Holy Scriptures

The imaginations and thoughts of the heart

2010-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

At the time, I was the high council speaker assigned to deliver a Sacrament talk to the singles branch in our California stake. The stake was an accurate reflection of the multi-cultural California population. As I was speaking, I noticed a young man sitting by an attractive Asian young woman, whispering something in her ear. I found this quite distracting. Being an educator by profession, I know the importance of only one person speaking at a time. When this happens to me in seminars or in the classroom, I simply stop talking until the guilty parties have done the same. So, true to form, I stopped talking. The young man also stopped conversing. It worked! But as soon as I resumed my talk, the young man once again leaned over to whisper pretty things in his friend’s ear. This pattern was repeated several times until I had completely lost all composure. I stopped in the middle of my talk and approached the Branch President and explained that I simply could not concentrate with the young couple flirting back there. The Branch President calmly explained that the young man was interpreting for a visitor from Japan.

I frequently used this embarrassing episode, slightly changed, to illustrate presentations at work on interpersonal communication skills. A decade later, I attended a seminar called Crucial Conversations (based on the book by the same title). In the seminar, I learned that we cannot experience a negative emotion without it being first preceded by a story or narrative we tell ourselves. Negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, pride, and envy, then, can only take place if preceded by the corresponding self talk. This workshop provided me with an “aha moment.”

My frustration during the Sacrament Meeting talk had grown as I told myself that these individuals were being rude, interrupting, and not paying attention while they flirted. Soon after this new discovery, I had the perfect opportunity to put to work my new found knowledge about the power of telling ourselves the right story.

One night I had a long layover from an international trip and I found the darkest and most quiet spot in the airport so I could sleep. I was very pleased with myself as I had discovered the perfect spot, and I proceeded to arrange everything for my well deserved sleep. But it was only a few moments later that a couple found the same spot, sat next to me, and began to chat.

I like to sleep in total darkness and in a silent place. I was quite stressed over this change in circumstances. How could I sleep now? How could these folks not notice I was trying to sleep? Why did they have to choose this part of the airport? And worse, why sit so close to me when the waiting room was quite large?

Gladly, I remembered my seminar and decided to tell myself a more productive story. Every family reunion has an uncle who manages to fall asleep despite the fact that everyone is laughing and talking. In our family, that “uncle” is me. So my new self talk went something along the lines of: “Pretend you were in a family reunion and everyone around you is gladly talking and you are so tired you are falling asleep. So, are you tired or are you not tired? If you are tired you will fall asleep; otherwise, you will not.” Well, I was exhausted and managed to quickly fall asleep.

I have been called to teach the family relations class in our Llanquihue, Chile Branch. I teach these classes as Sunday evening firesides. Along with each lesson, I like to introduce an interpersonal negotiation technique. At the previous fireside I had spoken about the stories we tell ourselves and had given class members the assignment of turning a negative story they had to confront during the week, into a more positive one.

My wife and I also had to carry out this assignment, and we pondered and exchanged a number of such stories from our past. On Sunday, my wife shared an event with the class that took place earlier in our marriage. At that time our four children were very young and very active and made a huge mess of the house. There was a sister in the ward that had been married about the same length of time but seemed to be the perfect housewife. Not only was her house in perfect condition, but she managed to keep herself trim, too. She had one child and my wife thought that she was being selfish, and had chosen to only have one child so that she would have time for the gym and to keep everything nice and tidy. My wife was called to be her visiting teacher, and on one visit this young sister broke out in tears because she was not able to have more children. My wife explained that she had permitted herself to become envious of this sister and had created the type of story that allowed for that.

I also had the opportunity to reflect on this subject in ways I had not done before. I came to the realization that self talk is behind both negative as well as positive attitudes, and furthermore, that all sin—both of omission and commission—requires that we tell ourselves a story. In the language of scripture, negative self talk is sometimes referred to with such words as the vain imaginations and thoughts of the heart. These, then, are all the excuses we allow ourselves for not doing that which is right. Or, for any sort of negative thinking. No wonder we read in Mosiah that we will be judged not only by our deeds and by our words, but also by our thoughts (Mosiah 4:30).

It is easy to think that our thoughts are somehow disassociated from our words and acts in some way. That perhaps our thoughts are not such a serious problem. That we can entertain impure or unkind feelings, and that this is somehow natural. It has now become clearer than ever to me that surely, “For as [man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). While we often excuse our unrighteous thoughts, we take these excuses even further when we give ourselves permission, through a story, to say something that is unkind rather than tame our tongue. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but....” Indeed, it is a good thing when we can tame our tongue and not excuse ourselves. But even more important, when we realize that Mosiah is right. Our thoughts, our words, and our deeds are inseparably connected.

It is a difficult challenge to rule our thoughts. We must master our thoughts if we wish to master our tongues and our deeds—if we wish to become more Christ like. It will require a truly pure heart to tell ourselves the type of story that is full of mercy and kindness—and is not judgmental—toward others. It will require a truly pure heart to refuse self justifying excuses.

Joseph of Egypt is such a good example. When the famine came, he was in a position of power over his brothers. Joseph could have entertained thoughts of revenge. He could have sent his brothers back empty handed or made sure they suffered retribution for the abuse he experienced at their hands. Instead, Joseph repeatedly consoled his brothers and suggested they forgive themselves, as he had already forgiven them: “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life… to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:5, 7). Joseph picked the best, most generous, of the possible stories he could have entertained.

Every day we make countless choices as to the stories we will contemplate. Sometimes destructive self doubt can creep into our minds. I often worried as to whether I would be valiant and endure until the end. Alma taught us that the true desires of our hearts would win out in the end. That in effect, we decide if we want to be happy, not just now, but in eternity. As I pondered Alma 41 anew, I was able to change my story, and realize that if I truly loved the Lord, all would be well. This brought a quiet reassurance to my heart. When doubt creeps in, I just ask myself if I really love the Lord. The imaginations and thoughts of our hearts, truly, if they are good, can bring us unbound joy. The right stories can also give us the strength to do what is right.

______

References

Billikopf, Gregorio. Party Directed Mediation: Helping Others Resolve Differences (2009).

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Elohim (אֱלֹהִים), Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) and Divine Investiture

2010-07-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

A careful reading of the Old Testament seems to indicate that the word Elohim is often used as an exalted title for deity as well as a noun meaning God or angels. It is at times also used to speak of pagan gods. Both titles, Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) and Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) have been applied to each God the Father and God the Son.

In the Old Testament, Elohim is most frequently associated with Jehovah or Yahweh (JHVH or YHWH). For instance, in the KJV, we frequently encounter the expression LORD God, which literally, in Hebrew, would be rendered Jehovah Elohim (יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים). Furthermore, we come across scriptures that say that the “LORD he is God,” (Deuteronomy 4:35), יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. Or rather, the more literal rendition is “Jehovah, He the God.” This last statement is given a double emphasis in 1 Kings 18:39:
יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים.

Once again, it becomes clear that when Elohim is used as an exalted title in the Jewish Holy Scriptures or Old Covenant, it almost always refers to Jehovah, Jeshua, or the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Or rather, “In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.” Analyzing the Hebrew for the expression ‘in the beginning’ (BERESHIT, בְּרֵאשִׁית), the Prophet Joseph Smith taught us that בְּרֵאשִׁית, based on the word ROSH (רֹאשׁ), head, originally was missing the BETH (ב) and meant “The Head One of the Gods.” This is interesting to me because—although I realize Brother Joseph was not speaking of Elohim here—the expression Elohim has been defined precisely as the head God in the Ugaritic tradition (TWOT). Most references to Elohim in the Old Testament, however, as we have said, refer to Jehovah or Christ, rather than to God the Father. This does not mean that God the Father is absent from the Old Covenant, as we shall see. In fact, he is intimately present.

The Savior makes it clear that none of His words are His own, but rather, He glorifies the Father: “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49). We also read: “Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me…” (John 17:7-8a).

The Sweetness of the Unity between the Godhead

The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings who are one in purpose. There is no envy between them. They are of one mind. This truth was powerfully revealed to me by the Holy Spirit on the way home from school, as a young boy of thirteen or so, years before I ever saw, heard of, or handled the Book of Mormon (or any literature published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

It is understandable that some—when taking the scriptures out of context—are confused upon reading John 14: “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake” (John 14:8-11).

As LDS we believe that the Savior of mankind was made in the similitude of the Father. So that a person who has seen the Son has also seen what the Father looks like. But the primary purpose of these verses are not to speak just of the physical similarity between the Father and the Son, but to make it clear and certain that the Father and the Son are one in purpose—despite being different individuals. The next verse makes this plain: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14). In other words, just as the Savior does the works of the Father, we can do the works of the Savior, which in turn are the works the Father would have us do.

This is essentially the same message of D&C 50:43, “And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.” And John 17:11b and 21-22 make this point even clearer, beyond any doubt, that the question is one of unity of purpose: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are,” and “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Well is it said that “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).

Divine Investiture

For many of these scriptures to truly make sense, we need to rely on modern-day Prophets. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe in the principle of Divine Investiture. Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ, who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. In all of the scriptures, where God is mentioned and where he has appeared, it was Jehovah who talked with Abraham, with Noah, Enoch, Moses and all the prophets. He is the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel; the one who led that nation out of Egyptian bondage, and who gave and fulfilled the Law of Moses. The Father has never dealt with man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the Son” (Doctrines of Salvation 1:27).

Except for times when the Father is introducing the Son, the words of the Father are pronounced and brought to us by the Son. The Son delights in giving all honor and credit to the Father even in these matters. For instance, in the Book of Mormon, when referring to words given by Jehovah to Malachi, the Savior reminds us that these words, the words spoken in the Old Covenant by the Holy Prophets, are truly the words of the Father--even if delivered by the Son: “And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them … Thus said the Father unto Malachi—Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant … ” (3 Nephi 24:1).

As Christians, we pray to the Father, in the name of the Son. We receive an answer, usually, through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost reveals the Father and the Son. The revelations received by Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants were given to the Prophet by the Savior (either directly, or again, through Divine Investiture through the Holy Ghost). Thus it is that in the Doctrine and Covenants we have Jesus Christ speaking: “listen to the words of Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Redeemer” (15:1b). Nephi, similarly, explains that the words he has spoken come from the Son: “if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ” (2 Ne. 33:10b). When we receive answers to our prayers, the Holy Ghost speaks to us through Divine Investiture, also. When we give a Priesthood blessing, the words we speak are gvien through Divine Investiture.

The Son, our Holy Redeemer, then, speaks for the Father. It is a power of attorney, so to speak. There are some very important scriptures in Isaiah where this happens, and we hear the Son speaking about His own mission as the mortal Messiah as if it was the Father who was speaking. Thus we have Jehovah speaking in Isaiah 53:6 and 53:10, “and the LORD (Jehovah, יהוָה) hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” and “Yet it pleased the LORD (Jehovah, יהוָה) to bruise him.” It is the Lord speaking, but He (Jehovah, Christ) is speaking for the Father in first person about Himself (Christ) and his future Messianic role.

So it is in Moses: “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all’ (Moses 1:6). Once again, it is the Son who speaks the words of the Father.

