Hebrew Tattoo Errors

Last week, an amusing article surfaced which featured a bad Hebrew tattoo observed in an Arkansas Walmart.  Several people tagged me or pointed me to this article.  So, just for fun, here's my list of the most common Hebrew Tattoo Errors.  Below is a picture of the tattoo in question, followed by  a moral.  A link to the article is at the very bottom. 

1.     Line break/left justification errors.  This happens when the tattoo artist/patron doesn’t know where to make line breaks.  Since Hebrew reads from right to left, line breaks should be right justified, not left justified.  The result is that something crazy like this happens:

only a test.

this is

This is a test,

2.     Formatting errors.  This happens when the tattoo artist formats the text based on what they apparently perceive as the most attractive layout.  This is done without awareness of the flow or structure of the text.  The result is that it gets scrambled, something like this:

to the proposition that “all men are created equal.”

, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated

ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent

Four score and seven years

3.     Spelling/form/part of speech errors.  These happen when: a.) a Hebrew word is misspelled, b.) the wrong form of a letter is used (e.g. final form letters), c.) construct form is used when the word stands alone (e.g. “Dreams of”), i.e. when the absolute form should be used (e.g. “Dream,”) or, d.) when the wrong accents are used, e.g. when conjunctive accents are used for words standing alone, etc.  Compareאֱלֹהִ֑ים  with אֱלֹהִים  Notice the first word has an angle bracket looking mark under the 3^rd letter.  This mark is an accent signaling its placement in the sentence.  In other words, this form would never occur alone.  A tattoo of this single word with the accent shows that it was pulled straight out of a sentence.

4.     Syntax errors. Similar to 3.c, this happens when, a.) the wrong grammatical form of a term is chosen.  Example: Imagine seeing a word tattoo worn by an Asian man that reads “Dreamed.” What he probably hoped to say was, “Dream;” or when, b.) two contiguous words occur with wrong or missing prepositions or conjunctions. E.g. He ran [up] [the] mountain. 

5.     Wrong word/wrong meaning.  This is one of the most common and is likely what happened in the above pic.  This happens when someone has a meaning for a term in mind, but the actual Hebrew/Aramaic word has nothing to do with the meaning claimed.

Profound Moral: It is probably unwise to get a tattoo written in a language you do not know, or with which your tattoo artist is unfamiliar.  

I've heard it said that people used to get tattoos to stand out; now they get them to fit in.  I don't know why folks are concerned with either.  In any case, there is a booming market for tattoo removal, and some can't be removed; it will be interesting to see what becomes of the "cracker" guy.  :)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11604906/This-mans-Hebrew-tattoo-doesnt-say-what-he-thinks-it-does.html?fb_ref=Default

BMATS-Ark. Annual Report to the Board

[In April I delivered the annual seminary report to the BMATS board.  Due to a lot of positive interest, I'm posting the outline below]

Annual Report to the Board of Trustees

The BMA Theological Seminary

Conway Campus, Year 2014-15

  

Dear Trustees and Administration,

I am pleased to be able to present to you the annual report on the development and progress of the BMATS, Arkansas campus for the academic year 2014-15.  A year ago I presented a proposal including goals for the revitalization of the Arkansas campus.  So, as we come to the end of the first year of our BMATS Arkansas revitalization effort, and prepare for year 2, it would be appropriate to highlight how those goals were realized as well as to highlight goals for the upcoming academic year.  An outline of the developments and progress for the 2014-15 academic year is below.

Faculty/Staff. We raised the money to hire our first fulltime Ark. campus faculty member with minimal impact on previous budget. Close to 100% was raised by a combination of new support plus reallocation of previous administrator’s salary.  In total we added/hired 6 new faculty and staff and began integrating them in the 2014 Fall semester.  In addition to the new campus administrator, we added the following: 1.) Recruiter/Administrative Support Specialist, Zach Nance (M.Div., Th.M., Philosophy of Religion); 2.) Director of Women, Janet L. Rickett (M.A. Biblical Counseling); 3.) Professor of Historical-Theological Studies, Andrew V. Snider (M.Div., Th.M., Th.D. Systematic Theology); 4.) Professor of Biblical Studies, Gary O'Neal (M.Div., Ph.D. New Testament); 5.) Professor of Church Ministries, Steven Crawley (M.B.A., M.A.R., Ph.D. Leadership); 6.) Professor of Church Ministries, Scott Attebery (M.Div., D.Min.).

