Hebrew Bible Insights

In this episode, Matthew Delaney shares insights about the book of Joel. One of the most famous passages of the entire Hebrew Bible about God pouring out His spirit on all flesh is found in this book...but what is the context of this famous line? Matthew gives a brief overview of the book and its message before sharing a number of Hebrew language insights in the text. The episode concludes by disc...

We had a conversation with Hebrew Linguist Dr. Kevin Grasso. We discussed a variety of topics His choice to specialize in linguistics to be a better Bible scholar His favorite areas of linguistics  The role of comparative semitics for linguistics  The word order debate in Biblical Hebrew How we know what Biblical words mean Discourse analysis in Biblical Hebrew Biblingo: the biblical language lear...

Dr. Nathan French had the amazing opportunity to get a Masters degree at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel from 2009-2011. He shares a number of highlights from his experience. His unique degree program Stories of what it was like walking in the Holy Land while studying Scripture Some of his favorite classes that he took including everything from Akkadian to Archaeology The tripartite educa...

Dr. Edward Cook is Ordinary Professor of Semitic Languages at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. His newest book is Biblical Aramaic and Related Dialects An Introduction (2022). (Link below)Aramaic was the lingua franca of the ancient Near East after Akkadian, and it is one of the original languages of Scripture. For biblical and historical reasons, Aramaic is a critical language. Edward...

After a decade of research, Jason Staples challenges the surface level assumptions of scholarship from decades ago that is pervasive to this day about Israelite identity in Second Temple Judaism. The implications of the results of his work are vast. Most notably this groundbreaking research adds great depth to the great commission of Jesus. Jason presents a new paradigm for how the words Hebrew, I...

In this episode, I give some big picture thoughts on what makes Genesis such a great book along with some tips for reading. Genesis is the ultimate origin story. Every major group of the Bible is mentioned in the book. How is Genesis 1-11 and 12-50 connected? These feel like two very different types of stories. How are stories of a cosmic scale connected to quaint family dramas? What makes Genesis...

Do you have goals of getting more out of your Bible reading plan for 2023? Here are some tips for engaging with the Hebrew Bible this year. Best translations  How much to read What order to read in What to do when it gets boring Tips for reading Law, Prophets, and Wisdom and more! WHERE TO FIND USPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsightsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLRSNQ7x...

The New Testament directly quotes Isaiah 7 as a powerful prophecy that is fulfilled in Jesus. Isaiah 9 also contains a beautiful passage about the Messiah. In this episode, we explore the context of these famous verses and 9 contain verses that are referenced. Do these Christmas verses mean anything to their original, immediate audience? Does this give any insight into how they point to Jesus? Lit...

Ben Sira (also known as Sirach or Ecclesiasticus) is one of our most important sources of ancient Hebrew literature. It is also one of 7 books that belong to the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books of the Bible. This great source from second temple Judaism has played an important role to the Christianity since the early church. Our guest, Peter Beckman, is completing his PhD at Saint Paul University...

Genesis 1 has inspired deep study of Scripture and sparked intense debates amongst people of faith. Here are some thoughts from the Hebrew language and the ancient Near East Context to contribute to this age long discussion.  We address a number of topics Gap Theory How do we translate Genesis 1:1-2? What is the Hebrew behind “formless and void” (תהו ובהו)? What is this referring to? We look at wh...

I share the first mind-blowing Hebrew language insight that I ever learned. This episode is about two big questions. What is worship? What is work? What if I told you that Hebrew has a word that means BOTH?This Hebrew word launches us into a foundational conversation about core components of life. Our journey takes us to Exodus where this word is the golden thread throughout the entire book…but yo...

We have some fun with a holiday themed episode! We look at some scary and spooky stories in the Hebrew Bible and have some surprisingly deep moments in our conversation. Also, don't worry. We bring it all back to the Fear of the LORD at the end.  We discuss a number of topics Who are the Nephilim and the Sons of God in Genesis 6? A witch story in the Book of Samuel A harrowing prophecy by a n...

