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Showing 4926 to 4950 of 4958 results

4926. Sayings of the Wise: Admonitions for Societal Relationships

Proverbs 22:17--24:22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope in the 1920s, scholars have noted its striking parallels with this section of Proverbs and debated the nature of that relationship. In a 1996 essay, Paul Overland lists seventeen verbal or thematic parallels between the texts, claiming that the author of Proverbs 22–24 excerpted and summarized the Instruction of Amenemope. Most Old Testament scholars are so convinced of this alleged literary dependence that they emend the Hebrew text in at least five places to conform to ...

4927. More Sayings of the Wise: The Necessity of Honesty and Diligence

Proverbs 24:23-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (24:23–34) is introduced in verse 23a simply as “also of the wise,” the word “sayings” being added by the translator. It addresses two familiar themes: honesty, especially in legal settings, and diligence in one’s work. The basic claim is stated in verse 23b: judicial partiality is not good. Acquitting the guilty rightfully provokes widespread, even national, outrage and condemnation, as the people call on God to curse those who pervert justice but to bless richly those who legally correct ...

4928. Human Achievements and Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to assess wisdom’s worth (1:16). Interpreters have taken the phrase “more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me” (cf. 2:9) as pointing to a later Davidic king as speaker, since Solomon would not make such a claim with David as his only predecessor. This conclusion is unwarranted, since even the postexilic author of 1 Chronicles 29:25 makes a strikingly similar assertion regarding Solomon. Although Qoheleth seeks to understand wisdom better by studying its opposites, “madness and folly ...

4929. Toil

Ecclesiastes 2:17-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

This leads to Qoheleth’s concluding evaluation of this area of investigation. On the negative side (2:17–23), he claims to have hated life. All work, especially his own life’s work, was “grievous” or burdensome to him (cf. Eccles. 1:13b), a futile pursuit of lasting gain (2:17–18a). His strong emotions here appear to contradict his previous assessment of the delight he derived from his labor (2: ...

4930. Social Relationships: Oppression, Toil, Friendliness

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of exact repetition in 4:1 is emphatic and a favored stylistic technique of the author (cf. 3:16). This observation is followed in verses 2–3 by one of the most negative-sounding (i.e., unbiblical, though see Job 3:1–26; Jer. 20:14–18) claims in the book—that the dead are better off than the living and those never born better off still! This statement is qualified, however, by a surprising reason: they have not “seen the evil that is done under the sun.” Although the Hebrew verb for “see” in ...

4931. Warnings against Wrong Attitudes Toward God and Government

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and 19, referring to provincial commanders in the time of Elijah. The wording of verse 9 is even more ambiguous. The fact that it begins with the key Hebrew word yitron (“profit”) suggests that it is making a positive rather than a negative assertion. Literally, it claims: “But a profit of a land in all is this: a king served by a field (or: a king for a tilled field).” The latter option fits better with the book’s overall treatment of the theme (esp. in chap. 8). Despite potential abuses of power ...

4932. Recognize that Bad Days Can Bring about Good

Ecclesiastes 7:1--8:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... council, as will be illustrated more fully in 9:13–18. 7:20–24 · The following verses continue to develop the theme by conceding that no one is completely righteous (7:20–22) or wise (7:23–24). Accordingly, how righteous does one have to be before claiming to be treated unjustly by God? There is no one who never sins (7:20), especially in speech (7:21–22). A similar acknowledgment is made in Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:46 // 2 Chronicles 6:36 and in Proverbs 20:9. “Cursing” here (Hebrew ...

4933. Recognize that, in the Light of Death, One Must Redeem the Time

Ecclesiastes 9:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... one simply joins the dead (9:3). But where there is life, there is hope, whether you are a wretch (i.e., dog) or a royal (i.e., lion). The NIV’s “is among” and alternative “be chosen” reflect two ancient variant readings. The author’s claim elsewhere that death is preferable to life (cf. Eccles. 4:2; 6:3) must be tempered in light of his comments here and in the following verses, though the exact content of this “hope” (or “confidence,” as in 2 Kings 18:19) is unspecified. Verses 5 ...

