Hebrew Bible Insights

Want to read the Hebrew Bible with Dr. Nathan French and Matthew Delaney? Join the Hebrew Bible Book Club: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsights How do we make sense of not only the story of David and Bathsheba, but also the number of scenes that ensue after involving a number a difficult passages relating to David? Dr. Nathan French (PhD Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East) presents his...

Join the Hebrew Bible Book Club: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsights What happened during the approximately 400 years “between the old and new testaments?” Dr. George Athas dispels the myth of the “400 years of silence” that unfortunately breaks apart the flow of the continues Biblical story. George shares insights from his new book “Bridging the Testaments” in which he tells the grand sto...

Job is one of the most profound and controversial books of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew language of its 39 chapters of poetry is the most difficult to understand of the whole corpus of the Hebrew Bible. Yet it is the 3 chapters of narrative that have garnered the most attention - and understandably so - because of a rare setting: the divine council of God. What is the divine council and who is in...

What are some Hebrew language insights from Habakkuk 2? This chapter has famous verses and some hidden gems. Matthew Delaney (MA Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) shares some insights from this chapter that are rooted in the original language. All insights are shared in such a way that people of any (or no) level of Hebrew can engage with. Join the Hebrew Bible Book Club: https://www.patr...

How do we make sense of Ezekiel? Our guest, Dr. Donna Petter, answers a number of questions about this important book. How do we make sense of graphic and violent sections in the book? What is the big picture structure of the book? Donna gives great insights into the intentionality of the design of the book between its two halves as well as a progression of restoration. You can find a link to her...

What are some of the most interesting Hebrew language insights from Habakkuk 1? In this episode Matthew Delaney (MA Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) shares a variety of insights from this chapter of the Hebrew Bible. Everything is shared in such a way that people with no knowledge of Hebrew will be able to benefit from this. Those who want a visual of the Hebrew as it is being taught mig...

Why does Jacob the Patriarch show up in Hosea 12? Hosea makes a number of comparisons between Israel and Jacob the Patriarch in Genesis. On the surface, some of these moments in the rhetoric are confusing. Our podcast guest, Jonathan Finley, wrote his Masters Thesis on this topic. Jonathan shares a number of insightful thoughts on the flow of the rhetoric in Hosea while also pointing out fascinati...

Isaiah 7-8 are chapters that contain some of the most enduring and influential words of prophecy of the Hebrew Bible. What insights can be gained by reading these chapters in Hebrew? In this episode, Matthew (M.A. Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) shares a variety of interesting and meaningful ideas from reading this section of Isaiah in Hebrew. All of the content is shared in such a way...

One of the most popular verses about "vision" that is used in teaching about personal and group vision statements is Habakkuk 2:2, but what is the original context of this verse? Understanding what is meant by "vision" both generally and specifically in the book of Habakkuk is essential to not taking this verse out of context. Unfortunately, Habakkuk 2 also causes confusion due...

What is the context for the famous verse "Where there is no vision, the people perish"? Is this Biblical support for company and personal vision and mission statements? Or is something else going on here? We dive into the context of this verse within the book of Proverbs, analyze the Hebrew language of the text, and talk about the dynamic of the function of the surprising "Sage-Prop...

Samuel has a surprising connection to Christmas. Church lectionaries during Advent are filled with prophets like Isaiah, yet 2 Samuel 7 makes its way into the lineup. Why? Whether or not you are interested in this chapter’s connections to Christmas, 2 Samuel 7 is a pivotal passage for the plot of the Hebrew Bible. Themes of dynasty, presence, servant leadership, and more are on full display in thi...

What is the actual context behind the famous verse about the virgin giving birth to a son named “Emanuel”? This line comes from Isaiah, and the context opens up deeper layers of meaning. In this episode Matthew (M.A. Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) shares the story of Isaiah 7-8 and teaches the difference between “prediction fulfillment” and “typological fulfillment.” This topic has wid...

Micah 3 contains a passage that challenges hypocritical prophets. The Hebrew language of this chapter is biting and intense. What follows this section of judgment is an unexpected message hope. Micah 3-4 is a great section of the prophets that illustrates two important themes of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Matthew (M.A. Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) breaks down these chapters an...

