Exegetically Speaking

In Luke 19:3, Zacchaeus is unable to see Jesus because he is short. Is it possible that the short person in question is Jesus?   Jon C. Laansma  is Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek & Exegesis and the Director of the  Classical Languages  program at Wheaton College, and also the Wheaton-based director of this podcast series. Some of his publications may be found here . He is cur...

The traditional translations of Gen. 2:24 have the man "leaving his father and mother," "clinging to his wife," and "becoming one flesh." The assumed frame of reference is that of marriage and sexual union. Yet situating that language in its cultural context and noting a Babylonian parallel to one of those phrases points to a corporate frame of reference. Dr. John Walton , Old Testament Professor...

When Noah ( Noach ) is first introduced in Genesis 5, it is said that "he will bring us relief ( nacham )." This and other wordplays will feature significantly throughout the entire story of the flood, not least in Gen. 6:6-8. Dr. Adam E. Miglio , a frequent contributor to our podcast, is Professor of Old Testament at  Wheaton College . His publications include  The Gilgamesh Epic in Genesis 1-11:...

In a Trinitarian passage, Jesus (the Son) declares, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another παράκλητος ( parakletos ), to be with you forever." The understanding of that Greek designation of the Holy Spirit is critical for grasping the promise of Jesus, the assurance it contains, and the marks of its fulfillment.  Dr. Phil Ryken , who has been a regular on our podcast, is the Presiden...

Some modern translations of John 20:2 have Mary exclaiming, "They have taken away the Lord's body from the tomb." The word "body" is not in the Greek sentence, and its insertion might dampen our sympathy with Mary's profound grief. Dr. Amy Peeler has contributed several episodes to this podcast. She is the Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies, Professor of New Testament, and Chair of the P...

We are approaching the centenary of the discovery of the Ugaritic language, which belongs to the same family of languages as Hebrew, Aramaic, Moabite, and others. This relationship with Hebrew permits insights to flow both from Hebrew to Ugaritic and Ugaritic to Hebrew. One illustration of this is found in Prov. 12:17. A word traditionally parsed as a verb in a context that seemed to call for a no...

Due to his extensive writing and lecturing John Walton is recognized as a leading scholar on OT backgrounds. His attempts to convey this research to varied audiences, often non-specialists, has led him to search out imagery that will make even involved ideas more intuitively accessible. One such metaphor is that of cultural "backpacks." Dr. John Walton , Old Testament Professor Emeritus at  Wheato...

When, in one of Jesus' most well-known parables, the "prodigal son" returns, his older brother feels wronged by the warm reception accorded by their father. The charges he lays against his younger brother may be even stronger than often realized if we perceive echoes of a key scene in Homer's  Odyssey . Dr. Alexander Loney  is Associate Professor of Classical Languages and the Coordinator of the ...

In a recent episode, Dr. Ellie Paley walked us through Job 42:6, Job's final response to God's answer from the whirlwind. The very next verse, Job 42:7, presents the conundrum of how Job, who was just rebuked by God, is now commended by God in contrast to his three friends. The Hebrew wording suggests that the key difference between Job and his friends lies in the direction of their speaking: To G...

Though most often cited at funerals or in times of greatest difficulty, Psalm 23 has a profound message for the whole of life. A close reading of the Hebrew of the opening verses bears out some of this. Dr. Kenneth Gore is Professor of Biblical Studies at Mary C. Crowley College of Christian Faith, Dallas Baptist University. He wrote the column "Baptists Ask," for the Arkansas Baptist News from Oc...

For the 350 th  episode of this podcast, Dr Michael Bird reviews the ways in which John's Gospel presents Jesus as equal to God, and then concentrates on the language of 1:18. Is the idea that of Jesus as the "only begotten" of the Father, what would that mean, and how would later theological terminology express what John is teaching? Dr. Bird is Deputy Principal and Academic Lecturer in Theology...

Following Job's sufferings, mourning, arguments with his friends, and God's own speech to him, Job makes his final response in Job 42. But the Hebrew of Job 42:6 has been hotly contested in scholarship, with its interpretation bearing significant implications for how this afflicted God-fearer has emerged from his long-awaited encounter with God. Dr. Ellie Paley has taught courses at Duke Divinity...