There are notable exceptions, of course, during those times where the Father is introducing or bearing witness of the Son. For instance, in the New Covenant, when Christ is upon the earth, we hear the Father glorifying the Son (e.g., Matthew 3:17, John 12:28). In Joseph Smith History-1:17b, Elohim the Eternal Father introduces the Son to the boy Prophet Joseph Smith: “When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

The Book of Revelation gives a perfect example of Divine Investiture. In this case, an angel speaks the words of Christ. John distinctly hears the words of the Savior from the angelic messenger who is clothed in great glory (see a similar event in the Ascension of Isaiah). We hear this personage speaking the words of Christ in the first person, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). John thought himself in the presence of our Redeemer. Scripture tells us that John fell to worship, but was prevented from doing so: “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God” (Revelation 22:9).

____

References

McConkie, Bruce. The Promised Messiah. Deseret Book Company, 1978.
Smith, Joseph Fielding. Doctrines of Salvation (3 volumes).
Talmage, James E. Jesus the Christ. (Including notes from The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve, set forth in 1916)

Response to comments below:

Thanks for the comment. In the book of Moses, the Savior is speaking for the Father, through Divine Investiture.

Moroni 10:3-5: A Perfect Pattern of Prayer

2010-06-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

As a young man of almost sixteen, I was wondering what to do with the copy of the Book of Mormon that I held in my hands. A few weeks previously, I had been asked to write a report on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for school. I had walked over to the Church Mission Home in Santiago, only a few blocks away from my house. A missionary gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon and several Church magazines. The latter were full of colorful photos that helped me with my report. But now that I had finished my paper, I wondered what to do with the book.

I opened the book to a promise that would change my life: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:4-5).

As I read these words for the first time, I was immersed in the Spirit. I was acutely aware that it was the Holy Ghost I was feeling, testifying of the truthfulness of the book I held in my hands. While usually the Holy Ghost has acted upon me as a still, comforting reassurance, there have been a few instances in which I have felt the influence of the Holy Spirit as a compelling force. This was one of those times. Three and a half years later, 9 March 1974, when I was an agricultural student at the University of California, Davis, I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I began receiving the missionary discussions after I had read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, over a four day period, during Christmas break. It was while reading the Book of Mormon that I discovered the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As I write these words, I am only a few years away from my 40th anniversary of my baptism and confirmation. If I am honest, I must admit that it was not easy to truly understand how to pray: to do so in such a way that I could know that my prayers had been heard. Even though I am still learning how to pray, I would like to share a few things I have discovered about prayer. To me, prayer is the essence of religion. It is a communion between God and man. Scripture study and prayer are my stay and my staff.

When we pray, we address God the Eternal Father, and we do so in the name of His beloved Son, even Jesus Christ. In the olden days, people who traveled to faraway lands would do so with a letter of introduction. Such a letter would open many doors. By coming in the name of Christ, we can dare approach the Father in prayer. It was Christ Himself who repeatedly taught us to address the Father in Jesus’ name: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23b).

We pray while we walk, while we talk, while we study, and not just when we can take the time to kneel down. Further, many people cannot kneel for medical reasons. If we are able to kneel, however, there is something very special about doing so. We add our testimony that indeed the time will come when “Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.”

In order to obtain an acknowledgment that our prayers have been heard, one of the first steps is to be precise in terms of what we are asking for. I like to think that the particular answer to my prayer is less important to me than knowing that the prayer was heard by the Father. It helps to first meditate upon some of the things that I am grateful for. Then I can kneel down and address the Father, tell Him of those things I am grateful for, speak of my love for Him, and ask one simple question. “Father, hast thou heard my prayer?” I can then ‘listen’ for the reassurance of the Spirit, that indeed my prayer has been heard of the Father. For me, this is normally a comforting feeling or warmth. I can now thank the Father for having heard me, and do so in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. We now know what an affirmative answer feels like.

Now, we have a pattern: we ponder in a spirit of gratitude, we thank the Father, we ask Him a question, and we feel of His loving comfort through the Spirit. Through this pattern we have a key to ask other questions. “Is the Book of Mormon the book mentioned by Ezekiel 37:15-28 that, together with the Bible, would help bring people unto Christ?” “Am I making the right choice in dating such a person?” “Is this a good field for me to study at the university?” “Should I begin to look for a different job?” An affirmative answer to these questions will be much like the comforting one we received when we asked if God had heard our prayer. We now have a key to asking questions regarding matters that are important in our lives. One day I realized that this is precisely the pattern of prayer taught to us in Moroni 10:3-5.

Moroni 10:3. “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.” Here we are exhorted to be filled with a spirit of gratitude for what God has done for us. To ponder His tender mercies from the creation of Adam until now brings to mind one of my favorite scenes of all time, when the Savior walked along two of His disciples on the way to Emmaus and expounded the scriptures to them: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). What a better way to be filled with gratitude than to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures.

Moroni 10:4. “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” We have already spoken about the importance of addressing the Father in the name of Christ. Verse 4 also calls for faith in Christ and confidence that we will receive an answer. So it is that we read in James 1:5-6: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Let us not be afraid to ask. We have been commanded of the Savior to pray always (Luke 21:36b).

Our attitude in prayer needs to be submissive to the will of the Father. If we really do not want to know the will of the Father, we will probably not receive an answer. If we want to tell the Father what we want done, rather than ask that His will be carried out, we will probably not receive an answer, either. To ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, means that we will act upon the answer. God does not want us to be like the people of Judah who approached Jeremiah the Prophet to inquire of the Lord for them.

The people seemed, on the surface, committed to do as commanded: “Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God” (Jeremiah 42:5-6). The Prophet Jeremiah did inquire of the Lord on their behalf, but the answer enraged the people so much that they reviled the Prophet and accused him of speaking falsely (Jeremiah 43:2).

Moroni 10:5. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Through this simple pattern of prayer to the Father in the name of Christ, then, we may receive reassurance from the Spirit about proceeding through life’s most difficult mazes.

God loves us so much, that He is concerned over those things we are concerned about and says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). So, let us pray in confidence, full of assurance that God will hear our prayers. While some promises that God makes to us may take some time before they are realized, they will come to pass.

LORD, Lord and lord in the King James Version

2010-06-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

The King James Version generally uses the words LORD, Lord, and lord to distinguish among several Hebrew words. Hebrew, of course, does not distinguish between small case and capital letters.

When written in all caps, LORD stands in for the Tetragrammaton YHWH, יְהוִה, pronounced Yahweh by some, and Jehovah by others. For instance, we read “in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens” (Genesis 2:4b). LORD God, in this instance, appears as YHWH Elohim, יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים. The word Jehovah only appears four times in the Old Testament of the KJV, such as in Isaiah 12:3, where it is translated as LORD Jehovah, and in Hebrew we find יָה יְהוָה, Yah Yahweh, or Yah Jehovah.

When the word lord is all lower case, it stands for the Hebrew אֲדֹנָי, adonai, meaning lord. This is a title of respect. In 1 Kings 3:17a, for instance, it is used when referring to King Solomon: “And the one woman said, O my lord, &c.” The Hebrew is rendered as אֲדֹנִי, adonai. When this title of respect is used for addressing YHWH, then adonai or אֲדֹנִי, is translated as Lord, with the first letter capitalized. In Isaiah 19:4b we have: “and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord.” The word Lord is capitalized as it stands in for YHWH, as a title of respect for Him. In Hebrew it appears as HA-ADON, הָאָדוֹן, or the Lord.

Isaiah 19:4 is interesting indeed, as all three examples are in one verse: “And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.” The first lord is in all lower case and refers to the cruel Egyptian lords, the second Lord refers to YHWH by the title of honor, and the third instance, in all caps, LORD replaces the word YHWH (I have increased the font size of these words):

וְסִכַּרְתִּי אֶת־מִצְרַיִם בְּיַד אֲדֹנִים קָשֶׁה וּמֶלֶךְ עַז יִמְשָׁל־בָּם נְאֻם הָאָדוֹן יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת ׃

The King James Version is, in my opinion, by far the best English translation of the Holy Scriptures. It is quite literal, preserving much of the Hebrew idioms, and also preserving many of the Messianic allusions that modern translations have removed. The words YHWH and Elohim appear numerous times in almost every page of the Biblia Hebraica or Hebrew Holy Scriptures. In order to avoid the frequent use of sacred names, the KJV has followed a long tradition of substituting the words YHWH and Elohim for LORD and God, respectively. But in doing so, at times the KJV gives us an erroneous translation. For instance, we have אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, Lord LORD, Lord Jehovah, or Adonai YHWH in Deuteronomy 9:26. But it is incorrectly rendered in the KJV as Lord God. The expression Lord God was used by the Bishops 1568 and the Geneva 1587 translations. And after the KJV, most translations have done the same, including the JPS (Jewish Publication Society).

Some translations who have correctly used Lord Jehovah include the ASV, LITV and YLT. In addition, Lord Jehovah or rather the Spanish equivalent, Señor Jehová, has been used by the majority of Spanish translations, including the RV1865, RV1960, RV1995, RV2009 (LDS), and SRV.

Why was Saul rejected from being king?

2010-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

For many years I had a wipe board over the dining room table with the question: “Why was Saul rejected from being king?” It made for good conversation and stood there as a warning. The design of that room has changed, but the question is engraved in my heart. Why was Saul rejected from being king? Because Saul feared man more than God. This was not always the case. When Saul was anointed King of Israel, he was a humble young man. But later, Samuel the Prophet would chide him with these words: “When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17).

Our first hint that Saul worried more about what men would say than what God would think is in the story of the preparations for battle that took place at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13). We read that when Samuel did not show up as promptly as he was expected by Saul, King Saul took it upon himself to carry out priesthood duties for which he had no authority. He prepared a peace offering and actually carried out the ritual for burnt offerings (1 Samuel 13:9). When Samuel the Prophet, horrified as this evil thing, questioned Saul, the latter responded: “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13:11a-12). Saul, then, begins with an excuse, “Well, you were late and this thing had to be done.” From the excuse, he moves on to try and point out how noble his actions were, “Look, I forced myself, so instead of being upset, you should thank me, you should be happy I took the initiative.”

We have a similar pattern in the matter of Agag and the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). “But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly” (1Samuel 15:9). Saul had the audacity to tell Samuel, “Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD” (1Samuel 15:13b). Samuel, once again, was incredulous at this saying, and asked: “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (1Samuel 15:14b). Once again, Saul responds with an excuse, a justification, that the people wanted to save the best for a sacrifice: “the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God” (1Samuel 15:15b). If there was anything Saul hated to do, was to correct the people, or teach the people. Saul refused to stand up and be counted but rather followed the will of the people over that of the Lord and His prophet.

When confronted with his evil doing, Saul again refuses to admit his error. Saul seems proud of his behavior: “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites” (1Samuel 15:20b). Then he blames the people: “But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal” (1Samuel 15:21b).

Samuel rejoins with the often quoted: “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1Samuel 15:22b). This was a hard lesson.

So Samuel gives Saul the bad news: “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1Samuel 15:23b). Only now does Saul seem repentant: “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words” (1Samuel 15:24b). Saul, however, is not moved by godly sorrow, but rather, by the unhappy consequences he will need to face. Then Saul explains what was in his heart, why he had been disobedient: “because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1Samuel 15:24c). Saul feared man more than God. His confession of what had moved him to do that which was wrong in the sight of God was not a confession leading to change and repentance and turning to the Lord.

Saul now pleads with Samuel to walk with him—even though it is a pretence—so that the people will not realize that the Lord has rejected him: “I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God” (1Samuel 15:30b). This was the critical moment; the moment of truth. This was the time for Saul to show God that he only cared about following the Lord’s will. Instead, it turned out to be among the most tragic events recorded in Scripture. Saul desired, above all things, to be popular with the people. I am of the opinion that the Lord would have forgiven Saul had he acted upon godly sorrow.