Courses. For the first year, we expanded our course and program offerings by developing and implementing new cutting edge options.  These included: 1.) Selected Topics in Theology (Dr. Snider), which addressed pivotal issues including Homosexuality/Gay Marriage, Biblical Inerrancy, Creation, and Evangelical Inclusivism; 2.) Administrative Christian Leadership (Dr. Crawley); and 3.) Presuppositional Apologetics, in conjunction with the Paschal Lectures.  These are in addition to the standard courses we have been offering.  For Fall 2015, we are integrating two of our new faculty as part of our plan for sustained growth and expansion.  Drs. O’Neal and Attebery will be teaching courses either in-class, online, or both. 

Enrollment.  We saw a 100% increase in enrollment for in-class/traditional students from Spring 2014 to Fall 2014, and additional enrollment for online courses at both campuses.   

Campus.  1.) Administrative. After a few years of no visible presence at CBC, we were able to reestablish an essential, fully operational administrative seminary office. 2.) Academic. For the second/current semester (Spring 2015), for the first time we began offering a class in a morning time slot effectively expanding our campus from an afternoon/evening only campus to a traditional day school.  This expansion provides our students with additional classroom and course offerings, significantly increasing appeal to prospective and current students.  E.g., students who could only be on campus one day a week were provided the opportunity to have a full schedule by enrolling in the morning, afternoon, and evening classes.  Additional benefits include: potential decrease in program length, increase in academic options, and greater flexibility and convenience.

Programs. 1.) We have been able to decrease minimum enrollment time for the M.Div. on our campus from 4 years to 3 years by reducing time required to complete the original language course cycles.  E.g., instead of waiting a full year between the completion of Hebrew exegesis and Hebrew Grammar I, we have been able to schedule Hebrew Grammar I the academic year immediately following the end of the Hebrew language cycle.  Greek Exegesis and Hebrew Grammar will overlap for students choosing the 3 year program. 2.) We have turned our unofficial seminary wives program into an official Seminary Wives/Seminary Women program.  This is a free women’s discipleship program designed to assist the wives of our students, women students, and other women from the community in preparing for life in ministry.  This program is currently attended by wives of seminary students as well as women not otherwise connected to our seminary family.  3.) We’ve begun developing other women specific options and plan to host some off campus courses/programs as material, opportunities, and needs allow. 4.) We have implemented opening and closing chapel services to the academic calendar.

Advancement. 1.) Expositor’s Lunch Program. We developed and implemented an Expositors Lunch program.  This program is scheduled to meet two times per year and provides local pastors and Christian leaders the option of accessing free training in expositional preaching/teaching.  It is also creating a network of likeminded Christian leaders composed of those committed to the highest level of biblical fidelity in their preaching, teaching, and practical ministries.  Our first lunch was attended by 50-60 local pastors/leaders, even though the campus was officially closed due to inclement weather.  Over 70 registered for the lunch and we reached near capacity for our accommodations. 2.) Appeal to non-BMA. In addition to BMA pastors/leaders, the lunch was attended by members of the National Baptist Convention, SBC, non-affiliated Bible Church, ABA, Reformed Baptist, and Capitol Commission (6 non BMA affiliations), etc. By broadening our appeal, we are making significant progress towards reaching the larger Christian community in Arkansas.

Inter Campus Cooperation.  1.) Teaching/lectures. Our campus Administrator gave the Brand lectures on the subject of presuppositional apologetics (referenced above) at the Texas campus.  Lectures were well-received and continue to be accessed online via Sermon Audio. Also, he will teach an apologetics course to Latin American students with Dr. Ricky Williams via satellite in June.  Our new Professor of Historical-Theological Studies was utilized on the Texas campus both in chapel and via class room lectures through our satellite system.  He is also scheduled to teach with Dr. Holmes on our Honduras campus in the summer.  Next semester Dr. O’Neal is scheduled to teach a NT course that will also be available at the Texas campus and on our campus in the Philippines. 2.) BMATS, Ark. faculty participated in and contributed to work related to the doctrinal statement revision and white paper.

Scholarly and Professional Contributions.  Unique to an academic institution is the importance of contributing to the larger academic community.  For a theological seminary, this is particularly important in its specific domain of specialization.  Although scholarly contributions benefit the institution in ways related to accreditation and credibility, it is most important for the larger purposes of serving Christ as we seek to shape thinking, church life, and culture by producing Christ exalting materials and influencing Christian leaders.  This year, the BMATS, Ark. team made a number of contributions in these areas.

