Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: touch, feel, sense of touch, tactile sense, tactility, contact, using one's hands, sensation, sense, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, fancy, apprehension, presentiment, premonition, foreboding, love, care, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment, emotional state, compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, understanding, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tender-heartedness, brotherly love, sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, ego, pride, opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, estimation, guess, theory, hypothesis, thought, way of thinking, point of view, atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, mood, climate, character, overtone, undertone, tenor, spirit, quality, flavour, colour, aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, skill, art, trick, faculty, ability, propensity, inclination, sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, soft-hearted, sympathetic, compassionate, empathetic, responsive, receptive, intuitive, thoughtful

Antonyms: bad feeling, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, detestation, disgust, dislike, disrelish, enmity, friction, grievances, grudges, hatred, hostility, loathing, malevolence, malice

Showing 3676 to 3700 of 4770 results

3676. Nehemiah’s Prayer

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... Amos 2:10). The bond forged between God and Israel by the exodus covered not only the first generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt, but every generation in turn down to the present. Similarly, but with human commitment rather than divine commitment in view, the Mishnah declared that at the Passover festival “in every generation a man must so regard himself as if he came forth himself out of Egypt” (Pesah. 10.4). 1:11 Nehemiah turned to a smaller but crucial request that he was making, evidently ...

3677. Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... role of the opposition notices as a conclusion to each stage. Throntveit, Ezra-Nehemiah, p. 10, has a useful list of the seven notices. For Sanballat and Tobiah, see Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah, pp. 182–84. The latter had Ammonite ancestry, ch. 13 implies, but in view of his Yahwistic name (and his son’s, 6:18) was half Judean. We do not know whether he was the ancestor of the prominent Tobiad family in the Transjordan in the third and second centuries. Sanballat was also a Yahwist, according to the ...

3678. Opposition to the Rebuilding

Nehemiah 4:1-23

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... . 4:22–23 One by one, Nehemiah covered all the issues raised in verses 10–12. Finally, he dealt with the temptation to desert—to slip off home after a day’s work—in response to the insidious, if well meaning, appeal of verse 12. In view of the emergency, he ordered that from now on nobody was to leave Jerusalem for the night and that the workers were to do sentry duty overnight, presumably by shifts. He himself, along with his family and retinue, tried to be good role models of constant alertness ...

3679. The List of the Exiles Who Returned

Nehemiah 7:4-73a

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... three mentioned in vv. 43–45. If the gatekeepers were actually temple officers temporarily drafted to secular duties, assistance from other temple staff is feasible. 7:2 The rendering along with, rather than “that is” in the mg., is doubtless correct in view of “them” in v. 3, which seems to indicate that two individuals are mentioned here. It is less likely that the new gatekeepers were addressed, or a combination of them and Hanani, since they are mentioned in the third person. Hanani apparently ...

3680. The Agreement of the People

Neh 9:38–10:39

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... God’s commands. The divine condition for a return to Jerusalem, “if you return to me and obey my commands” (1:9) is here met in principle. Chapter 10 contains a pledge of obedience to God’s will as revealed in the Torah. The editorial introduction In view of all this marks a transition from returning to God, in chapter 9, to obeying God’s commands by turning from their evil ways (9:35) to follow the Torah (10:29). The pledge corresponds to Israel’s “we will” at Mount Sinai, agreeing to the ...

3681. The New Residents of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 11:1-36

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... was an appreciative, prayerful wish that God would bless them for their sacrificial move and help them settle down. Somewhat strangely, they are called volunteers. Unless this is a euphemism referring to an after-the-fact acceptance or a separate group is in view, it means that there was some leeway—perhaps families could decide which members of an extended family chosen by lot actually went. 11:3–9 The heading of the list refers to the heads of families in the province who moved with their families ...

3682. Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 12:27-47

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... especially on cymbals (Clines, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, p. 233). The Heb. noun may refer to singers or musicians according to the context. The Heb. verb is used as in 1 Chr. 15:19 (NIV “sound”). Here the second processional group of musicians is in view, parallel with the first group in vv. 35b–36a. 12:44 The vocabulary is close enough to that of 10:37–39 to establish that these verses are echoing that particular stipulation. 12:45 The service of purification presumably involved the rites carried out ...