As an illustration, one of the most wicked kings of the Northern Kingdom (also known as Israel or Ephraim) after the civil war that divided the nation of Israel, was Ahab. Yet even Ahab, when confronted by Elijah the Prophet “rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly” (1 Kings 21:27b). Even though Ahab did not altogether escape punishment, these were delayed for a season. We read: “And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house” (1 Kings 21:28-29). Furthermore, if Ahab’s sons would have turned unto the Lord with all their might, such punishment would not have come upon them.

So we return to Saul. A man who once had been able to consult the will of the Lord, now was left destitute of communication with God: “And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets” (1Samuel 28:6). Saul’s prayers went unanswered.

In Doctrine and Covenants we read: “They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble. In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me” (D&C 101:7-8). Yet in the very next verse we find these tender words: “Verily I say unto you, notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with compassion towards them” (D&C 101:9a). What the Father expects of us when we find the heavens shut, is not to give up and say, “Oh, well, God does not care about me, anyway. I do not deserve His tender mercies. The atonement does not apply to me.”

When Saul was confronted with heavens that had turned into iron, instead of repenting, he decided to seek counsel from the dark side: “Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night” (1Samuel 28:7-8a). What makes Saul’s story so very sad is that at one time he was a righteous youth who loved the Lord.

What do we learn from the story of Saul? How can we apply these matters to our own lives? Are we more worried about what God thinks than about what people will say? Are we ashamed of being followers of Christ? Sometimes we are more worried about what men will say than about what God will think. I would submit, that one of the main reasons we are upon this earth is to show that indeed, we can grow to fear God more than man. The word fear has numerous meanings. One of them is to respect. The fear of God is a great desire not to let God down, but to behave in ways that will help us glorify the Father, as the Savior so beautifully demonstrated for us.

“And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?” (Mosiah 18:8-10). And if we have been baptized onto such a great cause, let us now endure to the end as faithful followers of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, even Jesus the Christ.

The Book of Mormon as a key to the Gathering Israel and Judah

2010-06-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

My paternal grandfather was a Lithuanian Jew; my grandmother a German Jew. My maternal grandparents were both Chilean (mostly Spanish but with some Inca and Chilean native blood). I was born and raised in Chile and attended a Catholic school in Santiago. As a youth I often felt that the Lord’s true Church would be a missionary one. I was converted and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1974, after reading the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ. It was the Book of Mormon that compelled me to go back and become more interested in my Jewish roots and study the great promises made to the children of Israel in the Holy Bible, and most especially in Isaiah and the Prophets. It was while reading in the Book of Mormon that the words of our Savior sank deep in my heart: “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yeah, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1).

The Jews divide the Holy Scriptures or Tanach into three discrete categories: The Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Prophets, or NEVI’IM, are full of allusions to the Torah and Writings. So when we read: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land” (Ezekiel 37:21b), this is code for some very specific promises made in the Torah regarding both the scattering and the gathering of Israel. Promises that are underscored throughout the Holy Scriptures.

Blessings and Cursing

In prophecy, one often sees the development of ideas, line upon line, and precept upon precept. The promises associated with the scattering and gathering of Israel are found in their most extensive detail, in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-30, even though many of these ideas were mentioned earlier. I call these chapters Rain in Due Season.

Indeed, the Lord promised Israel rain in due season if she would walk in His paths and turn her heart towards Him. In an ancient agronomical society, rain in due season meant the difference between plentiful crops and famine. Thus we also read: “prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10b). These blessings, of course, are not only material but also spiritual ones.

Israel would be blessed if she was faithful and true: “Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out” (Deuteronomy 28:6). The complete list is extensive and very specific, but none greater than a promise that the Lord would establish His covenant with the people of Israel (Leviticus 26:9b), such that “I [the Lord] will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people” (Leviticus 26:12b).

If Israel would not be obedient, unspeakable curses would befall her. For our purposes, we shall only focus on two. First, “And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods” (Deuteronomy 28:64a). Second, the heavens would be shut down—and this refers to cessation of revelation from God, just as much as literal rain: “And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass” (Deuteronomy 28:23a). And, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11).

In his mercy, and foreknowledge, the Lord made provisions for the repentance of the children of Jacob. In one of the most moving verses in Scripture we read: “And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deuteronomy 30:1-6). But before we continue with the marvelous work and a wonder (Isaiah 29:14) to be brought about by the restoration, let us briefly review the history of Israel.

Israel’s Civil War

For the longest time, Israel was disobedient to the Lord “for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face” (Jeremiah 2:27b). At every moment we continually make the decision to שׁוּב (SHUV), that is, to turn or return towards the Lord, or to give Him our back. At the time of King David’s grandson, that of King Rehoboam, Israel was split in two by a civil war. This sad turn of events was a result of the iniquity that existed from the very top down, from king to dignitary, from the common man to the false prophet. In the words of Isaiah, “Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail” (Isaiah 9:14-15).

The story of the actual split is interesting. Jeroboam came to King Rehoboam and demanded, on behalf of the northern ten tribes, better treatment. Jeroboam said: “Thy father [i.e., King Solomon] made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.” (1 Kings 12:4). King Rehoboam acted wisely in asking for three days to think things over and give a proper response. He first sought the advice of the older men. They provided wise counsel: “If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever” (1 Kings 12:7).

Rehoboam forsook the advice of the older men for that of the youth who had been his contemporaries. The latter advised that he speak to the people roughly, saying: “My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:10b-11). Some have suggested that scorpions were whips with sharp flesh-tearing objects embedded in them. At any rate, the forceful answer was disastrous: “So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David” (1 Kings 12:16a). The united nation of twelve tribes ceased to be.

The ten tribes to the north were now governed by King Jeroboam, and they retained the title of Israel. They were also known by their most prominent tribe, Ephraim, as well as by their capital, Samaria. Meanwhile, King Rehoboam was able to preserve the remaining two tribes (Judah and Benjamin). They were referred to by the name of Judah, their most preeminent tribe, and sometimes by Jerusalem, their capital. A hatred and jealousy developed between the northern and southern tribes. In Isaiah 19:21, we read of the hatred felt by the north for Judah, as well as the internal squabbles between Ephraim and Manasseh. The outlook was bleak, to be sure.

The downward spiral could be traced to an earlier time. Saul was made king because the children of Jacob rejected Jehovah as her King in preference for an earthly sovereign. The people wanted to be like all the nations who surrounded them. Samuel the Prophet felt rejected by the children of Israel in this thing. The Lord permitted the people to have their agency: “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee [i.e., give them the king that they think they want]: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).

Righteous Migrate to Jerusalem

While both nations did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, at first the Ephramites were much more evil than Judah. Jeroboam, King of Ephraim (i.e., northern ten tribes), built a false altar and ordained a false priesthood (1 Kings 12:26-31). The most righteous who lived within the territories of Ephraim began to migrate south to Jerusalem, and thus we read: “Out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 11:16b).

It is possible that Lehi’s family migrated to Jerusalem as early as this time. Lehi’s family heritage was of the tribe of Manasseh (Alma 10:3) while Ishmael’s was of the tribe of Ephraim (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:141). We also read of the presence of Ephraim, and Manasseh in Jerusalem in 1 Chronicles 9:3.

The exodus of the righteous down to Judah left Ephraim an even more idolatrous state. The Lord sent prophets to warn both nations. Among the prophets sent to warn Ephraim, was Hosea. The Prophet Hosea was asked to call his son Lo-ammi (לֹא, LO, not; עַמִּי, Ammi, people): “Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God” (Hosea 1:9).

Scattering of Israel

Ephraim was now at the verge of being taken captive by Assyria and being scattered all over Europe, Asia and Africa. They would come to be called the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The Lord’s tender mercies are such, and despite what has just been said, His love for Israel is so powerful, that once again tenderness is promised: “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God” (Hosea 1:10). We might say with Alma, “And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!” (Alma 36:20). What a promise, in the latter days it would be said to Israel, “Ye are the sons of the living God.”

Judah’s capture would follow soon, as she became less willing to follow the Lord. Ezekiel speaks of Ephraim and Judah as two sisters of the world, competing to outdo each other. He calls Samaria (capital of Ephraim) Aholah, and Jerusalem (capital of Judah), Aholibah (Ezekiel 23:4 ff.). Soon after the captivity of Ephraim the Babylonians took Judah captive.

Lehi’s family had escaped Jerusalem on time, and with the help of God, made sea vessels to travel to the American continent. Although they lived in Jerusalem, we have said they were descendants of Joseph. While much of Judah never returned to the land of Israel, after seventy years of captivity there was a remnant who did return, and out of this remnant Messiah would be born there. After Christ’s death, Judah was scattered once again. In contrast to the lost ten tribes, much of Judah was able to retain her national identity. From the Book of Mormon, we read that there is a portion of the lost ten tribes who has also kept a record (2 Nephi 29:12-13) which we will have in due time.

One way or the other, then, the children of Jacob were scattered to every continent, island of the sea, and corner of the earth. Her blood would be mingled with those of all the people upon the earth. In Genesis 22:18a Abraham was told: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” One of the ways this would take place is that Israel’s blood would run through all of His children. Of course, there are peoples through which the blood of Israel runs more purely and concentrated. All of these thoughts bring us to the gathering of Israel; the dispensation of the fullness of times, prophesied by the ancient prophets.

Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

When the missionaries introduce the Book of Mormon, they are often asked, “Why do we need another book beside the Bible?” This very question, along with its answer, is found in the Bible. Ezekiel is one of several prophets who speak of the Book of Mormon (Ezekiel 37:15-28).

Ezekiel explains, “The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man” —the Lord lovingly called Ezekiel son of man. “Moreover, thou son of man take thee one stick, and write upon it,” —the word עֵץ (IETZ) translated as stick in our KJV, means tree, or in this context, rather, wood (Gesenius, BDB, HALOT]. For instance, LHI Bible (see also 1587 Geneva Bible) translates the word עֵץ as “[a piece of] wood.” In the Targum of Ezekiel the meaning is even clearer, “take one tablet [LUJA—Spanish j, לוּחָא] and engrave upon it” (Targum Jonathan to the Prophets).

It is clear that we have a piece of writing material here, whether wood, metal, or other material. So, “take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.” This is to symbolize the book that would come down to us through Judah, the Holy Bible. “Then take another stick [עֵץ, or tablet in Aramaic, לוּחָא], and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions.”

Beside the Holy Bible we have another book that would be engraved, one that would proceed from Joseph—or Ephraim. This is the Book of Mormon. “And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” These two books, the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon would become as one witness, united. Yes, these two engraved holy books would also come to be carried together. Now we come to the question alluded to before. “And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?” Note the expression בְּנֵי עַמְּךָ (BENEI AMJA, Spanish j), the children of thy people. This is because the Book of Mormon will be taken to the children of Israel.

Most of the children of Israel, except the Jewish people, do not realize their heritage. The gospel of Jesus Christ will be accepted, generally, first by Ephraim (and I suspect Manasseh is implied also) and eventually by all of the other tribes of Israel and finally, by Judah. Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses 2:268-269, 8 April 1855) and Joseph Fielding Smith (Doctrines of Salvation 3:246) made it clear that the majority who accept the Gospel are literal descendants of Israel.