1.) Presentations and Conferences.  The Evangelical Theological Society and its sister organization, The Evangelical Philosophical Society are the premier professional societies for evangelical scholars in the fields of theology and philosophy.  Several of our new team members are active in these societies.  This year, for the first time, our campus was represented at the Southwest regional meetings of both societies on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  Zach Nance presented a scholarly paper in the area of religious knowledge at EPS, while Andy Snider represented BMATS at ETS.  Similarly, Janet Rickett represented BMATS at the Gospel Coalition’s Women’s Conference in Florida.  Our administrator represented BMATS at the National Conference on Christian Apologetics at the Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina, and the Stand Firm apologetics conference at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.  Also, he represented BMATS in an address to local state legislators at the Arkansas State Capitol.  

2.) Scholarly and Professional Publications.  Scott Attebery published a book in the area of practical decision making, entitled, Navigate: Understanding & Pursuing God's Will (Discipleguide, 2014).  Also, our campus administrator made several new scholarly, contributions in the areas of biblical studies, comparative religions, and Christian apologetics.  These were published articles in a new electronic dictionary (Lexham Bible Dictionary, Lexham Press, 2014), a major study Bible (Faithlife Study Bible, Faithlife 2014), a forthcoming printed version of the LBD (Lexham Press, 2015), and he has agreed to a contract for a new book on presuppositional apologetics (DiscipleGuide, projected release date, 2015) with endorsements already received from key leaders in the field.  There are other contracts under discussion as well.

Trajectory. In general, our current trajectory is upward.  We have a general increase in prospective student interaction with new inquiries coming from a variety of sources.  There is a general increase in excitement among the current student population as they see the positive changes, focused direction, and upward trajectory of the campus, administration, faculty and staff.  Students are excited about implementing their training in their local churches (are already doing so) and in seeing Christ honored with more faithful service to Him.

Serving Christ,

R. Brian Rickett, Th.M.; Th.D./D.Min. studies

Professor of Biblical Studies

Conway, Ark. Campus Administrator

The BMA Theological Seminary

The Rabbi and the Cow

In the late '90s, I had a good Jewish friend who's father had been an Orthodox Rabbi, and who's ministry was to try and move conservative and reformed synagogues back to orthodoxy.  Ironically, however, my friend had come to believe that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and he was passionate about trying to explain to the Jewish community why this was so.  Predictably, he was ostracized by his family.

 During the course of our relationship (he eventually moved to Israel and we lost touch), he would convey traditional Jewish folklore, rabbinic wisdom, various sayings and so on.  More interesting, though, is that he viewed the NT through the lens of his Jewish upbringing, which gave a lot of interesting perspective to our Bible studies.  On one occasion, he related the following story that was so quirky, it was hard to get passed its quirkiness to process the wisdom behind it.  There are, however, some timeless principles illustrated by the tale that have caused my mind to revisit the story numerous times over the past 17 or so years since he related it to me.  

In identifying most with the Rabbi (from my role and experiences as a Pastor), the questions most perplexing are, "What about those who cannot get access to the Rabbi's information?" and the consequent "How does the Rabbi handle the information he is supposed to keep secret?"  Pastors (and other spiritual leaders) are proclaimers of the truth, but just as much, they are secret-keepers, even when keeping secrets cost them greatly.  These are the questions that return to me.  What questions are perplexing to you?  Here's the story:

The Rabbi and the Cow

There was a rabbi, a very good and pious man, who wanted to see justice in the world. But it often seemed to him that good people got punished, and that bad or undeserving people thrived and prospered. He pondered about this, and he found no solution for his problem.

Now, this rabbi used to study at night, and sometimes he got a famous visitor—Elijah the Prophet.

“Come,” said the prophet on such an occasion. “Tomorrow I wish to go out into the world. I want to see whether the Jews around here are still hospitable; I want to experience how they keep this great mitzvah of our father Abraham. I want you to go with me. We will disguise ourselves as filthy, haggard beggars, and knock on doors. But no matter what happens, I want you to observe without asking me any questions or seeking any explanations.”

And so it came to pass. They left the next morning, and in the evening they came to a very poor hovel, hardly worthy of human occupation. They knocked and found that a poor farmer and his wife lived there together with a cow, their only possession, which provided their meager livelihood: they sold milk in the next village, and drank what was left. It kept them from starving.

The farmer couple was poor but very friendly, and ushered the two “beggars” in. They let them sleep on their best straw (they had no beds), and they shared a slice of hard bread and a cracked bowl of milk from their cow with them. They entertained the guests with friendly conversation, till they all said the nighttime prayers and went to sleep.