4934. Where has Your Lover Gone

Song of Songs 6:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... repetition of their plea emphasizes their urgency and the seriousness of the situation (the maiden’s departure from the harem?). The verse implies that the maiden has been or intends to go somewhere away from the palace confines. Presumably the shepherd has arrived to claim the maiden as his own, or she has refused to participate in the harem dance (at the wedding feast—perhaps her own?). Whatever the reason, it is the maiden’s continued refusal of the king that finally induces him to release her from ...

4935. How Beautiful Your Feet

Song of Songs 7:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 8:4 Review · The Shulammite Maiden Rejects the King: The maiden, for the final time, affirms her love for another, the shepherd lover out in the countryside. It is this concluding assertion of loyalty and faithfulness that gains the maiden’s release from the claims of the king and the confines of the royal harem. Perhaps in recognition of her great virtue and unswerving loyalty, the king permits the maiden to return to her northern village. Her persistent rejection of the king’s wooing and her unfading ...

4936. God's Judgement on Assyria

Isaiah 10:5-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Lord’s response to Assyria’s taunt. He will punish Assyria. Assyria is nothing more than God’s instrument. The nature of the judgment is then given in poetic form (10:13–19) and is likened to a fire and a wasting disease. Assyria claimed that her wealth and strength came by clever strategy and irresistible power. Nations were despoiled, being impotent to resist the might of Assyria, but the God of Israel was witness and will judge Assyria. When he is through with Assyria, her power will be at ...

4937. Challenge and Deliverance

Isaiah 36:1-22, Isaiah 37:1-13, Isaiah 37:14-20, Isaiah 37:21-38

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... rebelling by forming an alliance with Egypt (36:1–22). He attempts to undermine confidence in the Lord by playing down Hezekiah’s reforms, threatening the people with intimidation, falsely arguing that the Lord is not able to deliver them, and claiming that the Lord is on his side. Hezekiah’s officers report the threats to Hezekiah with their clothes torn as a token of mourning. They themselves have not answered the challenges in accordance with the royal command. The historical reconstruction of ...

4938. God's Mercy and Israel's Unfaithfulness

Isaiah 42:18-25, Isaiah 43:1-13, Isaiah 43:14-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :3, 11–14). Because of God’s unchanging love, the prophet calls on the people to turn from their state of sin and return to Yahweh. From its beginnings, Israel has been a nation of sinners. Kings, priests, and false prophets rebelled against the Lord. Israel can in no way claim innocence in a case against God. Therefore, Israel has been destroyed and disgraced. God is vindicated in his judgment.

4939. Yahweh’s Sovereignty

Isaiah 44:24--45:25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . The power of Yahweh in creation, renewal, and redemption stands in stark contrast to the impotence of the practitioners of magic and divination. Yahweh overturns the signs of the diviners and negates the wisdom of the sages. In spite of all the Babylonian claims to wisdom and magical powers, he will raise up a foreign king, Cyrus the Persian, to initiate a new stage in the history of redemption. The postexilic era of reconstruction is a resumption of his redemptive activities, which will culminate in the ...

4940. Examining Public Worship

Jeremiah 7:1-29, Jeremiah 7:30--8:3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... A theology once valid had become stale, even false. Jeremiah points to violations of the Ten Commandments (7:9; Exod. 20:1–17). It is incongruous that people who steal and go after Baal, this Canaanite nature deity of weather and fertility, should claim immunity on the basis of the temple. Brashly these worshipers contend that standing in the temple, performing their worship, gives them the freedom to break the law. The temple, like a charm, has become a shelter for evildoers. Theirs is (eternal) security ...

4941. God and Idols

Jeremiah 10:1-16, Jeremiah 10:17-22, Jeremiah 10:23-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... The blistering tirade against idols (10:1–16) is directed against “Israel,” which as an umbrella term includes both Israel and Judah. Here Judah is particularly in view. Judah is warned about the astral deities commonly worshiped in Babylon. Some scholars claim an exilic setting for the poem and many deny its unity and that Jeremiah wrote it. The contrast between homemade idols and the living God has seldom been better drawn. With cutting sarcasm, the Lord describes the process of shaping, stabilizing ...

