Exegetically Speaking

The opening lines of Genesis illustrate the way Hebrew relies on the sounds of words to convey meaning, for example, the menacing Hebrew word for ‘darkness.’ Rabbi Steven Bob, who has contributed several episodes to this podcast series, is Rabbi Emeritus at Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard, Il and guest faculty at Wheaton College. He is the auth...

At a crucial juncture in his argument and in the space of two verses Paul uses four terms related to the πιστ- word-group, usually rendered as “faith” or “belief.” Background and the context of Romans favor hearing the ideas of “loyalty” and “faithfulness” in v. 3. Dr. Bates, who has been on this podcast before, is Professor of N...

The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – their refusal to bow down to the king’s image and their deliverance from the furnace – is among the most oft-told of the Bible. Archaeology has provided a compelling backstory for that event, illuminating some of drama that the narrator would have assumed. Dr. John Walton, Old Testament Professor Emeritus at Wheaton Graduate School, is a frequent contributor to this

A small, common, but theologically charged Greek verb in Rev. 20:3 quietly signals the fate of Satan in the triumphant King’s victory procession. Dr. Shane Wood is Professor of New Testament & Its Origins at Ozark Christian College. His publications include The Alter-Imperial Paradigm: Empire Studies & the Book of Revelation and Thinning the Veil: Encountering Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation.

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Unlike other prophetic books that directly address an audience, the message of Habakkuk presents itself to listeners by pondering a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God. By paying attention to repetition related to “seeing” in Habakkuk 1-2, we can pick up on God’s invitation to allow God’s perception of reality to enrich and challenge our own. Dr. Andrew Abernethy, a frequent contributor to this

Amos’ Hebrew is rich with rhetorical techniques such as word play and satire, sometimes throwing hard punches. Some of these can be heard in translation, others are difficult to preserve in English. Dr. Danny Carroll Rodas, who has contributed several episodes to this podcast series, is the Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy at Wheaton College.  He has written extensively on A...

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew’s Greek utilizes figures of speech that can be impossible to translate into English but which lend force and memorability to his words. Dr. Alexander Loney is Associate Professor of Classical Languages and the Coordinator of the Classical Languages program at Wheaton College. His publications include The Ethics of Revenge and the Meanings of the Odyssey and (co-editor) The Oxford Handbook of Hesiod. He...

The English words, “where there is no vision, the people perish,” would seem to commend the need of a good plan for a desired future, but the Hebrew sentence points in a different direction. Dr. Richard Schultz is the Blanchard Professor of Old Testament in Wheaton College Graduate School. In addition to other publications, he has authored Out of...

Is Ecclesiastes 3:10-14 about a despotic, distant god or a benevolent, known God? It depends on whether we recognize the force of a Hebrew definite article. Bradley Cameron (PhD, Wheaton) is Visiting Instructor in Old Testament at Wheaton College. His dissertation was, “Learning to Fear: An Exploration of the Fear of God in Ecclesiastes through the Lens of Emotion.”

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Heb. 1:1-4 is a beautifully rounded Greek sentence in praise of God’s Son in and as whom God has spoken. One metaphor conveys the uniqueness of this person as the “express image” of God himself. It is this metaphor that Dr. Ryken explains. Dr. Phil Ryken, who has been a regular on our podcast, is the President of Wheaton College, 8^th in the college’s histo...

Daniel’s refusal to eat the food provided by the king of Babylon is among the most popular of the Bible’s stories. But what food did Daniel refuse, what did he request, and why? A new look at the Hebrew text and its background suggests new answers. Dr. Aubrey Buster, who has been with us before, is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. Her publications include Remembering the Story of Israel:...

Beneath the surface of fairly stable English translations of 1 Corinthians 1:30 there flow quite varied interpretations of the Greek language Paul uses. Jon C. Laansma is the Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis in the Classical Languages program at Wheaton College, and the Wheaton-based director of this podcast series...

The choice for Israel is between quiet trust and anxious haste in an important prophetic passage. Prof. Schultz explains the background, Hebrew imagery, and the NT’s interpretation of Isaiah 28:16. Dr. Richard Schultz is the Blanchard Professor of Old Testament in Wheaton College Graduate School. In addition to other publications, he has authored Out of Context: How to Avoid Misinterpreting the Bible and The Se...

Dan. 5:2, within the Aramaic portion of Daniel, has always been taken to refer to the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, but a fresh look at the Aramaic and its context suggests that the last were female officials, not concubines. Dr. Aubrey Buster, who has been with us before, is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. Her publications include Remembering the Story of Israel: Historical Summaries and...

The Greek word usually translated as ‘righteousness’ in the Beatitudes (and elsewhere), is closer to the concept of ‘justice,’ signaling the down-to-earth concern of a people living under an unjust regime. Dr. George Kalantzis grew up in Athens, Greece, and has been at Wheaton College since 2007, where he is Professor of Theology and the Director of The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies. Among his publ...

The M.A. in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton has been running for about a quarter of a century and it recently broadened its mission to enroll remote learners. Prof. Abernethy explains this transition, along with the program’s resolute commitment to the acquisition and use of the original languages. Dr. Andrew Abernethy, a frequent contributor to this podca...

In this 300^th episode of Exegetically Speaking, we hear once again from Dr. Michael Bird. This time he is highlighting how the knowledge of Greek enables us to understand alternative interpretations of a critical Pauline passage. What do Paul’s uses of the perfect tense and genitive case convey in speaking of participation in Christ’s crucifixion and the life of faith? Prof. Bird is Deputy Principal ...

The poem in Nahum 1 breaks its stride in 1:7, in terms of both the Hebrew poetic structure and thematic emphasis. In part by this means, it implicitly asks its Israelite readers, some of whom may have been collaborators with Assyria, whether they side with the Lord or the Lord’s enemies. Dr. Mario Tafferner is Assistant Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Tyndale Theological Seminary, in Badho...

Dr. Gisela Kreglinger, who grew up on a family-owned winery in Franconia, Germany, is an independent researcher who long ago noticed the peculiar prominence of wine and vineyards in both the Old and New Testaments. In this episode she talks about learning the biblical languages in preparation for her work and their contribution to a sound understanding of the Bible’s topics. In doing so, she highlights some key...