In middle of the night the rabbi noticed that Elijah had slipped away to the “stable,” a part of the hut screened off with a burlap sack, where the couple’s cow was kept. He wondered what the prophet might be doing there, but remembering his promise, he said nothing.

The next morning they woke up to a terrible scream. The farmer’s wife had gone to milk the cow, had found the animal stretched out on the floor, stiff and dead. “How will we live?” she wailed. “Now we will die, too!” The rabbi expressed his concern, and tried to console her. He told her to trust in G‑d, but they had to leave her sobbing.

“No questions, remember!” whispered Elijah when he saw the rabbi’s face. He blessed the poor couple, and they walked again for a whole day without having breakfast, because the cow had died. That meant no milk—and there was nothing else.

That evening they came into a village, and heard happy music. They found a nice house made of brick: servants were bustling about, and they were told that the wealthy owner of this nice house was preparing a party for the engagement of his daughter. “It’s better not to disturb him now,” warned a butler. “He doesn’t like beggars in normal circumstances, and he will be very irritated if you talk to him before his feast. Better go somewhere else!”

“No,” said Elijah, “we want to share in his joyous occasion, and we will ask for lodging and food from him.”

“At your own risk. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” said the butler before he hurried into the house with some bottles. And the butler was right. The owner of the house treated the beggars harshly, and threatened to have them removed by his servants. But they pleaded so desperately that finally he gave in and let them sleep in his barn, just to get rid of them. He warned them not to show themselves at the party; he would certainly not give them any food. “Beggars!” he muttered into his beard. “Let them go and work. They should be outlawed!”

And so, the rabbi and Elijah went to sleep with an empty stomach, and it was drafty and chilly in the stable. There was only old, smelly straw to lie on, because the owner did not spend much money on his animals.

The next morning they woke up, recited the Modeh Ani and washed their hands with water from a trough. Elijah pointed to a large opening in the wall of the crumbling barn. “That’s why it was so cold in here!” he exclaimed, and told the rabbi that they would repair that crack with some old tools that were in the barn.

The rabbi wanted to object, but he saw the stern look on the prophet’s face, and he obeyed without asking questions. They did not bother to tell the owner that they had fixed his wall; he was too busy receiving his guests, and would be angry to see the ragged beggars at his doorstep.

As they headed back to the rabbi’s village, Elijah said to him, “Í know that you did not find it fair that the cow of the good couple died, and that the wall of the miser was fixed for free. But in G‑d’s world, there is more to things than what meets the eye . . .”

“When we were sleeping in the poor couple’s hut, I heard the rustling of big wings from outside. It was the angel of death, who had come to take the life of the farmer’s wife. I pleaded with him to leave this couple alone, but as you know, the angel of death does not go away emptyhanded. It cost me a lot of trouble, but finally I was able to convince him to take the cow. And I gave a blessing to the couple when we left. They did not know it, but at that very moment a new cow, wandering and lost, was making its way to their hut. They will find it and take care of it. And not only that: G‑d will bless them this year with a child, which is their deepest wish.”

“Ï see,” said the rabbi. “And what about the miser?”

“‘Ah, him,” sighed Elijah. “Well, in the wall of his barn someone had hidden a jar with gold coins. That person died before he could tell anybody, and the gold stayed in the wall. Now, if the miser would repair that wall by himself—he would do it himself, because he is too stingy to hire a man to fix his barn—he would find the jar. But we fixed the wall for him, and the gold will stay hidden until a worthier person than he will find it. Also, the party of his daughter will not bring him luck: she will die before the wedding, the rich man will have bad luck in business and end up as a beggar, filthier and hungrier than we were, and he will go from door to door and sleep in barns, if he is lucky. Do you have any more questions?”

“No,” said the rabbi. “Now I understand that this world is not what it seems to be to us, and we can only trust G‑d to do justice in His world. Thank you for taking me on your trip . . .” And with this Elijah disappeared, and the rabbi went to do a mitzvah.

The above story posted by BY SHOSHANNAH BROMBACHER, here. 

Are you Living What you Believe?

[The present article is from The Challenge, News of The Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary, Fall 2012]

"Your theology is not what you say it is when your circumstances are comfortable. Rather, it is what you demonstrate it to be when your circumstances seem unbearable: when you experience excruciating, interminable pain; when things seem unfair—when you realize your personal hopes and dreams will never be realized. Your thoughts, and indeed your actions in those moments, are your theology.