Dr. Michelle Knight is a professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She is passionate about reading the biblical text closely, understanding its world, and seeing what it is doing on a literary level. Her expertise and infectious energy inspire students to engage with the Biblical text. TEDS Mdiv: https://www.tiu.edu/divinity/programs/master-divinity/ ...

Yitzhaq Feder is a Lecturer in Hebrew Bible at the University of Haifa. He received his PhD from the University of Bar-Ilan University and has been teaching and researching since 2008. He won the 2012 David Noel Freedman Award for Excellence and Creativity in Hebrew Bible Scholarship. Feder’s Book “Purity and Pollution in the Hebrew Bible: From Embodied Experience to Moral Metaphor" Link to h...

How do the Hebrew authors portray that way that God gets involved in the lives of individuals and communities? How does this look in the New Testament, and how can we grapple with this question today? The hermeneutical principle of retribution is one of the most important worldview concepts of Israel and its neighbors. Reward and punishment (blessing and cursing) based on merit is one of the found...

Corina Cater is the host of the God-besotted podcast, a devotional podcast that focuses on digging into God’s Word to delight in Him more. Holding a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Belhaven University and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary, Corina’s passion is expositing the Word of God for the people of God through writing and teaching. Corina is a...

Dr. Joanna Kline is a professor at Gordon College where she teaches Old Testament. She specializes in literary approaches to the Bible and early interpretation of Scripture. If you enjoy seeing connections between different biblical stories, you will love today’s episode. Joanna talks about narrative analogy: when Biblical stories are written in such a way to make comparisons to other stories that...

We start our Bible study in Psalm 113 and use it as a launching pad to other conversations! Ancient Near East Cosmology.  What does the name of the LORD mean?  How does modern science impact our interpretation of Scripture?  The Hebrew of Psalm 113.  The strong connection between Psalm 113 and the Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2  How caring for the poor is important to God. WHERE TO FIND US Patreon:...

Keith Pinckney is the podcast host of the Windows and Mirrors bible podcast and is a PhD student at the University of St. Andrews. Keith is an engaging communicator and a relentless researcher with a drive to reach others. He is passionate about biblical research and teaching that impacts real communities. Keith is particularly interested in inner-biblical exegesis.  We talk about a number of topi...

Chad Bird shares devotional insights from deep research of the life of Jacob in his latest book “Limping with God: Jacob and the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship.” Chad shows how Jacob and his family are highly relatable, and uses them as a launching pad into discussions about discipleship. Chad’s engagement with the text, his spiritual reflection, and writing ability makes the story of J...

How significant is the Year of Jubilee within its ancient Near East Context? The ideas of justice and social justice are critical now and in the Hebrew Bible. What do these ideas look like for the authors of the HB and their neighbors? We discuss this topic with Noah Green, one of Nathan French's students, who wrote his senior paper on this topic. We talk about1. Incorporating ANE into Hebrew...

We discuss one of the monumental scenes in the story of 1 and 2 Kings. We talk about a number of topics such as the big picture story of Kings, politics in the ancient Near East, why Cain killed Abel, and the characters of Rehoboam and Jeroboam. WHERE TO FIND US Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLRSNQ7xVw7PjQ5FnqYmSDA Instagram: https:/...

We answer a listener question who wanted to hear about Samson in a deeper than the typical retellings of Samson's life. We talk about the context of Samson within the book of Judges as a whole and then we discuss some of the fascinating parts of his life that we don't hear about as often such as his amazing birth narrative, the meaning of his name, how a lion attack is a microcosm of his...

David shares his story about how he, an Orthodox Jew, got into Jewish Christian Relations. He has spent over two decades in this field doing everything from teaching to humanitarian work. We discuss why there has been a historical rift between Jews and Christians. David gives his take on how he views the Holy Spirit. Lastly, David shares his most recent project with us: Your Sabbath Invitation. Yo...

What does the Hebrew of the Psalms teach us about how to approach the Psalms? Dr. Jonathan Kline speaks with wisdom about not just the Psalms but also on learning, teaching, and life. Jonathan is not just a great scholar is but an excellent editor. Jonathan is a true professional in the field and handles conversations with wisdom and kindness that makes him easy to listen to and fascinating to lea...