Two of the shortest verses in the Bible are 1 Thess. 5:16 and 17: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing" (NRSV). Dr. Jeff Peterson argues that that these verses are directed to leaders of the Thessalonian church, along with all of vv. 14-22, and he zeroes in on the Greek adverb translated "without ceasing." Concretely, what was Paul asking the recipients of his letter to do? Dr. Jeff Peterson is P...

John 20:31 is usually translated as John's purpose statement: "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (ESV). But could the clause also be understood as, "that you may believe that the Christ, the Son of God, is Jesus"? What difference would this make for how we read John's Gospel as a whole? In this episode, David Ritsema discusses the grammatical question behind this trans...

Rom. 7:7-25 has attracted more attention from commentators than any other biblical passage. All readers feel some sympathy with the struggle with sin that is voiced, though elements of what Paul writes make neat identifications difficult. Who is the "I" who is speaking in vv. 7-13 and then the "I" in 7:14-25? Prof. Witherington, who has been on this podcast before, is the Jean R. Amos Professor of...

A long tradition of reading John 4 has viewed the woman at the well as immoral. How was that reading established? What is its textual warrant? What are alternative traditions? What does all this tell us about the role of assumptions in exegesis? Dr. Benjamin Wall is Professor of Theology and Ethics at South University. His publications include Welcome as a Way of Life and he is currently a residen...

Ps. 103:17-18 presents God's kingdom as the kingdom of Israel while v. 19 also mentions God's universal kingdom. In which sense did Christ bring God's kingdom to realization? Dr. Fredericks is Professor of Biblical Studies and Provost Emeritus at Belhaven University. His publications include Reframing Biblical Theology: The Eternal Design and (co-author) Ecclesiastes & The Song of Songs . Check ou...

Knowing that devastating judgment is descending on Israel, the prophet affirms that God is his strength. To appreciate the depth of Habakkuk's hope we must understanding the Hebrew language used in its contexts (plural), including the species of deer in Israel. Dr. Oliver Hersey , who has been on this podcast before, is the 11 th president of Jerusalem University College. This college, located on...

The Christ hymn of Phil. 2:6-11 is one of the most studied NT passages on Christology. When considering Paul's own study we should note 3:20-21 of the same letter, which reprises several Greek words from the hymn. Dr. Chris Kugler is Lecturer in Theology for George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, at the Houston Campus, Lanier Theological Library . His publications include Paul a...

Describing the Holy Spirit's work on behalf of believers in Christ, Paul employs two verbs with double prefixes. The effect is to give special stress to the Spirit's work of support and intercession. Dr. Jones, who has been on this podcast before, is the Director of Global Theological Education for Hamoreh Ministries , a theological training ministry working in northern Kenya. Check out related pr...

This is a repeat of our very first episode: Veteran interpreter Dr. John Walton describes the process of exegesis — from choosing a text, analyzing the genre and background, and grappling with the "linguistic core" — in this step-by-step explanation of how exegesis is done. Dr. John Walton , Old Testament Professor Emeritus at  Wheaton Graduate School , has since become a frequent contributor to t...

John 3:16 is routinely translated, "For God so loved the world." The NLT translates it, "For this is how God loved the world." The difference roots in a Greek adverb, the sentence as a whole, and the theological logic employed by John. Dr. George Kalantzis , who has been on this podcast before, is Professor of Theology and Director of  The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies  at Wheaton Col...

Rev. 5:1-14 depicts a dramatic heavenly scene in which the Lamb alone is worthy and able to take and open what is referred to as a βιβλίον (biblion) with seven seals and inscribed in a particular way. The attempt to gain a more precise mental picture of this literary object and its nature as a text includes matters of word meaning and textual criticism. Dr. Christian Askeland, a past contributor t...

Many translations render Rom. 8:28 as, "all things work together for good." The NLT renders the same words as, "God causes everything to work together," a construal that is represented in some ancient Greek manuscripts. Yet another possibility would be, "the Spirit works all things together." What explains these differences? A past contributor to this podcast, Joseph Dodson is the Dr. Craig L. Blo...

Following his resurrection in Luke 24 Jesus startles his disciples by appearing among them when they are talking about him. By v. 41, properly understood, they are still not believing. Luke's implicit argument about what finally brings them to faith requires close attention to the Greek wording and clues as to discourse structure. Dr. J. D. Atkins is Associate Professor of New Testament Language a...