Your theology is what you think and do: when you get the diagnosis; when you get the call from the ER chaplain informing you that your loved one is there; when you realize that the threats against you are not merely perceived, but are actual; when you understand that you are trapped in a miserable, dead-end job because you have to support your family—those moments reveal to you, and to others, what your theology actually is.

My summer project for 2012 was to finish a Hebrew-based Ecclesiastes commentary I have worked on for several years. Having previously completed the translation and exegetical work, and incorporated relevant notes from my apologetics, counseling, and Hebrew language courses, the project looked set. To polish things off, I preached expositorily through the book on Sunday evenings for a year and then taught Exposition of Ecclesiastes for BMATS in the spring semester. In God's providence, however, instead of writing on Ecclesiastes over the summer, I ended up living Ecclesiastes.

On Monday, June 4, the day after preaching from John 9 and explaining physical evil with illustrations including automobile accidents, I was in a near fatal car crash. My injuries included a broken neck, fractured skull, two severely broken arms—one requiring skin grafts, etc. In an instant, instead of writing out my theology of suffering, I was given an opportunity to live out my theology.

The glory of Christ was manifested by His obedience to the suffering and ignominy bound up in His substitutionary death on the cross. Following His example, and that of His servants, the whole life of the Christian, but especially the minister, is to be a spectacle of the grace of God triumphing over evil in all its varied forms. In this way, as he obediently follows Christ in his own suffering, the Christian minister becomes a living object lesson for both the world and the church of what it looks like for the redeemed to transcend suffering animated by the Gospel, motivated by hope, and empowered by the Spirit.

With this understanding, the Christian’s suffering becomes the most dynamic avenue for him to magnify Christ and the hope of the Gospel. It is important to note here that the hope Scripture offers sees pain and suffering realistically. We are not taught to view suffering through rose colored glasses; pain, suffering, and evil are real and terrible consequences of the Fall. We are taught, however, that these experiences are neither accidental nor meaningless. God has given us many magnificent promises and guarantees that He will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes, and that He has an ultimately good plan for suffering and evil known at least to Him. As important as preaching and teaching are, there is something more important, more dynamic to which we must give attention—faithful living, especially in suffering. No sermon, lecture, or book will be as powerful, convincing or Christ-honoring as this." 

--R. Brian Rickett, September, 2012

Codex L Psalter and Psalm Study

I. Codex Leningradensis  

Codex Leningradensis is the oldest complete Hebrew Bible.  Additionally, it is the primary source text for the Hebrew Bibles used by scholars and which provides the basis of our OT translations.  For the next few months, I'll be daily tweeting photo-texts of the Codex L Psalter.  To access these texts, you may want to check Twitter@RBrianRickett daily, or check here occasionally where I'll be cataloging these passages.  The psalms selected will correspond roughly to the day of the month (except for longer passages), e.g. Psalm 24 is posted for November 24.  I'll be editing these pictures to allow for Psalms divided by page or column breaks to be posted as a unity, except where prohibited by length, i.e. Psalm 119, etc.  Additionally, some Psalms may be tweeted/posted over multiple days.  Once I finish the selected Psalms, I'll place them at this link to allow for easier access to all Codex L materials.

Psalm 23 (Psalm 23 at 26 seconds)    Psalm 24     Psalm 25     Psalm 26   
Psalm 27 (Ps27b)     Psalm 28     Psalm 29     Psalm 30 (30:5/6)     Psalm 32     Psalm 33 (33:2; 33:3; 33:7; 33:9); Psalm 34 (34a; 34b; 34c; 34:14-17)

II. Study of Hebrew Poetry

One of my favorite components of Hebrew poetry is the study of sound patterns.  At the beginning of my Hebrew classes, I typically begin with a devotional study of a passage in Hebrew, usually a psalm that contains a readily observable sound pattern or other interesting device, e.g. acrostics. This helps students that don't yet know Hebrew develop an appreciation for the brilliance of Biblical Hebrew in general, and poetry in particular.  To that end, each week this semester, I'll be recording the reading and translations of the passages we study and will post them here for my students.  Students can listen in order to review; others can follow our progress by checking back here weekly (i.e. the below list & readings will continue to develop).  Eventually this should provide a good representative cross-section of passages employing a variety of devices beyond that of sound patterns.  As this expands, I'll include commentary, outlines, or other pertinent data that helps clarify the significance of the respective poetic device.