The children of Jacob would ask for an explanation. What does this mean? Why do we have two books? After the question that would be posed we find the answer. “Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.” It is clear that the Lord himself is bringing them together for a wise purpose.

What is that purpose? “And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.” As soon as we hear these words, “I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen,” we think back to the Rain in Due Season promises. The expression translated as the heathen (HA-Goyim, הַגּוֹיִם) in our KJV, is an interesting one. Sometimes the very same word Goyim is translated as heathen, gentiles, or nations. It often means gentile nations. So it is that the Lord will gather Israel from among all the nations. But how will this be done? What does it have to do with the two books?

These books are the means whereby Israel will be gathered from among the nations. And something truly beautiful will take place. The Bible is full of promises toward the children of Israel, as is the Book of Mormon. The very purpose of the Book of Mormon, as explained by the ancient prophet who inscribed its title page, is for “the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST.”

Here is one sample as the resurrected Lord spoke to a remnant of Joseph in the American continent: “Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel. And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them” (3 Nephi 20:11-13). Furthermore we read: “And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people [i.e., Israel]; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time, that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them forever, saith the Father” (3 Nephi 20:29).

The enmity between the tribes of Israel will cease and shall once again become one nation. “And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel.” The term ‘mountains’ is both literal, referring to the hilly country, and spiritual—the latter pointing to the temple.

It is Ephraim who will have the great blessing and responsibility for beginning the process of gathering the rest of the tribes, including Judah. In Isaiah 18 we read in great detail how missionaries will leave the American continent and help gather Israel and Judah back to the land of Israel and back to the temple: “In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled [i.e., scattered and removed], and from a people terrible from their beginning [i.e., this is what Israel was called by the surrounding nations after its return from Egypt] hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled [i.e., a reference to invading armies that invaded Israel, e.g., see Isaiah 8:7-8], to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion [i.e., a reference to the temple and to the land of Israel]” (Isaiah 18:7).

And Messiah their King

Returning to Ezekiel, “and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.” No more would there be a northern and southern kingdom, no more Ephraim and Judah as nations who hated each. These two nations would now be governed by one king. The next verse speaks of the grace that would be poured upon the children of Jacob, so that they would be able to combat sin and be cleansed and saved through the expiatory sacrifice of the Messiah. “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them.”

And now the words which all who have embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ have been waiting for, the Lord says: “so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.” In His mercy, the everlasting covenant has been restored once again. But who is this king who shall do such wonderful things? It is King Messiah. “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.” When we read of this second David, we know at once it refers to no ordinary man, but to the Messiah or Christ. In Jeremiah we read, “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land (Jeremiah 33:15, see also 23:5).

Other references include: “But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:9); “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.” (Ezekiel 34:23-23), “Afterward shall the children of Israel return (YASHUVU,יָשֻׁבוּ), and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days” (Hosea 3:5). This יָשֻׁבוּ (YASHUVU) is not only a physical one, but a spiritual one in which people return to the Lord.

Why David? King David of old was the first, after Moses and Joshua, to truly bring the hearts of all the tribes together knit as one. More importantly, of the Davidic line would be born Messiah, Jesus the Christ. He was often called, “Son of David.” All of these references to a latter-day David who would reign over Israel, then, are allusions to Messiah. “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.” The land spoken of here is the land of Israel, of course. But the land of Israel shall “be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants” (Isaiah 49:19b). In addition, the Lord would give to Joseph another choice land, in the “everlasting hills” that would be found “over the wall” or the ocean, even the American continent (see Joseph’s patriarchal blessing, Genesis 49:22-26).

We hear more about the restored gospel and the everlasting covenant: “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.” Once again, the Lord would establish His temple upon the earth: “My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” This is a double blessing, and a sure blessing, for it is mentioned twice. Other prophets also bear witness of the same: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (Zechariah 8:7-8)

All of the nations shall know that Israel was not discarded by Her Lord, “And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” So, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). The witness of the Book of Mormon loudly proclaims the divinity of the Savior, and help us better understand many of the promises found in the Bible. Above all, these two tomes invite all to come unto Christ. We exclaim, with the Psalmist, “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalms 106:1).

But if I depart, I will send [the Comforter] unto you —John 16:7

2010-04-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Why did the Savior have to go away before He could send the Comforter? “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7).

Elder Uriah G. Miller explained: “Religious history bears out, it seems to me, the evident fact that, in all of God’s dealings with the children of men in the various generations of the world, when one member of the Godhead is upon the earth ministering generally among mankind, another one is taken away from the earth. It was altogether possible, no doubt was true, when Christ was upon the earth that he at times was visited by the Father, and that when he went down into the river Jordan and was baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove. We are told also in this sacred writing, that John the Baptist had in his soul the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb. Yet we find this rather startling declaration recorded in the Bible, in the 16th chapter of John and 7th verse, ‘Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you.’ Christ, one of the members of the Godhead, was upon the earth. While he was here, that passage of scripture would rather give us to understand, that the ministry of the Holy Ghost was not universal among the members of the Church. It was necessary that Christ should go, and when he went another member of the Godhead would descend and come and minister unto mankind” (Elder Uriah G. Miller, CR April 1920, Second Overflow Meeting, pp. 62-63).

This phenomenon existed before the meridian of time as well as after. Bruce R. McConkie said: “That these same blessings of inspiration and revelation from the Holy Spirit had been enjoyed by righteous men of Old Testament times we learn from Peter’s pronouncement ‘that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter 1:20-21)” (Bruce R. McConkie, Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p.103).

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings but one in purpose (see Jehovah, one in purpose with the Father; We pray to the Father; and Biblical proof that Jesus is Jehovah). Elder Matthew Cowley wrote: “There is a distinct separation between the personality of the Savior and that of the Holy Ghost. Jesus, in speaking of those who should believe and obey Him, used this language: ‘He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified’ (John 7: 38-39). It appears from this statement that while Jesus was the representative of the Godhead to men in the flesh, at least for a period of time, the Holy Ghost had not come to officiate at that time as a personal witness of the Father and the Son to the children of men. To corroborate this idea, we quote from the sixteenth chapter of John, seventh verse: ‘Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.’ That this Comforter is the Holy Ghost is evident from the fourteenth chapter of St. John, sixteenth and twenty-sixth verses: ‘And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ Further: ‘But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me.’ (John 15:26.) These promises are so definite that no one could reasonably mingle the personality of the Holy Ghost with that of either the Father or the Son.” (Matthew Cowley, Cowley’s Talks on Doctrine, Personality of God, p. 82).

Elder John W. Taylor spoke of the gratitude we feel for the Gift of the Holy Ghost, “ [Jesus said,] ‘Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.’ This is revelation. This is the power of God unto salvation. … I rejoice, my brethren and sisters, that this Church is built upon revelation. I can go further, and say that it is built ‘upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ. Himself being the chief corner stone’” (CR April 1901, Second Day-Morning Session, Elder John W. Taylor, p.30).

As LDS we believe that it is the Light of Christ that generally operates on mankind. The Holy Ghost, on the other hand, may be poured out on someone, usually to testify of the Divinity of Jesus Christ, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the Lord’s Church upon the earth. But it is not until a person has been baptized by an authorized servant of the Lord, and then confirmed through the laying of hands, that a person may receive the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. In either case, the most important role of the Spirit is to testify that Jesus is the very Christ, the Son of God.

So, this brings us back to the question, “Why did the Savior have to go away before He could send the Comforter?” I would suggest that the answer lies within this eternal principle: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Matthew 18:16b; 2 Corinthians 13:1b). When two of these witnesses are members of the Godhead, then this leaves the hearer without excuse. It is a principle of mercy that the Holy Ghost is not given as a constant companion and testifier until after a person has entered into the covenant of baptism and has been confirmed a member of the Church. Not until afer a person has agreed to "to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9).

It is likewise a principle of mercy that generally (with some notable exceptions), the Comforter was not poured out while the Savior ministered among men. Else, those who rejected Him would have been left in complete condemnation. At the day of Pentecost the Brethren taught the people, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:36-38). What kindness, what love! And that is what the Savior wants for each of us, to come unto Him, to turn our hearts, and to return to Him and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost to help us endure until the end, strong in our testimonies of Him who died for us.

Review: LingvoSoft Talking Dictionary 2008 (English-Hebrew)

2010-04-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for an electronic English-Hebrew Hebrew-English dictionary for several years. I have spent hours searching the Web, and often I just find others who are looking for the same thing. That is, (1) a pointed dictionary (one that includes the vowels or Massoretic points) that (2) I can either use on my computer or on my phone. (3) I was looking for a dictionary with concise definitions, rather than long phrases. Instead, what I have found are unpointed dictionaries (those who only include the consonants) that are housed in their own electronic device. I would need a third pocket, as I carry my keys in one and my phone in the other.

I finally found what I was looking for, the LingvoSoft Talking Dictionary 2008. It is a robust little program that works very with my Windows computer. It also comes with a software package you can add to your PDA, but I cannot take advantage of that as I do not use one at the time.

Every day I am discovering new features to the LingvoSoft dictionary. For instance, because I am accustomed to a Biblical Hebrew font, it is sometimes difficult for me to read the more modern fonts. I was able to replace the font with my favorite Biblical Hebrew font (Ezra SIL) in a few moments.

I have looked at the vocabulary and compared it with my favorite Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (ISBN 978-0-19860172-2), and they are quite comparable. The Oxford dictionary has some words not found in LingvoSoft and vice versa. To take full advantage of my Oxford dictionary, I had to purchase a loupe in order to see the points. With LingvoSoft, I was able to increase the size of the font.

LingvoSoft, as many dictionaries do, gives multiple definitions for some entries. When this happens, all I have to do is double click on any of them, to obtain a reverse translation. The software can be docked so that it stays on top of all of my programs, if I so desire, or act as a regular window.

Another invaluable tool, is the ability to work on vocabulary, and select only verbs, prepositions, nouns, proper nouns, and so on (18 in all). Or, alternatively, to remove or keep phrases, or any of these 18 grammatical features. Every word is labeled as a verb, noun, and so on.

LingvoSoft has an introduction to the Hebrew language, and several dozen more for that matter. It has numerous useful options including synonyms, word for word translations, concise translations (some of these features work better than others) and word pronunciation. If your are purchasing LingvoSoft for this last feature, you will be disappointed. The words are pronounced by a computer generated program that is not that well designed. Some words are pronounced quite well, and others not at all. The Hebrew Alef (א) was given a value of A, even when the pointed Hebrew directs to a different pronunciation. It is not very clear, either. For instance, I purchased Saffa about a year or so ago, from Hebrew Works Software, for verb conjugation. Saffa also provides computer generated pronunciation and is light years ahead of LingvoSoft in this matter. For instance, in Saffa, you may even tweak the tone and other voice characteristics to one that you like. Its rules of pronunciation are much more accurate. The pronounced English is much easier to understand, but also has some mistaken rules. Nevertheless, having the talking aspect of the dictionary is of some help and I do find myself using it frequently.

The possibility of editing the existing dictionary or incorporating user defined words would be very helpful. There is a user defined dictionary, but these words do not show when looking up a word in the regular dictionary. For instance, there is no way to add a definition to an existing word. LingvoSoft has an extensive primer on English grammar that will be very useful to me. Users can add or delete some of their favorite tools to the user interface.