3683. Esther Made Queen

Esther 2:1-18

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... ’s ethnic identity. The rabbis related Esther’s name to the hiddenness of God in Deut. 31:18: “And I will certainly hide (?astir) my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.” The exile was typically viewed as a time of God’s punitive absence. In Esther, however, exilic life is presented in a more positive way (see “The Story of Esther and Its Message” in the introduction). 2:12 Twelve months of beauty treatments: Archaeologists have found incense burners like ...

3684. Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

Esther 2:19-23

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... relayed the information to the king, giving credit to Mordecai (literally, “in his name,” v. 22). The case was investigated and the conspirators were executed. The reference to naming Mordecai is important from both a historical and a literary point of view. Herodotus remarks that the Persian rulers were well-known for rewarding benefactors (Hist. 3.139–141, 153; 5.11; 9.107). For such an act of bravery and loyalty, one could expect any number of benefits—including a significant promotion and tax ...

3685. Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

Esther 4:1-17

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... to consider her providential placement to perform acts of loyalty and courage she could hardly imagine. With some coaxing on his part, the scene ends with Esther joining the rest of the Jewish community in their fast. With the risk of death in full view, she will take up their cause in the inner circle of power to which she alone has access. The series of conversations in this chapter, though brief, trace a significant development in Esther’s character. We know that Mordecai is a strong, principled person ...

3686. Haman Hanged

Esther 7:1-10

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... protocol dictated that no man (non-eunuch male) be alone with one of the king’s wives or within seven paces (Yamauchi, Persia, p. 262). If the king had been perplexed over what to do with Haman while in the garden, he has no doubt once he views Haman with Esther. How ironic, and just, that Haman will suffer the consequences of a false accusation! As soon as the king makes his allegation, they (the attendants) covered Haman’s face. Although we cannot be sure of the actual procedure, this appears to be an ...

3687. The King's Edict in Behalf of the Jews

Esther 8:1-17

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... is made relevant to Diaspora realities in Esther. The translation “some became Jews,” is a legitimate rendering of a denominative verb form (mityahadim from yehudim [Jews]; see also Jdt. 14:10), although full conversion to Judaism is not necessarily in view. This is more likely a reference to joining ranks, to identifying themselves with (or as) the Jews. (Perhaps this balances the choice Esther once made to identify herself with the Persians.) There is growing evidence that the Jews were destined to ...

3688. Further Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 3:1-35

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... in chiasm. In verse 12b, the NIV translates the Hebrew but notes the LXX (which is preferable; see Additional Notes) in the margin. These verses are unusual in that Proverbs never explicitly discusses the problem of adversity, but simply reflects the typical biblical view that suffering and sin go together. But here the paternal disciplining of a son is transferred to God and interpreted as a sign of love—a paradox. Commentators generally refer to 20.13 of Papyrus Insinger (AEL, vol. 3, pp. 184–217) as ...

3689. Warning Against Adultery

Proverbs 5:1-23

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

This chapter picks up the theme of sex and adultery (mentioned briefly in 2:16–19) and, except for the puzzling interruption in 6:1–19, this topic continues into chapter 7. Such emphasis is striking in view of the fact that there are only very few sayings concerning this subject in chapters 10–31. Is there another level of meaning indicated here? Is the “strange woman” also a symbol? 5:1–6 The teacher addresses a reassuring appeal to my son (vv. 1–2), which is suddenly ...

3690. Invitation of Wisdom and of Folly

Proverbs 9:1-18

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... How appropriate to close on the note of Sheol! Excursus: Role and Significance It will repay the reader to look back at chapters 1–9 and try to assess their role and also their intrinsic significance. We have already pointed to the widely accepted view that the purpose of these chapters structurally is to serve as an introduction to the collections of individual sayings that follow. Moreover, the role played by Woman Wisdom (already in ch. 1) seems to be matched by the description of the industrious woman ...

3691. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 15:1-33

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... (lit. “abomination”) serves as a catchword with verse 9. The evaluation of the cult (sacrifice) is in line with prophetic teaching. For other mentions of cult, see 21:3, 27. 15:9 Antithetic and chiasmic. In contrast to verse 8, a broader view than just cultic observance is offered here. Path (v. 10) and way associate verses 9–10. 15:10 Synonymous parallelism. This is a warning. Here discipline is equivalent to death (v. 10b), but normally it is considered positively as necessary for the conversion ...