Though I will mostly employ a classical pronunciation, occasionally, I'll vary this (with explanation) to show how different approaches render different results. Those who employ a modern pronunciation may think any phonetic model unfamiliar to them is peculiar.  However, consider Watson's explanation of poetic devices involving sound in his pivotal book, Classical Hebrew Poetry.  He states,

 "When considering poetic devices involving sound—assonance, alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia and wordplay—the pronunciation of a language is very much to the fore.  This applies to classical Hebrew as well as to Ugaritic and Akkadian.  There is no need to repeat here what is set out in the standard grammars, although there is no complete consensus of opinion.  Two points have to be borne in mind.  Firstly, there is no such thing as the pronunciation of Hebrew (or of Ugaritic and Akkadian).  Like any other language, Hebrew developed and evolved, so that its pronunciation changes over the centuries.  Also, Hebrew had its share of dialects and idiolects both regional (particularly North and South) and social.  Secondly, in spite of a certain leveling effect brought about by the collection of Hebrew poetry into the canon, relics of these language variations remain.  And, in the absence of other guides, the Masoretic vocalization is very reliable—any alteration must be vouched for.  With these provisos, the study of sound patterns in Hebrew poetry is rewarding and interesting.” –W.E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry, p. 222.

One simple illustration of sound play is that of paronomasia.  Watson defines this as, "the deliberate choice of two (or more) different words which sound nearly alike” (CHP, p. 242).  An English example provided by R. Jakobson is as follows: 

“The girl used to talk about ‘the horrible Harry.’  ‘Why horrible?’ ‘Because I hate him.’ ‘But why not dreadful, terrible, frightful, disgusting?’  I don’t know why, but horrible fits him better.  Without realizing it, she clung to the poetic device of paronomasia.”—R. Jakobson, “Closing Statement: Linguistics and Poetics,” inStyle and Language (ed. T.A. Sebeok; Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1975), p. 357.

A biblical example of this device is found in Ps. 15:3, as follows:

  Psalm 15:3 לֹֽא־רָגַ֙ל׀ עַל־לְשֹׁנ֗וֹ לֹא־עָשָׂ֣ה לְרֵעֵ֣הוּ רָעָ֑ה וְ֜חֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹֽבוֹ׃

Can you find the paronomasia here? Hint: it's related not to a horrible Harry, but to a nasty neighbor. :) 

If you have any thoughtful questions/comments re. the particular reading you hear, feel free to drop a note in the comment section of this blog.  Thanks!

Note: (1) For a classic, dramatic reading by a native speaker, though one which inconsistently treats massoretic accents and is generally difficult to follow for stylistic reasons, check here:http://www.torahclass.com/audio-bible-in-hebrew.  You may want to listen to both (him and me) for comparison of different phonetic models. (2) You can own your own copy of the OT in Hebrew with the above digital reading for your IPhone ($10) by going to the App. store and searching for Hebrew Bible.  Find the one called חי--well worth it. (3) My own readings and translations of the below passages will be impromptu and will occur wherever/whenever it is convenient, i.e. these will not be sound studio quality (you may hear background noise such as a barking dog, squirrel, traffic, or even a stuffy nose.)

I. Acrostics

A. Comments. Biblical acrostics are alphabetic selections of Scripture, usually psalms, which are built on the sequence of the Hebrew alphabet.  Below are some things to note about them as well as a list of all the ones occurring in Scripture (that I know). 

(1)  The first letter of each line follows a certain sequence, "usually alphabetic so that each line begins with a successive letter of the alphabet.”  Notice in the examples below, that the first line begins with Aleph, the next with Beth, etc.

(2)  They are often considered to be "artificial" in scheme, non-oral in nature, and intended to appeal to the eye rather than the ear.  I'm not personally convinced of this.  Since the first sound of each line is the expected letter of the alphabet, this creates an expectation and builds drama as one listens to the poem read aloud.

(3)  The structure of the acrostic sets the poem or part of the poem off in an unusual way.  It adds variety to the poem and it utilizes poetic or artistic skill.  It is generally agreed that acrostics are used as an aid in memorization.  Personally, I find these very effective as a memory aid as the acrostic serves as it's own mnemonic device.

(4)  Acrostics inherently present thematic ideas expressed by the words of the acrostic and which serve as the focal point of each line/verse. 

B. List. 
Below are all known occurrences of biblical acrostics.  

·      Psalm 9  (a - k) 

·      Psalm 10 (l, vs. 12-17= q - t)--Difficult 

·      Psalm 25, 34: both miss at least the waw verse and have peh repeated at the end.