There are sales on the software and I found a coupon code for 20% off at RetailMeNot. Something that would be really wonderful for a future version of the software, then, would be to include a Biblical Hebrew Lexicon as part of the database that people can choose to be interested in or disregard, as well as user control over adding words and definitions to the regular dictionary. And, of course, a more powerful voice program. I am looking forward to the next edition of the software, and I am thrilled with my purchase.

UPDATE: I purchased the app of this software for the iPhone, and I am not so pleased. I now see what a wonderful job some apps have done to provide non-computerized voices in Hebrew. The computerized pronunciation leaves much to be desired, with words that are often mispronounced. It is still an wonderful dictionary, and I have great hopes this will be corrected. 2 September 2011

We pray to the Father

2010-04-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

On one of my blogs a reader asked something along the lines of “Why do LDS pray to the Father when people in the Old Testament prayed to Jehovah or Jesus?”

I wish to write a few words about our reverence for the Lord. It is important that our brothers and sisters from other faiths know that we believe in and proclaim the divinity of Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God. Elder Bruce R. McConkie was quoted as saying: “We worship the Father and him only and no one else. We do not worship the Son and we do not worship the Holy Ghost.” What follows clarifies what Elder McConkie meant: “I know perfectly well what the scriptures say about worshipping Christ and Jehovah, but they are speaking in an entirely different sense—the sense of standing in awe and being reverentially grateful to Him who has redeemed us” (Bruce R. McConkie, Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p.60).

The Savior Himself was always the first to point out His own continual loving deference for the Father in all that He did. The Holy Scriptures are full of examples. I will give one. To those who asked, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” our Lord and Savior clearly distinguished between Himself and the worshipfulness owed to the Father: “Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.” (Luke 18:18-19).

It was the Savior who taught us to pray to the Father by example: “I will pray the Father for you”(John 16:26). Our Hymns are full of praise for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some of the Hymns we use were composed by some of our Christian brothers and sisters from other faiths, and some were written by our own members. A few of my favorite hymns of devotion and praise to the Savior include: “Jesus, the very thought of thee,” “Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King” and “Jesus, Once of Humble Birth.” The musical instructions have the words, “Worshipfully” or “Reverently” by them. A scripture from the book of Mormon is also a hymn of reverent praise: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).

I wanted to also introduce a Pseudepigraphical work here, The Ascension of Isaiah. I have both the Charles and Knibb translations. The latter is part of the two-volume The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. The Ascension of Isaiah is a very old manuscript. The scholars have placed parts of this somewhere between two centuries before the birth of the Savior to about a century after. It is difficult to trust dates very well, as people are often guided by their own beliefs on this matter. I believe that the book of Isaiah (see my book, Isaiah Testifies of Christ) was written by one prophet. Those who hold a different view tend to ascribe Chapters 40 onward to a much later date. But for our purposes, even if we take The Ascension of Isaiah as written as late as 100 AD, we see that some early Christians clearly believed that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost were three distinct beings and one in purpose. The Holy Ghost is depicted as an angel visible to Isaiah (“this is the angel of the Holy Spirit who has spoken in you”—I love that expression, spoken in you, Ascension 9:36). Isaiah is first permitted to see and worship the Lord Jesus Christ, along with Adam, Abel, Seth and many of the righteous (Ascension 9:27-32). We see both the Lord and the Holy Spirit worshipping God the Father. It is interesting to me that both the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are both called by the title of respect and veneration, Lord. “And I saw how my Lord and the angel of the Holy Spirit worshipped and both together praised the Lord” (Ascension 9:40). Finally, Isaiah is brought before the presence of the Father, who is called the “Glorious One” (Ascension 10:1-2) and called “the Father of the Lord” (Ascension 10:6). We see the commission of the Savior: “And I heard the voice of the Most High, the Father of my Lord, as he said to my Lord Christ, who will be called Jesus, ‘Go out and descend through &c.” (Ascension 10:7-8). Just so people do not think this is just my misunderstanding of the text, Knibb writes in the introduction: “What is perhaps of greater interest is that a superior status is attributed to the Father in that ‘the Lord’ and the angel of the Holy Spirit are presented as worshipping him” (p. 154). These three beings are spoken of as being clearly distinct from each other in this Pseudepigraphical work. Jessica, a few posts above, took us to her Blog where much of this conversation has continued.

But returning to the question above, why do LDS pray to the Father when there are clear references that people prayed to YHVH in the Old Testament? An anonymous contributor, Psychochemiker, made some excellent suggestions which I combined with some of my own thoughts on the subject. This individual spoke about the pivotal place of the atonement and the change that it brought about:
With the fall, mankind lost the right and privilege to be in the presence of the Father. Although cut off from the presence of the Father, mankind was not left totally alone but was given access to the mediator of the New Covenant, even Jesus Christ, who is also YHWH of the Old Covenant. Jesus the Christ opened the way for our return to the Father through the atonement (or at-one-ment). Through the process of Divine Investiture, a sort of power of attorney, Jesus spoke in the name of the Father. The Savior explains: “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28), and “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49). In the meridian of time the Savior came to bring us into the proper relationship with the Father. When we pray to the Father we are acknowledging that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant. Why would those who have access to the supernal gift of communing with the Father give it up, especially when Jesus explicitly commanded it?

Shibboleth from Logos

2009-02-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

Shibboleth is a fabulous program provided by the Logos Bible Software people. For a number of languages, you can not only see the keyboard layout for memorization, but can also type using the program. This little program is free and you can download it from Logos. I had already memorized most of the Hebrew characters, but from time to time I need it to review those I do not use as often. In addition, it contains all of the Massoretic marks used in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) and Biblia Hebraica Kittel (BHK). And if that was not enough, you may also use the program for other languages beside Hebrew, including Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, Greek, Coptic, Ugaritic plus a few more. Now let me tell you another reason why this program is so excellent. The keyboard layout is the US layout with the appropriate language, such as Hebrew (HE), Greek (EL) and so on. What this means is that the letters that most closely represent the sound in the language you are learning, are the letters you can type on using Shibboleth. At least this is true for Hebrew (and Aramaic) as well as Greek and Arab.

Download Shibboleth from Logos

Instructions and font download from Logos

Jehovah, one in purpose with the Father

2009-01-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

After my post on "Biblical Proof that Jesus is Jehovah," a reader wrote to agree but ask something along the lines of, “What proof do you have that Jehovah is not the Father?" Gladly, we have proof in Stephen’s testimony: For he testified, as found in Acts 7:55-56: "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”

Here is my personal testimony, along with the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that indeed the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost are one in purpose, but three separate beings. Many of you know that on my father’s side of the family, we are Jewish, and Chilean on my mother’s side. I was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic school. When I was about fourteen, our religion teacher at Saint George's College in Santiago, Chile, taught us that the Trinity was a mystery. That the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit were one and three in a way that could not be explained. In fact, that it would be easier to empty the Pacific Ocean with a bucket into the sand than to understand this great mystery. Even if we could empty the Pacific, putting the water in the beach would just mean it would go right back into the ocean.

As I rode the trolley bus back home I pondered this teaching. As I did so I was inspired by the Holy Ghost, whose words came to me something like this: "It is really a simple thing. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings but one in purpose, just like your father and mother are two distinct beings but one in purpose." Indeed, even though they are distinct beings, they are one in purpose. There is no envy or jealousy between them, but they are moved by perfect love and harmony. At this point I remembered how I would go and ask my father a question and he would say, "such and such, but go and ask your mother." There was no point asking my mother as she had spoken the same words only moments earlier. This pattern was typical regardless of who I asked my question to first. Even though my parents have since separated, there was no better example for me as a young boy that could have illustrated the principle.

I was so excited I could not wait to share this with my parents. My father sat in a rocking chair and was in my mother's room, by her bed, chatting with her. "If I told you this was a blasphemy against the Catholic Church, would you still say this?" my father asked. As much as I looked up to my father and mother and I did not want to offend them I could not deny what I had felt. Later I came to know that I had received a witness from the Holy Ghost. It was one of the great keys that helped me recognize the truthfulness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ upon the earth. After reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1974. For a more complete conversion story see “On Sacred Ground,” in the LDS.org website.

Ezra Zil Hebrew Unicode Font

2009-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite Hebrew font. You may download it for free from Sil International at: http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=EzraSIL_Home

Biblical Proof that Jesus is Jehovah

2009-01-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another Biblical proof that Jesus of the New Covenant is Yahweh of the Old Covenant. In John 12 we read: “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him” (John 12:37-41).

Although Jesus had performed multiple miracles, John tells us that the people did not believe on Him. John proceeds to quote several Isaianic passages. The first one is from Isaiah 53, from among the most precious Messianic chapters: “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1). John continues to quote Isaiah: “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10).

Now comes the connecting Scripture that is of particular interest to us: “These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him” (John 12:41). In other words, when Isaiah saw His, or Jehovah’s, glory. This takes us right back to Isaiah 6, when indeed Isaiah saw Jehovah. I have substituted the word Jehovah for the Hebrew equivalent of LORD in all caps, יְהוָה, and Adonai for the Hebrew equivalent of Lord with the first letter in caps, אֶת־אֲדֹנָי.

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also ADONAI (the Lord) sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is JEHOVAH (the LORD) of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, JEHOVAH (the LORD) of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:1-5). The sacred symbolism of the Sacrament follows these verses of Isaiah.

But let us return to our verse in question. It is clear that Isaiah had seen the King Jehovah of Hosts, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא, in His glory. John so testifies of this, explaining that Isaiah had seen Jesus the Christ in His glory.

Integrity of the Holy Scriptures

2007-07-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

There has been an increasing attack upon the integrity of the Holy Scriptures: an attempt to weaken the faith of those who hold to its marvelous promises. Perhaps the most prominent reason given for these proposals is the common belief that the Holy Prophets were simply brilliant men, rather than inspired men of God. Thus, they could see and discern the signs of the times, but not the times that were more distant from the age they prophecied. Some of these false premises were at first set out rather tentatively, but over time have often been given as a matter of fact. So, what do I mean by speaking of the integrity of the Scriptures? I would not suggest that the Holy Scriptures have been preserved perfectly, for we know that there are whole books of scripture mentioned in the Bible that are missing. Futhermore, we no longer have the original manuscripts, but only copies of copies. I do believe that the Holy Prophets were inspired men of God, and that they wrote as moved upon by the Holy Ghost. That they received inspiration and revelation from God that permitted them to see into the future. The purpose of this page is to warn against many of the twisted modern translations of the Scriptures, and to provide some references that defend the integrity of the same. The reader may not always agree with all the premises of these particular authors, but they nevertheless provide materials for the defense of the faith. Each person has the responsibility to study and ponder prayerfully over these important matters.

I begin by sharing an example of an attack on the Messianic references in the Holy Scriptures, with an exegetical defense of the integrity of the Scriptures, before moving on to other references.

What are these wounds in thine hands?

In the Book of Zechariah we find a number of sublime Messianic end of days scriptures. For instance, in Zechariah 12:10 (see also 12:7-10; 11:12-13; 13:6; 14:4, 9) we read: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Now, associated with this scripture is another of great import: "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (13:6). This last verse has been translated in some modern versions of the Scriptures in such a way to completely change its meaning. For instance, instead of thine hands we may read, "back" (RSV,AAT, JPS Tanakh), "chest" (HCSB), "body" (NIV), "between the hands," "between the shoulders," or "between your arms" (RV 1885, HNV, World English Bible). And instead of "friends" we may read "lovers" (AAT), or "harlot's house" (Moffatt) such as to yield an increasingly corrupt text that reads something like: "What are these sores on your chest? Those received at my lover's home."