4942. Jeremiah's Complaint

Jeremiah 12:1-4, Jeremiah 12:5-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (12:1–4). Jeremiah uses court language and asks for justice, or right dealing. “Righteous” is a term of relationship describing integrity and uprightness. On what grounds can God prosper evil persons? It is an old question. The wicked discount God by claiming that God will not have final jurisdiction over them. The prophet protests his innocence, a feature of other laments. Moral corruption has ecological effects, death among them (12:4; Hos. 4:1–3). Jeremiah 12:5–17 is a reply to the questions ...

4943. Dealing with Drought

Jeremiah 14:1--15:21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... confused, possibly demented state. The covenant promising many descendants has been reversed. Two laments from the prophet follow (15:10–21). Both are in response to the droughts and, more particularly, Jeremiah’s devastating announcement that God will destroy his people. Jeremiah claims he is not to be faulted for the nagging and the widespread antagonism against him. He would rather not have been born (15:10). God’s assurance is for his safety. Verse 12 is a reference to the strong northern killer ...

4944. Lost and Saved

Ezekiel 11:1-15, Ezekiel 11:16-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... misleading counsel the group is giving is that the ones who remained in Jerusalem after the deportation of 598/7 BC are the favored ones. Jerusalem is the cooking pot and they are the choice morsels. In verse 15 these people make a similarly false claim: “This land was given to us as our possession.” Both of these sentiments (11:3, 15) are the diametric opposite of the truth. What they think is permanent is in fact transitory. Those who are not exiled are chaff. The exiled are redeemable. God directly ...

4945. False Prophets

Ezekiel 13:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... feast on leftovers. Further, the false prophets shrink from the responsibility of being repairmen (13:5). By their philosophy nothing is seriously wrong; so why is there any need for one to “stand in the breach”? Compounding their guilt is their (false) claim that they are speaking the word of the Lord (13:6–7). Theirs is a false hope: they expect their words to be fulfilled. The false prophets are absolutely sincere. Sincerity, however, is not synonymous with legitimacy. Their message is peace when ...

4946. Accepting Responsibility

Ezekiel 33:1-20, Ezekiel 33:21-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . The townspeople appointed a lookout to take care of their own interests. God, on the other hand, has sent a prophet to them not for his interests but in their interests. The people’s lament that they are wasting away (33:10) is countered by the claim that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (33:11). What he takes pleasure in is their turning (33:11). Among the prophets, “turn” is a key word for repentance, especially for Jeremiah, who uses it twenty-seven times, and Ezekiel, who uses ...

4947. Restoration and Regeneration

Ezekiel 36:1-38

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... It is not primarily the people’s behavior, good or bad, that determines God’s action, be it in judgment or in compassion. The point Ezekiel is making here is that whatever future Israel has comes from God. Neither the people’s repentance nor their facile claims on God’s mercy can regain the land. God’s own character and sovereign purposes will be the determining factor. God must impress on his people that he is holy (36:23b) and that his name is holiness (36:23a). God has a more profound interest ...

4948. Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-39:29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be read as “Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshek, and Tubal.” It is this particular rendition that has given rise to the notion, popular in some evangelical circles, that Rosh represents Russia, Meshek represents Moscow, and Tubal represents Tobolsk. Thus, it is claimed, here is an explicit prophecy in Scripture of the now defunct Soviet Union and its belligerence against Israel. This can hardly be the case. Russia may indeed turn its hostilities on Israel, but not because Ezekiel prophesied it over two thousand ...

4949. Punishment for Israel

Hosea 9:1--10:15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a time to rejoice and praise God as they used to be (Deut. 16:14–15), the Israelite festivals reflect the influence of pagan festivals. The introduction of sacred prostitution into the festivals demonstrates that the people love Baal, the fertility god who they claim has brought fertility to their crops, more than they love Yahweh, the God of Israel. In order to demonstrate to the people that Baal does not bring prosperity, God will take away all fertility so that the nation will have poor harvests (9:2 ...

4950. God’s Judgment of His People

Amos 2:6-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... their normal rights as God-created human beings. Fifth, contrary to the stipulations in the law of Moses (Exod. 21:7–11; Lev. 18:8, 15; 19:20–22), a wealthy father and his son have had sexual relations with the same servant girl. God claims that all these ugly deeds “profane my holy name” (2:7); they pollute and desecrate his reputation, and they defile his moral standards. Because of these acts other people will not see God’s holiness reflected in his people. Sixth, wealthy people who have taken ...

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