·      Psalm 37, 111, 112, 119 (every 8 verses begins with the same letter; each strophe contains the eight leading words of Psalm 19).

·   Psalm 145

·   Lamentations 1-4 (p before [; in chap. 3 every three verses begin with the same initial letter; chap. 5 has the same number of verses as letters in the alphabet)

·   Proverbs 31:10-31

·   Nahum 1:2-10—Extremely Difficult

C. Examples of Selected Texts.
     1. Psalms.  Below are the texts and readings of Psalm 111 and 112.  These two Psalms occur as a pair.  I regularly employ these in worship services around the Thanksgiving holiday.  Here are some things to note.

Structure

Psalm 111 and Psalm 112 are parallel in structure and should be studied together.     
      i.  Both are built on an acrostic structure
      ii. They are equal length.
     iii. Both have two lines per verse through verse 8.
     iv. Verse 9 then transitions to three lines per verse for the last two verses (vv. 9, 10).  This structure results in exactly 10 verses for both Psalms.  The significance from a poetic standpoint may be that since the Hebrew numerical system employs a 10 base model, this structure provides a perfect unit.  Additionally, Hebrew poems regularly lengthen the last verses of the poem to bring a punctuation to the poem's conclusion. 
      v. Pre-acrostic hallelujah phrase/command/call to worship
     vi. There is a parallel in thematic structure: the themes of both are introduced in the first line (also their conclusions are parallel in structure). 

·   The theme of 111 is: A psalm of thanksgiving to Yahweh.  The theme of 112 is the benefits of fearing Yahweh; in other words, 111 is on God, 112 is on God’s man. 

·    The pair of psalms begins with God and then ends with man.

·    There is a correspondence between verses, lines and vocabulary throughout the Psalms.

·    Both psalms identify the same two individuals.  There is the Worshiper and the Worshiped.  In Psalm 111 we see the worshiper who thanks God with whole heart as the blessed man of Psalm 112.

·  The man who fears God in 112:1 is the man whose whole heart was worshiping in 111:1

·   Notice, however, that when thanking God the psalmist personalizes the psalm (אוֹדֶה יְהוָה בְּכָל־לֵבָב).  However, when describing the blessing of being the worshiper, the psalmist generalizes the principle.  

·    Cf. Delights “חָפֵץ ” from Ps 112:1 with 111:2 “לְכָל־חֶפְצֵיהֶם ”
·      Line B of verse 3 of both psalms are parallel with : "וְצִדְקָתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד"

·     Verses 4 contain parallel wording: "חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם וְצַדִּיק"

·     What other observations can you make? 

Readings:

Jonah

Psalm 111 Hebrew Reading (classical pronunciation) with English Translation

Psalm 112 Hebrew Reading 

Proverbs: Prov. 31:10-31:The Excellent Wife

Psalm 3 Reading: To hear this Psalm sung by Messianic Jews in Hebrew, listen to track 3 of this album; Psalm 3 is the title song

The Particle mah: Proverbs 31:1-9 and Jeremiah 16: 10, 11

 Though not usually regarded as a sound pattern, here the interrogative particle (covered this week in class) is employed as a rhetorical device and so definitely arrests the attention of the listener/reader 

Psalm 1--Psalm 1 is chosen for the reading this week for 4 key reasons: 1.) it's use of the relative pronoun "asher"; 2.) it's use of the "ki im" conjunction; 3.) interesting use of massoretic accents (covered last week), and 4.) use of the poetical feature known as simile.

Psalm 136 (Hebrew Reading + English Translation)

Genesis 4

Ruth 1:1-4

Psalm 51--A Plea for Purity--this Psalm is chosen for the week's reading.  Consider the following notes: 

Psalm 51: A Plea for Purity

Notes:

1.) Superscription identifies the occasion

2.) Key Opening Ideas:

i. First line of text (v. 3) opens with a chiasm calling attention to David’s plea forGod’s gracious cleansing away of transgression based on His covenant loyalty and compassion.  The words of this chiasm draw attention to: cleansing based on God’s character, i.e. not the sin itself.  Words of the chiasm are the juxtaposition of: חָנֵּ֣נִי  with מְחֵ֣ה and רַ֜חֲמֶ֗יךָ with כְּחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ, i.e. “be gracious to me” with “blot out” and “according to your loving kindness” with “your compassion.”

ii. Notice also the following line (v. 4) where  כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי (cleanse me) is juxtaposed with טַהֲרֵֽנִי (purify me), and  מֵעֲוֹנִ֑י  (from my iniquity) is juxtaposed with  וּֽמֵחַטָּאתִ֥י (and from my sin). 

iii. Following, in vs. 5, is a parallelism between the words for sin (פְ֭שָׁעַי and וְחַטָּאתִ֖י)and the words expressing David’s knowledge of his guilt (אֲנִ֣י אֵדָ֑ע andנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד , i.e. “I know” with “before me continually.”