Defense of KJV translation of this verse: Let us begin with a brief conversation about principles of translation. Some have suggested on a translation approach that insists that the same term be translated in the same fashion every time it is used. On the surface such an approach seems to have merit. But after brief consideration, we realize that this is not possible. Why? Because other languages, just like English and Spanish, have words with multiple shades of meaning depending on their context. A translator must understand the context of the source language as well as the target translation language. In Hebrew, the word בין most frequently does mean between. So that in Hebrew, one may refer to the nose as that which is between the eyes, and so on. However, even Gesenius (Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, 1870, p. CXIV) admits that ביןhas other meanings, including intra, within, as in Job 24:11, Proverbs 26:13 and Zechariah 13:6 (!). Gesenius also uses the word amongst, such that, בין הרחבות means "within the streets," or rather "in the streets." So, returning to our verse in Zechariah 13:6, we translate בין ידיך as "in your hands."--Gregorio Billikopf (26 Dec 2005)

A. General References
Very Excellent1. Henry M. Harman, Introduction to the Study of the Holy Scriptures (Vol. I of a Biblical and Theological Library series, 4th Edition, 1884), published by Phillips & Hunt, New York. This is my favorite work on the subject, with excellent scholarship and very interesting quotes from both Jewish and Christian scholars.
Very Excellent2. , .

B. Unity of Isaiah
Very Excellent1. Rachel Margalioth, The Indivisible Isaiah (1964), published by the Sura Institute for Research, Jerusalem Yeshiva University, New York. Margalioth makes numerous excellent points, of which I only refer to one type here. Regarding Isaiah 3:24, let us examine one of her many contributions (from my book, Isaiah Testifies of Christ. "Margalioth considers the thesis and antithesis of this verse, using the words "instead of" תַחַת. This is in contrast to "and instead of" or וְתַחַת. “And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty,” and contrasts them to those in the second half of Isaiah. Whereas here in Isaiah 3 the comparison was of something good turned into something bad, the same words are inverted so that instead good there would be something better. While the AV uses, “and for” the Hebrew is exactly that Isaiah 3:24 , וְתַחַת, so substituting and instead of in place of and for we then have: “For brass I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood brass, and instead of stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness” (Isaiah 60:17). Furthermore, Margalioth points us to two other like verses (once again the AV has for in place of תַחַת so we make the same substitution as before:“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3); and “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah 55:13)."

Z. Other Recommendations (available from Gregorio Billikopf).
For conversation or questions contact Gregorio at bielikov@yahoo.com.

Isaiah Testifies of Christ

2007-07-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

But that I might more fully persuade them to believe
in the Lord their Redeemer
I did read them that which was written
by the prophet Isaiah

1 Nephi 19:23

My home page on the study of the Holy Scriptures revolves around such topics as free or low cost resources for the study of the Holy Scriptures, most especially the latter Prophets of the Old Testament; the integrity of the Holy Scriptures; ancient manuscripts; and Bible versions. I have included resources developed by students of the Holy Scriptures who come form a variety of backgrounds and religions. This page, in contrast, is written directly to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have an interest in the Prophet Isaiah, and what latter-day prophets of this dispensation have had to say about him. It is hoped that both members, as well as our friends from other faiths, may find some value in these pages. There are numerous verses where little has been said by Church leaders. I have endeavoured to study the work of students of Isaiah from both the Christian and Jewish perspectives. Often, these shed valuable insight into the meaning of Isaiah’s writings.

When the margins of my scriptures could no longer hold my notes, my wife suggested that I keep a separate journal. I will be posting these as PDF files. Each of them has a “last revised” date, indicating that I am continually learning new things and editing these files. Because so few people, relatively speaking, are interested in Isaiah, I found that writing was a little like talking to myself when nobody else might want to listen. While I have no interest in engaging in contentious arguments, I am interested in hearing your opinions. I have a great love for people of all faiths. --

Gregorio Billikopf (27 June 2007)
Updated: 15 June 2011

View or download Isaiah chapters:

- Introduction / - Unity of Isaiah - Bibliography (to be posted)

- Isaiah 01 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 02 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 03 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 04 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 05 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 06 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 07 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 08 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 09 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 10 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 11 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 12 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 13 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 14 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 15 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 16 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 17 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 18 (14 May 2010)

- Isaiah 19 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 20 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 21 (16 Jan 2010)

- Isaiah 22 (19 Feb 2010)

- Isaiah 23 (15 Jun 2011)

- Isaiah 24 (15 Jun 2011)

- Isaiah 25 (2 Sep2011)

Files will be added here as they are completed. To be notified of new additions, write bielikov@yahoo.com

Bible Versions

2007-07-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

In the English language, my favorite translation is the King James Version (KJV), also known as the Authorized Version (AV). It towers over other translations in fidelity and beauty of language. However, from time to time there are other translations who render a better meaning than the KJV does. Thus, the benefit of studying the Holy Scriptures with a number of translations. The art of translation is a difficult one, seldom doing justice to the language of the original. Many words have equivalent meanings in both languages, but others do not. At times a word may have several significations, adding to the richness of the original. Translators are then forced to choose only one word or meaning, or place a footnote (e.g., AV, ASV) or parenthetical comment within the translation (e.g., Amplified). In the latter instance, the translation takes the form of a targum (or paraphrase) of sorts. Beside the normal challenges of translation, most modern versions have corrupted the meaning of the original Hebrew either by design (in an attempt to remove from Scripture passages that are Messianic in nature) or lack of understanding.

When I first prepared this page, I had another dozen versions (than what I have here) that I was going to suggest as sources of useful comparison. As I looked at the two sample verses, Isaiah 7:14 and Zechariah 13:6, I began to systematically eliminate more and more of them, mostly for the way Zechariah 13:6 was translated (see page, Integrity of the Holy Scriptures). So, what did I end up with, namely the KJV, since the KJV is a revision and update of the Bishops' Bible and Geneva Bible. In terms of Spurrell and Webster, I did not have the opportunity to look closely at other verses, so I do not wish to imply endorsement of these versions, either. From time to time, I prefer the Bishops or Geneva rendition over the KJV. After the first list below, I include a second list of Bible versions I find useful in that they sometimes render a better translation than the KJV. There is yet a third list, but I have not included these here. Those who are interested can send me a note. Prayer and guidance of the Spirit are essential in our study of the Holy Scriptures.

KJV
King James Version
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Zechariah 13:6
And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

Bishops’ Bible (1568)
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lorde hym selfe shall geue you a token: Beholde, a virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne, and shall call his name Emmanuel.
Zechariah 13:6
And if it be saide vnto him, How came these woundes then in thyne handes? He shal aunswere: Thus was I wounded in the house of myne owne friendes.

GB
Geneva Bible (1599)
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himselfe will giue you a signe. Beholde, the virgine shall conceiue and beare a sonne, and she shall call his name Immanu-el.
Zechariah 13:6
And one shall say vnto him, What are these woundes in thine hands? Then he shall answere, Thus was I wounded in the house of my friendes.

1611 KJV
King James Version (1611)
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himselfe shal giue you a signe: Behold, a Uirgine shall conceiue and beare a Sonne, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Zechariah 13:6
And one shal say vnto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then hee shall answere: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

SOT
Spurrell’s Old Testament (1985)
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore Jehovah, He giveth to you a sign: Behold, the virgin conceiveth and beareth a son, And she called His name Immanuel!
Zechariah 13:6
Then shall one say unto him: What are these wounds within thine hands? And he shall reply: Those with which I have been stricken in the house of my friends.

Webster (1833)
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Zechariah 13:6
And one shall say to him, What are these wounds in thy hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

2. Second list
The following are useful translations although I am disappointed regarding the translation of Zechariah 13:6. These other useful versions include (not in any particular order): Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (REB), Green's Interlinear Hebrew Bible, Amercian Standard Version (ASV 1901), New American Standard Bible (NASB), The Holy Scriptures (Jewish Publication Society Bible, 1917), Siewert's Amplified Bible, Brenton's Translation of the LXX (1851), Douay-Rheims Translation of the Vulgate (1899), Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), English Standard Version (ESV), Hebrew Names Version (HNV), Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (LITV).
For conversation or questions contact Gregorio at bielikov@yahoo.com.

3. Bibles available on the Web (mostly free throughe-Sword but need to download free eSword program first.).

American Standard Version
Amplified Bible
Analytical-Literal Translation
Bible in Basic English
Bishops' Bible, 1568 (w/ Apocrypha)
Contemporary English Version
Darby Bible
Douay-Rheims Bible (w/ Deuterocanon)
English Majority Text Version
English Standard Version
Geneva Bible, 1587 (w/ Apocrypha)
GOD'S WORD
Good News Translation
Greek New Testament (Majority Text)
Greek New Testament (w/ Variants)
Greek Old Testament (Septuagint)
Hebrew Old Testament (Tanach)
International Standard Version
James Murdock New Testament
Jewish Publication Society Old Testament
King James Bible, 1611 (w/ Apocrypha)
King James Version
King James Version (Red Letter)
King James Version (w/ Apocrypha)
King James Version (w/ Strong's)
Latin Vulgate (w/ Deuterocanon)
Literal Translation of the Holy
Modern King James Version
New American Standard Bible Study Set
Robinson/Pierpont Byzantine Greek New Testament (w/ Strong's)
Scrivener Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus Greek New Testament (w/ Strong's)
Webster Bible
Westcott-Hort Greek New Testament (w/ Strong's)
Weymouth New Testament
Young's Literal Translation

Isaiah Commentaries

2007-07-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to study the Scriptures is to write down our own impressions as we read and ponder. I find that inspiration comes with more strength as I write down the feelings I obtain as I study. Prayer and guidance of the Spirit are essential in such an undertaking, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." After prayerful reading of the scriptures, I suggest that we first examine the ancient textual versions (Ancient Manuscripts page) before looking at the commentaries and other biblical translations of more recent date. The objective of this page is to provide a list of commentaries that may help us in this process of study and pondering. With effort, little by little the meaning of the scriptures will radiate out of the pages, as the rising sun after a cold and dark winter's night.

A. Isaiah

Very Excellent
1. Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860), Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah (2 volumes, an abridgment of the author's critical Commentary on Isaiah by Joseph Addison Alexander with an introduction by Merrill F. Unger). If I could only purchase two commentaries on Isaiah, it would be this one and the one by Ebenezer Henderson. Alexander brings piety, knowledge of Hebrew, and a thorough understanding of previous commentaries to this work.

Very Excellent
2. Ebenezer Henderson, The Book of the Prophet Isaiah: Translated from the Original Hebrew; with a Commentary, Critical, Philological , and Exegetical (2nd Edition, 1857). Like Alexander, Henderson brings a thorough knowledge of Hebrew and other languages to bear on this thorough commentary. As mentioned, if I could only purchase two commentaries, this one would be one of them.

Excellent
3. William A. Kay, The Bible Commentary (Isaiah), or The Holy Bible According to the Authorized Version (A.D. 1611) with an explanatory and critical commentary and a rebision of the translation, by bishops and other clergy of the Anglican Church, published in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons, 1892. Kay and Rawlinson (see next) never cease to impress in terms of their insights.

Excellent
4. George Rawlinson, The Pulpit Commentary (Isaiah, 2 Volumes). published in New York by Funk & Wagnalls Company. Rawlinson and Kay see above) never cease to impress in terms of their insights into Isaiah.