How do we make sense of the Hebrew Prophets? The Latter Prophets of Isaiah-Malachi are some of the most enduring books of the Hebrew Bible. While this literature is full of meaning, these books can be some of the most difficult to understand. We interviewed a scholar on the prophets to learn more about how to approach this part of Scripture.  Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer is Professor of Old Testament Exege...

How do we do responsible and holistic exegesis of the Hebrew Bible? What are principles and methods that we can apply reasonably and consistently? In this unique interview, Dr. Matthieu Richelle wrote responses to questions that we sent him about his book on the subject. In this episode we share our correspondence with him and also share our own thoughts. Dr. Matthieu Richelle is Professor of Old...

Making sense of narrative books of the Hebrew Bible. We interview Dr. Gary Schnittjer about his latest book and questions related to narrative books of the Hebrew Bible. See below for episode timestamps and information for the giveaway. Old Testament Narrative Books: the Israel Story: https://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Narrative-Books-Connections/dp/108774752X/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2URGDYR3D8NVQ&k...

Who are the Nephilim in Genesis 6? The answer to this question plays a key role for the plot of the Hebrew Bible. This rabbit  hole is deep and fascinating. Our journey takes us to comparing ancient manuscripts, analyzing Hebrew text, and exploring the Mesopotamian tradition of divine beings and a flood. The conversation finishes with how this topic is related to the important theme of divine sons...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Iosif Zhakevich about his new commentary on the book of Zechariah. See more about Iosif below. Link to Iosif’s book: https://www.gracebooks.com/zechariah-motc.html We talk about a number of topics Nathan and Iosif share memories studying at Hebrew University of Jerusalem together Iosif Zhakevich’s commentary on Zechariah  What does it mean when God “remembers”? Wh...

What did the life of women actually look like during the time of the Hebrew Bible both in Israel and in the surrounding ancient Near East? Dr. Hélène Dallaire gives us a taste of her newest course that she teaches at Denver Seminary. Dr. Dallaire brings the world of the Hebrew Bible to life by giving vivid pictures of both the general life of women as well as specific women. She talks about the wo...

Deuteronomy has one of the most famous lines in all of Scripture that Jesus quotes as part of an answer to the question: "What is the greatest commandment?" The Shema is the core of a Jewish prayer that is one the of the oldest prayers in the world. Deuteronomy 6:4 and following are famous for good reason...but what is the entire book of Deuteronomy about? What was supposed to be a Bible...

Introductions matter. They give purpose for the book, orient readers to the trajectory of the work, and show important themes. Unfortunately, many do not realize that Psalm 1 AND 2 together form the introduction to Psalms. This has major implications for how we approach this book. JC from Bite Size Seminry joins Matthew in a Bible Study on Psalm 1-2, the introduction to the book of Psalms. They co...

We interviewed Gary Schnittjer about his new book about the Torah “Torah story, Second Edition: An apprenticeship on the Pentateuch” We talk about a number of topics related to the Torah How the Torah is the foundation of the Bible and the foundation of the Gospel Misconceptions about the Torah Understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word for Torah Does the New Testament have more commands than th...

What is the voice of God and how does this impact the revelation of God? The Hebrew word קול can mean sound, voice, and even thunder. We trace this word through important stories in the Hebrew Bible to see what we can learn about God from this. What does קול mean in Genesis? What sound of God did Adam and Eve hear in the Garden of Eden? What does it mean that God walked in the “cool of the day”? W...

Our latest podcast guest is experienced in both academic teaching and practical ministry. JC Schroeder is a clear and peaceful communicator who has a gift for getting to the heart of the matter to touch the heart of people. He is an Instructor at The Ezekiel Project School of Evangelism, a discipleship and ministry training ministry in the metro Detroit, MI area. JC is also an adjunct professor at...

Dr. Nathan French shares insights from his experience getting a PhD in Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East back in 2018. Nathan talks about how he felt called by God to pursue deep academic study. This leads us into a discussion about valuing the callings of others even if they are different from ours. Have you ever wanted to know what this journey is like? Perhaps you are thinking about gettin...