3.) Note the synonyms employed in the Psalm for sin, identifying a thematic key of the Psalm:   פֶּ֫שַׁע (3x), עָוֹן (3x), חַטָּאת (6x), רַע (1x) = 13 occurrences of words for sin. However, note the synonyms employed for right character indicating another, more amplified thematic key, including: purity, repentance, faithfulness, salvation, etc.  Representative forms as they occur are:מְחֵ֣ה   (2x), כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי  (2x), טַהֲרֵֽנִי (1x)   אַלְבִּֽין  (3x), תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי (1x), וְאֶטְהָ֑ר  (3x), נָ֜כ֗וֹן (1x), הָשִׁ֣יבָה  (2x), הַצִּ֘ילֵ֤נִי  (1x), תְּשׁוּעָתִ֑י   (2x) = 18 occurrences of these words (not including words for personal brokenness, vs. 19, etc.).  This means that there is both greater variety as well as a higher number of occurrences for the words on purity, plus additional words for the desired condition of the psalmist. 

Ecclesiastes 1

Solomon’s Argument that all is Vanity 

By R. Brian Rickett

Outline:

I.               Superscription (v.1)

II.             The Argument that all is Vanity (2-11)

A.    The Problem Stated (2, 3)

1.     The Problem Exclaimed—all is vanity (v. 2)

2.     The Problem Explained—man’s accomplishments are temporal (v. 3)

B.    The Problem Illustrated by Nature (4-7)

1.     The cycles of generations—transitory yet immutable (v. 4)

2.     The cycles of the sun—transitory yet immutable (v.5)

3.     The cycles the wind—transitory yet immutable (v. 6)

4.     The cycles of the rivers—transitory yet immutable (v. 7)

C.    The Problem Illustrated by Experience (8-11)

1.     The frustration of human inquiry (v. 8)

2.     The insignificance of accomplishment (v. 9)

3.     The finitude of knowledge (v. 10)

4.     The impermanence of legacy (v. 11)

Structure

            In verses 2-11, Solomon introduces the book of Ecclesiastes with a 10 verse poem arguing that life from an “under the sun perspective” (v. 3) is absolute futility.  The poem may be divided into three sections.  The introductory section  is comprised of vv. 2, 3, and then two equal stanzas of four verses each comprise the body of the poem for a total of 10 verses.

            In the first introductory verse (v. 2), Solomon exclaims the problem that all is vanity.  In verse 3, he then identifies the reason for his exclamation—due to the virtual immutability of creation, including the unceasing passing of generations, all of life’s accomplishments are utterly futile, from an “under the sun perspective.”  In verses 4-7 (Stanza 1), he illustrates the problem of vanity from nature and in verses 8-11 (Stanza 2) he illustrates the problem of vanity from human experience. 

            In the first stanza, Qoheleth demonstrates by analogy that the transitory yet virtually immutable nature of the solar cycles, cyclical climatic patterns, and movement of streams represents the passing of time, which erases all individual significance.[1]  In Stanza 2, Qoheleth builds on in his argument that because of passing of generations and inherent transient, finite nature of man, the physical individual along with his temporal, i.e. under the sun accomplishments are annihilated by the passing of time.  Citing common experience, Qoheleth shows that the individual has an utter lack of significance, from an under the sun perspective.  He shows the frustration of human inquiry (v. 8), the immutability of existence (v. 9), the finitude of knowledge (v. 10), and the impermanence of legacy (v. 11).  

[The above is an excerpt from my in progress commentary.  For the answer to the above problem, see Ecclesiates 12:13]

Note: Ecc. 1:1-11 contains an unusual amount of assonance that corresponds to the message of the poem.  Listen to the reading here and compare the sound with the message of the poem as identified in the above outline. 

---

              [1] It’s helpful to recall that weather patterns producing the constant flow of rivers are also cyclical.  Streams flow into the seas, water evaporates from the oceans producing clouds which produce rain which feed rivers and streams