Professor of Old Testament, Assistant Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies in the Litfin Divinity School, and Program Director of the M.A. in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton Graduate School . Among othe...

Theology ought to be ruled by the biblical text. So says Prof. Yarnell, a systematic theologian who studied Hebrew and Greek and who makes careful use of those languages in his work. In this episode he explains the importance of the languages for theological reasoning generally, and specifically with reference to an OT text that was debated by Church Fathers such as Athanasius. Dr. Malcolm Yarnell...

English plurals of "mass nouns" (uncountable nouns, such as milk, water) indicate kinds (e.g., cow or goat milks) or multiple instances (e.g., "grab three waters"), but Greek has a third option for the same plurals: an "abundance inference." Realizing this can sharpen our understanding of certain passages. Travis Wright (PhD, University of Cambridge) is a scholar based in Raleigh, NC. His research...

The opening words of Philemon prompt us to ask in what sense Paul is a prisoner in relation to Christ. In part this is a grammatical question, but a couple of contemporaneous papyri texts might supply hints as to the cultural understanding. Dr. Seth Ehorn is Assistant Professor of Classics and Biblical Languages at Houston Christian University. Among other things, he has published 2 Maccabees 1-7:...

In Jeremiah 32:36, a discourse marker is used that would most often signal bad news is coming, sort of like the "Jaws theme" music in a movie. But here it surprises the reader with good news. Jack Messarra completed a master's degree at the University of Stellenbosch in the field of Hebrew, linguistics, and discourse markers. You can see some of his papers at https://sun.academia.edu/JackMessarra...

Prof. N. T. "Tom" Wright returns to our podcast to discuss Eph. 3:10 and its vision for the church in the present age: God's "intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known." God created us so that through us he could show the world who he is, in particular, by a community of all races and nations drawn together in love. Rev. Dr. N. T. Wright  is Research...

Dr. Nancy Dawson holds a M.S. in plant taxonomy and Ph. D. in biology/cell biology. After teaching in that field at Western Kentucky University and Texas A&M, she attended Duke Divinity School. She now works as an independent scholar in theology and has published  All the Genealogies of the Bible: Visual Charts and Exegetical Commentary (Zondervan, 2023). In this episode she draws upon that resear...

Eve's words about her newborn son, Seth, which are her last recorded words, echo the Hebrew words to the serpent in Gen. 3:15, signaling Eve's persevering hope in God's deliverance. Dr. Ingrid Faro, who has contributed to this podcastbefore, is Professor of Old Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, IL. Among other things, she is the author of  Evil in Genesis: A Contextual Analysis of Hebrew Le...

Some claim that John 1:1 states that Jesus is 'a god.' Others claim that it states that Jesus is God. What is in fact the best way of understanding the Greek language employed? Grammatical parallels can shed some light. Dr. Michael Licona is Professor of New Testament at Houston Christian University. His publications include  Why Are There Differences in the Gospels?: What We Can Learn from Ancien...

In his previous conversation centered on Rom. 1:16-17, Roy Ciampa contextualized the unique phrase  ἐ κ   πίστεως  (translated there as, "through faith") in Greek writings generally and Romans in particular. He now studies this phrase throughout Galatians, with special reference to Gal. 2:16. In addition to his posts at Samford University and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary mentioned in the no...

Nowhere in all known Greek writings is the precise phrase  ἐ κ   πίστεως  ("out of" or "from faith") found until the Greek version of Habakkuk 2:4, and some of the scribes transmitting that text altered it. It is this phrasing that Paul adopts in the crucial lines of Roman 1:16-17, and rewords elsewhere. What, then, was the intended sense of this unique wording? Dr. Roy E. Ciampa recently retired...

The Greek language Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 15 to convey the gospel's teaching of Jesus' resurrection lodges this in authoritative tradition dating back to months after the events. The center of God's self-revelation and salvation is more firmly attested than anything else in Scripture. Dr. Gary Habermas is Distinguished Research Professor in the School of Divinity, Liberty University, Virginia....

What happens when your modern English translation renders the meaning of biblical names, connecting this with the practices of the ancient Hebrews and traditional Native Americans? Terry M. Wildman , of Ojibwe and Yaqui ancestry, is the Lead Translator, Editor, and Project Manager of the  First Nations Version . He is the Director of Spiritual Growth and Leadership Development for Native InterVars...

An important verb in Gal. 5:2 could be either passive voice or middle voice. It is translated, " if you accept circumcision" (ESV) or "if ye be circumcised" (KJV) or "if you have yourselves circumcised" (NAB). Verse 4 is sometimes translated, "You are severed from Christ" (ESV) or "You . . . have been alienated from Christ" (NIV). Consideration of the Greek wording is critical for our understandin...

Does Rom. 13:1 leave room for sanctioned rebellion against a government? Take 1775 for example. Dr. Michael Bird is Deputy Principal and Lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College (Melbourne, Australia). His many publications include Romans: Greek-English Interlinear | Paraphrase | Study Notes , Jesus among the gods: Early Christology in the Greco-Roman World , and (with N. T. Wright) Jesus and t...

In Jesus' prayer of John 17 he prays for future generations of believers with special emphasis on their oneness. Karen Jobes provides a close reading of the Greek of this astonishing and vital passage. Dr. Karen Jobes is Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis, Emerita , at Wheaton College & Graduate School. She has authored many books and articles, including John Through...

Greek verbs have been traditionally labeled "tenses," but many grammarians have for some time argued that "tense" is not the best way to explain what is going on. The linguistic category of "aspect" is a more powerful theoretical explanation. But what is "verbal aspect" and how does this theory affect the reading of Greek texts? Dr. Constantine Campbell is Professor and Research Director at the Sy...

Because he was known for his baptisms, and because English transliterates the Greek words, John's nickname as "the Baptist" provokes little thought. It ought to. Dr. James F. McGrath is Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. His publications include Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist and (forthcoming), John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Qu...

Phil. 1:27 is translated by the NIV as, "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel," while the NLT translates it as, "you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News." Here and in 3:20 Paul is using a Greek verb and noun that he uses nowhere else in his letters, aside from a related word in Eph. 2:12. What is the implied message in using thi...