Excellent
5. Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah (2 Volumes, 1949, published by Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is a solid commentary that offers insights into the Hebrew. Despite its excellence, I have two complaints, namely: 1) sometimes gives the Hebrew in transliterated English, which makes it more difficult to read; and 2) several verses are combined under one reference, which adds time when one is searching for something specific. This outstanding commentary is included in some of the software packages mentioned in our home page.

Excellent
6. Robert Lowth (1710-1787, Isaiah: A new translation with preliminary dissertation and notes, critical, philological, and explanatory. Thomas Tegg & Son, London. 1835. At times somewhat controversial, Lowth takes some liberties in terms of the Hebrew text. Lowth seems to have had access to numerous Hebrew manuscripts that point out alternative words in the text. Lowth discovered the existence of Chiasmus in the Old Testament.

Excellent
7. John Gill (1697-1771, John Gill's Commentary on the entire Bible. One valuable contribution is his understanding of Hebrew and references to such exegetes as Joseph Kimchi, Gijsbert Voetius, and Johannes Cocceius. An excellent quality source that shows the Hebrew script is Freegrace.Net. This outstanding commentary is included in some of the software packages mentioned in our home page.

Excellent
8. Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Explanatory and Practical (Isaiah, 2 volumes), published by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979. This is one of my favorite commentaries on Isaiah as Barnes does an excellent job of talking about ancient traditions of the middle east, helping the reader make better sense of some of the more difficult verses. Note that not all books in the Barnes on the Old Testamen series were written by Albert Barnes, and they certainly do not match the insight and quality of Barnes. There are included a few attractive drawings to illustrate some points. This outstanding commentary is included in some of the software packages mentioned in our home page.

Excellent
9. C. Edward Naegelsbach, Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical (Isaiah), published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, originally published in 1871. Each section of scripture is divided into a discussion of the Hebrew text (Textual and Grammatical) as well as an exegetical section. Naegelsbach often has, like Kay and Rawlinson, excellent insights.

Very, very good
10. T. K. Cheyne, The Prophecies of Isaiah: A new translation with commentary and appendices (2 Volumes), published by Kegal Paul, Trench, & Co., 1884. Despite Cheyne's belonging to a liberal thelogical perspective, this is a valuable work with excellent insights on the meaning of Isaiah's writings.

Very, very good
11. Abraham (ben Meir) Ibn Ezra, The Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah: edited from manuscripts and translated, with notes, introductions, and indexes by M. Friedländer) published by Philipp Feldheim, Inc., New York as well as the Society of Hebrew Literature in England. First published in the years 1873-1877. The commentary is included in one volume, but there are three other volumes associated with this work that include The Anglican Version of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah amended according to the commentary of Ibn Ezra (Volume II); a glossary of Hebrew terms used by Ibn Ezra, as well as the commentary in Hebrew (Volume III); and finally, a book with essays on the writings of Abraham Ibn Ezra. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra contributes important insights on the book of Isaiah.

Very good
12. John Calvin (1509-1564), Calvin's Commentaries (Isaiah). This book can also be viewed on-line with the Hebrew script when it is used, from view Calvin Commentaries provided by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. This is a very interesting and impressive commentary.

Very good
13. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Volume IV, Isaiah-Malachi, published by AP&A, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Henry often makes excellent suggestions in terms of living a better life as well as valuable exegetical comments. His love for God comes through in his pages. One criticism is that verses are lumped together making it difficult to easily and quickly distinguish where to go when studying verse by verse. This commentary is included in some of the software packages mentioned in our home page. This commentary may also be viewed on-line or downloaded at Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Very good
14. Andrew Faussett (1821-1910), Jamieson, Faussett & Brown(. This classic commentary can be found in the software packages mentioned in the home page as well as from BibleClassics.com.

Of interest

15. Martin Luther, Luther's Works (Lectures on Isaiah, 2 Volumes, 16 & 17), published by Concorida Publishing House, Saint Louis, 1972.
Of interest
16. Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah (3 volumes), published by Eerdamns, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Unfortunately uses transliterated rather than Hebrew characters when talking about the text. Useful annotated bibliography of other commentaries.
Of interest
17. J. Glentworth Butler, The Bible-Work Old Testament: The Revised Text arranged in sections; with comments selected from the choicest, most illuminating and helpful thought of the Christian centuries (Volumes 7 & 8), published in New York by The Butler Bible-Work Company in 1894. Volume 7 includes the 4 historical chapters, Isaiah 36-39, while Volume 8 contains all the remaining chapters, i.e., 1-35; 40-66. The list of commentators cited is a veritable who's who of commentators.

B. Bible Commentaries
Free downloadable Bible commentaries from eSword, but must download free eSword first:
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible
Geneva Bible Translation Notes
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary
Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Treasury of David (C. H. Spurgeon, Book of Psalms)

Z. Other Recommendations (available from Gregorio Billikopf).
For conversation or questions contact Gregorio at bielikov@yahoo.com.

Ancient Manuscripts

2007-07-11T21:59:00.001-07:00

We do not have the original Holy Scripture manuscripts, and so sometimes we can gain important insights into the meaning of the scriptures by looking at various other sources. Without a doubt, the best source for the study of the Old Testament or Holy Scriptures is the Biblia Hebraica (Hebrew). Here we mention a number of other resources, including the Dead Sea Scrolls (Hebrew), Targum (Aramaic or Chaldee), Septuagint or LXX, Vulgate, Peshitta, Arabic, Ethiopian, and others. There are interesting conversations and discussions regarding each of these, but here our objective is to provide references (and links when possible) to the student of the Holy Scriptures. Prayer and the guidance of the Spirit, however, are the most important tools we have for the understanding of the Scriptures.

1. Biblia Hebraica

The Hebrew Bible, we said, is overall the most accurate rendition of the Old Testament. There are many possibilities in terms of obtaining copies, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) and formerly, the Biblia Hebraica Kittel (BHK), with their extensive critical apparatus, marginal notes, and Masora. The text of the Biblia Hebraica is available on-line as well as through downloading a number of free or low cost software, but these do not include the critical apparatus. One can generally purchase used copies of the BHS (more complete and updated) or BHK (beautiful Hebrew fonts) generally for about $20 to $40.

Hebrew-English Lexicons. Numerous lexicons are available in order to see how a particular word is used in Hebrew, and the variety of shades and purposes for its use. The reader must be aware that many of the brilliant Hebraists may have theological positions quite opposite than his. A study of these words, then, must be carried out by the aid of the Spirit. It is useful to examine a number of different lexicons and see how words are used in their various contexts. There are a number of lexicons on-line but these are not as thorough as getting a book in hard copy. Here are some lexicons of interest:

A. William Gesenius, Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament (1847), translated from the Lexicon Manuale Hebraicum et Chaldaicum in Veteris Testamenti Libros. Gesenius was a master linguist, but even so, apt to his own opinions. So it is that it is nice to have the notes in brackets. So it is, for instance, that for the Hebrew word ALMA, or virgin, (Strong 5959)we see, [Note: The object in view in seeking to undermine the opinion which would assign the signification of virgin to this word, is clearly to raise a discrepancy between Isa. 7:14 and Matt. 1:23 &c.] The Gesenius tradition had been kept by Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles Briggs, in their The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (1996). An earlier lexicon by these same authors (1978) included the words, "Based on the Lexicon of William Gesenius" in its title. Some of these lexicons include references coded to other references, such as Strong's concordance. Easy to find these either used or new.

B. Benjamin Davidson. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (1850), is unique in that it contains every word in the Old Testament, so if you cannot find the root of a word, this tool will help you find it, so that you can then look up the word in this or another Hebrew lexicon. Includes Christian perspective on words. Easy to find either used or new.

C. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke , Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1980). Spends considerable room on words and meanings of the roots. Easy to find either used or new.

Davar is an excellent program where one can study the Masoretic or pointed Hebrew text. Here we can see the Biblia Hebrea Stuttgartensia (BHS) and the functioning of the simplified but useful lexicon. The next three screenshots show a few of the excellent tools found in this software: the BHS text, the Lexicon looking for words that begin with a Hebrew letter, and the Lexicon looking for Hebrew words depending on English words with a specific letter (I downloaded the Spanish version but you can do the same with English words and definitions). The program may be downloaded at Davar where one call also find other modules, including these in Spanish.

2. Targum

There are a number of Targums which are Aramaic (sometimes called Chaldee) paraphrases of the Biblia Hebraica. In some instances, the Targums are simply a translation into Aramaic, while in others, they are a more expanded explanatory translation or interpretation. These ancient manuscripts are very useful in the study of the Scriptures. Unfortunately, these are rare and often offered only as an English translation, so it is not easy to check the translation. On the other hand, there are tools such as the Palm Bible Plus software (see home page) that provide the text of the Targum in Aramaic at no cost. Some copies of the Holy Scriptures include a reference to the Targum translations. For the moment I will list one of my favorite Targum publications (to the Book of Isaiah) and a lexicon to the Targums. A very complete bibliography on the Targumim literature can be found at the Website for Biblical, Classical, and Ancient Near Eastern Studies.

A. J.F. Stenning (editor and translator), The Targum of Isaiah (1949), Oxford, Clarendon Press. This book is invaluable in that provides a very interesting introduction to the Targums, and their translation. For instance, Stenning shows how anthropomorphic language applied to God was replaced by other language. The Aramaic characters are in Hebrew script (much as Spanish and English use most of the same characters), and the materials are provided in English on one side of the page and in Aramaic on the other. If you can find it, it will probably cost between $60 and $100.

B. Targumic and Cognate Studies. Available as on-line Webpage, are various Targumic text translations for the Pentautech, Song of Songs, Ruth, and Lamentations. Download Targum including Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and Onkelos (to the Pentateuch, translated by J.W. Etheridge, 1862), Targumim to the Mergilloth (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, translated by Jay C. Treat, Samson H. Levey, and Christian M. M. Brady, respectively), and Targum to the Psalms (translated by Edward Cook).

C. Targumic and Cognate Studies. Available as freeware to dowload Targum to use with the Palm Bible+ freeware. Download Targum for Palm Bible+ including Targumim for the Pentateuch in Arameic, translations into English of the Pentateuch Targumim, and the Targum for the Holy Scriptures, including NEVI'IM: Isaiah Targum and Jeremiah Targum, as well as Targumim for Lamentations, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; as well as TORAH (Pentateuch) AND KETHUVIM (Writings). to the Torah and Minor Prophets, and others, called TrgBible (I have been really looking for that!) in Aramaic. These are made available by David Everson.

D. Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project edited by Dr. Stephen A. Kaufman, Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. This software (under $30) contains the Targum Johanthan to the Prophets, Targumic Toseftot to the Prophets, Targum Onqelos to the Pentateuch, Targum Neofiti to the Pentateuch, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to the Pentateuch, and much more including dozens of fragments, and even Targums associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Click on a word, and it will tell you if it is the name of a person (such as Ishayahu) or place (Yerushaliam). You need to know enough Hebrew or Aramaic to be able to read those names and geographical locations. Other words, however, and the lexicon shows the basic meaning of the word. The software is put together by Logos Bible Software and you can read more about it or purchase this at Libronix Digital Library System edition of the Targumim.

Targum lexicons.