3692. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 16:1-33

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... ; ANET, p. 429). Less likely is the interpretation that sees the reply as a gift of God because plans stand in need of divine help in order that a reply be made. Others regard the lines as continuous: both plans and reply are from the Lord. The differing views are due to a selective emphasis. See also Amenemope 19.16–17 (ANET, p. 423); Anchsheshonq 26.14 (AEL, vol. 3, p. 179). 16:2 Antithetic. Several sayings are similar: 3:7; 14:12; 21:2; see also Jer. 17:10. Human and divine judgment are contrasted. All ...

3693. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 17:1-28

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... ; see chapter 27 and also Sirach 6:5–17 and passim. 17:18 Synonymous? Juxtapositional. The action of 18a is specified in 18b. Going pledge for another is severely indicted by the sages; see 6:1–5 and the comment on 11:15. It is viewed differently in Sirach 8:12–13 and 27:1–20. 17:19 Synonymous and juxtapositional (four participles). For further analysis, see McCreesh, Sound, pp. 103–4. The meaning is uncertain, because of verse 19b. There is no need to emend verse 19a (as Toy, Proverbs; Oesterley ...

3694. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 21:1-31

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... who squander possessions. Choice food and oil of the NIV overloads verse 20a, but there is no convincing emendation. All he has of the NIV translates “it,” meaning the possession of the foolish not of the wise. 21:21 Synthetic. This proverb reflects the normal view about the rewards of the righteous (cf. 3:2, 16). Many modern versions eliminate prosperity (see also the marginal note in the NIV) as redundant. It is also lacking in the Greek. 21:22 Synthetic. See also 20:18; Eccl. 9:14–15. The saying ...

3695. Sayings of the Wise

Proverbs 22:17--24:22

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... sound (coming from the heart!). This initial admonition is followed by couplets of sayings in verses 3–9. 24:3–4 Probably house is not to be identified too strictly. It can refer to the physical building and also to the qualities necessary for an ideal home. In view of the references to wisdom and her house in 8:1 and to the qualities (wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in that order in 3:19 and 23:3) with which God created the world (3:19), the saying can have a wider application, such as to the ...

3696. Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

Proverbs 31:10-31

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... of sayings and it adds to the intriguing nature of this work. The Hebrew phrase, ʾēšetḥayil (cf. Ruth 3:11), “wife of noble character,” has been rendered in many ways: mulier fortis (Vulgate), etc. Her qualities are described from a male point of view. But the description of the woman is such that no human being could possibly possess all these qualities. Hence many look to another level of meaning in the poem; cf. T. P. McCreesh, “Wisdom as Wife: Proverbs 31:10–31,” RB 92 (1985), pp ...

3697. The Conclusion of the Matter

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... of a saying that values the words of the wise (12:11) with one that reminds the reader that there is no end to book-making (12:12) creates a tension which makes a fine tribute to Qohelet. The epilogue gives some insight into the epilogist’s view of both Qohelet and the book. Qohelet had a reputation both as a sage and as a teacher (12:9). The combination of finding and ordering proverbs (12:9) with meticulous writing (12:10) suggests that the book does indeed incorporate existing proverbs into Qohelet’s ...

3698. Let Him Kiss Me

Song of Songs 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... , aptly express the riotous flow of emotions in the young lovers. Something new, powerful, and disconcerting is happening to the characters in the Song. We will understand them a bit better if we too feel the interpretive ground shifting beneath us. In view of these points of ambiguity, it is not surprising that interpreters do not all agree about who is speaking and who is present in these verses. The understanding expressed by the NIV assignment of speakers makes good sense. The central woman is speaking ...

3699. The Call of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... first to bloom in the spring, and, according to Thompson (The Book of Jeremiah, p. 153), the city of Anathoth is known for its almond trees. K. van der Toorn (“Did Jeremiah See Aaron’s Staff,” JSOT 43 [1989], pp. 83–94) has argued in favor of the view that Jeremiah was not having a vision of the branch of an almond tree, but rather was looking at a cultic object which represented Aaron’s blossoming rod (Num. 17). He does not believe this rod was actually Aaron’s. Indeed, he suggests that it was ...

3700. Disaster from the North

Jeremiah 4:5-31

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... (Thompson, The Book of Jeremiah, p. 232). Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas (IVPBBCOT, p. 646) dispute this, suggesting that the items of female adornment described in the passage were “not specifically associated with prostitutes but were simply used when a woman wished to be her most attractive.” I believe the latter view fails to read the passage in context. She has lovers and already implied in Jeremiah is the idea that God is her husband. If she is not a whore, she is certainly an adulteress.

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