A. Marcus Jastrow, A Dictionary of the Targumim, The Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (1971, 1996). This is a two-volume in one or a two volume dictionary of words found in the Targumim, Babylonian or Jerusalem Talmud, and Midrashic literature, as the title indicates. It includes how words are used in these writings. The 1996 version is a replica and is not as clear as I would like, but nevertheless it makes this book much more easily available.

3. Dead Sea Scrolls Scriptures

A. Martin G. Abegg and Peter Flint (Translators, 1999), The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, includes footnotes with the differences between the Biblia Hebraica or Masoretic Text, and those found in one or another of the Isaiah Scrolls found in the Qumran. This is the text as it was around the time of Jesus, or possibly earlier. The one negative of this otherwise excellent resource is that it is strongly based on the tradition of the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). The Hebrew script in the Dead Sea Scrolls is more ancient than what we have in our more modern block Hebrew. My dream wish would be to have one page in English and the other in block Hebrew and a translation that is closer to the Authorized Version (AV or KJV) or even the ASV. You can buy this book new for under $40.

B. Fred P. Miller's notations on the Isaiah Scrolls. If you can read the ancient Hebrew characters, then this Website will be a treat for you, with actual photographs of the Isaiah Scroll Manuscript.

4. Septuagint (LXX)

A. Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton (translator, 1851), originally published by Samuel Bagster & Sons, London, available for viewing or downloading. Website maintained and courtesy of Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. The Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek before Christ was born. Some books are better translated than others. This LXX translation is also provided by Devoted to Truth, and can also be found in a number of software packaged for the study of the Holy Scriptures, such as the Palm Bible Plus (described in the home page). You can also view the Greek text at The Greek Old Testament. It is not always clear who sponsors some of these Websites. Here is yet another source, which is very nice, with the name of each KNIGA (book in Russian) is given in both Greek and Russian. But the text in each page is given in Greek only, and is provided by Duke University and Universität zu Köln.

B. Biblical and Historical Research Software. The English Translation of the Septuagint Bible, including a LXX Text and Concordance Search Engine.

5. Peshitta or Syriac

A. George M. Lamsa (translator, 1961), Holy Bible: From the Ancient Eastern Text. Includes the Old and New Testaments. For those interested in New Testament only there is the James Murdock translation, besides the Lamsa one. Available new for under $40 and used for about $20.

6. Vulgate

The Latin Vulgate (405 AD) can be consulted in Latin (e.g., Biblia Sacra, Vulgata Editionis, 1857) or in its English translation, the Douay Version (first published in 1609). The 1861 version of the Biblia Sacra can also be found on-line with photos of every page, at Biblia Sacra. Two see both the Latin and the Douay side-by-side in clear form you can go to LatinVulgate.com.
Very ExcellentClementine Project VulSearch This is an outstanding piece of software and well worth the 10-15 minutes to install. It includes a Latin lexicon and search engine. I recommend that you download it from the Clementine site, as the author provides updates and corrections from time to time. This side-by-side searchable version of the Vulgate and Douay may be downloaded from the Clementine Vulgate Project VulSearch (NOTE: you may need to also download Microsoft Framework (no cost). I suggest downloading the latter first, otherwise you will have to re-execute the program. Some may prefer to use the program on-line to both search and view the Vulgate.

7. Other Recommendations (available from Gregorio Billikopf).
For conversation or questions contact Gregorio at bielikov@yahoo.com.

Holy Scriptures Study

2007-07-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
--Jeremiah 9:23-24 (Yirmeyahu 9:22-23)

These pages are dedicated to the study of the Holy Scriptures (also known as the Old Covenant, or Old Testament) and more particularly to the study of Isaiah and the Prophets. The Talmud reads (view the Talmud, Mishnah, Tanakh, and other Rabbinic Literature in Hebrew, free on-line), "All the prophets prophesied not but of the days of Messiah" (Sanh. 99a). In the New Covenant we read, "...for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). There are so many wonderful free or low cost materials available to help us with our study of the Holy Scriptures. Here are a few of my favorites. These are not necessarily listed in order of importance. Many of these resources are so complete and wonderful that it would take pages to describe them, so I will only provide a few comments about each. Of course, prayer and the guidance of the Spirit will be the most important help we can obtain as we study the Scriptures.

1. eSword (available from Rick Meyers, Equipping Ministries Foundation)
This is perhaps the most complete all-in-one package software package for the study of the Holy Scriptures. Not only does it include a series of books such as The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah by Edersheim, but also has three open windows where you can read a verse of scripture and check one of many available commentaries in another and look up words in one of the many extensive Bible dictionaries or available lexicons. You can download the Bible Versions that interest you, including the KJV, Geneva Bible, Septuagint, Hebrew (unpointed), an English version of the Vulgate, the Vulgate in Latin, and so on. At present there are also three editions of the Bible in Spanish, which are of special interest to me. There are numerous other languages available. You can open multiple versions of the Bible at one time when you are doing a comparative study. Several versions are linked to Strong so you can look up the corresponding number in Strong or several other lexicons that are available.

COST= Free. Can download it from http://www.e-sword.net/ Please note that the Bibles, commentaries, books, lexicons, and references included, when purchased in hard copy—if you are fortunate to be able to find them—would cost thousands of dollars. For instance, you will find all ten volumes of Keil & Delitzsch commentary on the Old Testament; John Gill’s, Barnes and several other multi-volume commentaries on the complete Bible, the four volume Standard International Encyclopedia, and many others. I have a hard copy of these, except for John Gill’s commentary, and it sure is nicer to have them all in my screen at the same time than having 15 or more books open on my desk. I still have to have several open books, anyway, but the number is greatly reduced.

2. LDS Scriptures Advanced Resource Edition (available from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Contains the King James Version (KJV) Old and New Testament side-by-side with the Hebrew and Greek respectively. Superb search and statistical engine. Can click on any word in Hebrew and obtain the Strong definition. Hebrew has Masoretic points for easier reading. Also, can click on a Hebrew word and see how it is translated in every instance in the Old Testament. Similar tools exist with the Greek and New Testament studies. Those who have not learned how to read the Hebrew or Greek characters can switch the Hebrew for transliterated Hebrew. This software also contains multilingual versions of The Book of Mormon.

COST= $6. Can purchase from a Distribution Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worldwide, or through the Web, Item #50315000 On-Line Distribution Center, or in the USA can also call 1-800-537-5971 (make sure to ask for the Advanced or Resource Edition).

3. 3D Holy Land Animation (available from ROHR Productions).
With this software you can “fly” over the Holy Land. For anyone who has ever wanted to get a good feeling for the terrain of the Holy Land. The software includes hundreds of photos as well as linked areas so that by the click of a button the plane will fly on its own and transport you from one part of the Holy Land to another. You can also fly on your own, and can control for the speed, elevation, and tilt of the terrain view. The software is composed of photos and satellite shots. One can descend to about 200 meters in some locations and still see pretty well in terms of focus, and not so low in other locations. The Holy Land 2-volume ROHR atlas that comes with this software is one of my favorite Bible atlases. “The satellite database of the Holy Land was made by merging the color data from NASA’s Landsat 5 satellite with the black & white data from the French SPOT satellite.”

COST= $135 (includes CD plus 2-Volume Atlas). Can purchase from Richard Cleave, ROHR Productions, Ltd., P.O. Box 23312 Nicosia, Cyprus. (Telephone 357 22 675082). E-mail Richard for a contact in your country, at info@rohrproductions.com.

4. Bible+ for Palm (available from Yih-Chun Hu, Poetry H.C. Poon, Alexander Pruss, Adam McDaniel, Michael Neuhold, J.S. Park, and Antoine R.J. Wright).
This team of computer experts have made it possible to carry the Holy Scriptures in your Palm Pilot. A large number of Bible versions are available, which can be viewed two at a time, including the pointed Hebrew, unpointed Hebrew, KJV, Targum, LXX, and much, much more. You will have to work for it if you want to install the Hebrew, as it is not immediately clear how to do it, but it is worth the effort! For instance, I was recently reading a book with a reference to the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. I was able to verify that the author's assertion about a particular reference was correct. In addition, you can download numerous commentaries, versions with Strong numbers lexicons,and an ever increasing number of useful Biblical tools.

COST = Free at http://palmbibleplus.sourceforge.net/pbmanual.htm#download
Or http://palmbibleplus.sourceforge.net/
Below is a screenshot of the unpointed Hebrew courtesy of J.S. Park, Primary Biblical Texts on the Palm.

5. Google Earth (available from Google).
With this software you can “fly” over the Holy Land and extended areas, as well as over the whole earth. So you fly over the Euphrates or Egypt, as well as over Israel. Cannot fly as low over Israel as you can over the USA. I hope this will be remedied soon. Cannot descend as low as with the ROHR software in the Holy Land. The quality of the images is otherwise outstanding. Also uses satellite imagery, and also permits you to fly and change speed or altitude or tilt of view.
COST= Free download at http://earth.google.com/

6. Bible Plus (available from Contact Plus Corporation).
Bible Plus is an excellent KJV software for quickly looking up or copying a verse or chapter of the Holy Scriptures. I often use it to search for scriptures while I have eSword open. It will list all the passages where a certain word is used. (A similar tool for those who work with the Spanish Reina Valera is called Spanish Holy Bible RVA http://www.zeitun-eg.org/ or download 1909 Reina Valera here.)

COST= Free download at Contact Plus Software Or download Bible Plus here.

7. Audio Scriptures in Hebrew (available from Talking Bibles International Website).
This is one of my very favorite references. Download or listen to the complete Old Testament in Hebrew. You can choose a complete book or download chapter by chapter. MP3 files may be listened to in your computer or can burn a CD using the "burn music" rather than the "burn data" option if you wish to listen in your car or CD player. Native Hebrew voice, excellent resource. This site also has "Talking Bibles" in a large number of other languages. Go directly to the Hebrew page.

COST= Free at http://audioscriptures.org/

8. Aleph-Bet (available from Akhlah: The Jewish Children's Learning Network).
Learn the basics of pronouncing the Hebrew alphabet. Gives the name of each letter in Hebrew, rather than a person speaking in another language to introduce the letter. There are other programs that you can buy that are excellent for learning how to pronounce Hebrew, my favorite being an older program called Triple Play Plus in Hebrew (unfortunately, not focused on Biblical Hebrew). There are other software packages for Biblical Hebrew that may be of interest. I am looking for one that combines a native voice with an emphasis on Biblical Hebrew.
COST= Free at http://www.akhlah.com/aleph_bet/aleph-bet.php

9. Hebrew Alphabet (available from National Jewish Outreach Program).
Like Aleph-Bet, a good place to practice your Hebrew pronunciation.
COST= Free at http://www.njop.org/html/interactive_hebrew.html

10. The Scriptures Audio (available from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
The King James Version audio may be heard in this site. The link provided below is linked to The Book of Isaiah, the whole of the Old Testament being narrated with an exquisite voice quality. You can listen and follow along with the KJV narration at this site. I own and have listened to a great variety of audio narrations of the Holy Scriptures (in Spanish and English), this being my favorite. Also available from the same site are the New Testament, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price.

COST= Free at http://www.lds.org/broadcast/scriptureaudio/book/1,5358,75-79,00.html
General site at http://www.lds.org/broadcast/scriptures/0,5393,48-1,00.html

10. Other Recommendations (available from Gregorio Billikopf).
There are too many excellent tools, and books available to mention them all. Anyone who is interested in additional resources, may contact me.

COST = Free at mailto:bielikov@yahoo.com?subject=Holy

Gregorio Billikopf
bielikov@yahoo.com