Hebrew Bible Insights

The Dead Sea Scrolls are one of the most fascinating and important archaeological discoveries for understanding the world of the Bible. In this episode, we sit down with Dead Sea Scrolls scholar, Dr. Andrew Perrin, to explore the rich and complex world of these ancient texts. From the famous Isaiah Scroll and the commentary on Habakkuk to Aramaic dream visions, scribal traditions, and the Pseudepigrapha, this conversation uncovers ...

What happens after Israel escapes Egypt? In part two of our exploration of “service” in Exodus, Matthew Delaney and Dr. Nathan French pick up where the story left off—moving from liberation to covenant, from slavery to worship. We trace the development of this theme through key moments in Exodus 15–40, including the image of God vs. the images of idols, the meaning of Sabbath, and the construction of the tabernacle. Along the way, ...

What does it really mean to “serve” in the book of Exodus? In this episode, Matthew Delaney and Dr. Nathan French explore how a single Hebrew word weaves through the early chapters of Exodus—from Israel’s oppression under Pharaoh to their calling to worship Yahweh. By tracing this vocabulary across key moments in Exodus 1–14, we uncover a powerful theme: the Exodus is not just about escaping slavery—it’s about being set free to wor...

Dive into the diverse roles of biblical prophets with Dr. Todd Hibbard. In this episode, we discuss his book "Prophets and Prophecy," examining the phenomenological aspects of prophecy and its implications for economic and legal criticisms in ancient Israel and Judah. Dr. Hibbard also connects these insights to modern Christian perspectives and the teachings of Jesus, offering a transformative look at how these ancient me...

Read 1 Enoch with us in the Hebrew Bible Book Club: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsights
In today's episode, we explore the significance of the Book of 1 Enoch and its impact on early Christian thought. Although most Christians today do not consider this book canonical, 1 Enoch offers valuable insights into Jewish eschatology and its influence on the New Testament. It is even quoted by Jude who says that Enoch proph...

Read 1 Enoch with us in the Hebrew Bible Book Club: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsights

In today’s episode, we tackle an important question: How should we evaluate biblical characters? Are they flawless heroes, irredeemable villains, or something more complex? We explore how to move beyond simplistic views by looking at the actual text and learning from the wisdom of St. John Chrysostom.

We also discuss th...

Join a Hebrew language cohort with Matthew Delaney: https://www.patreon.com/hebrewbibleinsights

In today’s episode, we chat with Bobby about his fascinating journey into the world of biblical languages and dive deep into his work on a Hebrew dictionary. What inspired him to create it? How do we understand Hebrew words beyond the Bible? And what’s the deal with Paleo Hebrew? We also get a behind-the-scenes look at the joys and challe...

Enroll in the "What is Biblical Wisdom" Video Course: https://hebrewbibleinsights.teachable.com/p/biblicalwisdom

In today’s episode, we sit down with Dr. Alexander Kirk to explore his book, Agur's Wisdom and the Coherence of Proverbs 30. Who is Agur, and why does he stand out as an eccentric genius? What can we learn about wisdom literature from the history of its interpretation? And how do we approach the humor, stru...

Enroll in the "What is Biblical Wisdom" Video Course: https://hebrewbibleinsights.teachable.com/p/biblicalwisdom

We interview the authors of a new intermediate Hebrew grammar: “Going Deeper with Biblical Hebrew.” Dr. Chip Hardy and Dr. Matthew McAffee give insights and methods for how students can learn during the unique intermediate phase of the Hebrew language journey. They also give thoughts for professors and teachers ...

In this episode Rabbi Eisen shares insights about the connections and differences between Torah and Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible. 

Rabbi Chaim Eisen is joining us from Israel! He has been teaching, editing, and publishing on the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Midrash, Medieval Jewish Philosophy, and more for over 40 years. In this episode, we talk about the relationship between Torah and wisdom. 

To learn more and Rabbi Chaim Eisen an...

What is Biblical wisdom? Wisdom is such an important topic of life, and it is critical to think about this biblically. In this special episode, Dr. Nathan French asks Matthew Delaney (MA Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) questions about the first ever Hebrew Bible Insights video course. Matthew shares why he created the course, the methodology behind the research, as well as a number of insights from studying wisdom in the...

Rabbi Chaim Eisen is joining us from Israel! He has been teaching, editing, and publishing on the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Midrash, Medieval Jewish Philosophy, and more for over 40 years. In this episode, we talk about the third section of the Hebrew Bible called the “Ketuvim” or the “Writings.” The order of the books of the Hebrew Bible are very different from the order that many experience in Bibles in Christian communities. The way...

Dr. Douglas K. Smith gives a presentation based on his PhD dissertation in which he does a blended discourse analysis of the flood account in both the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) and Greek Septuagint (LXX). His goal is to validate a holistic methodology that can 1) discern the structure, coherence, and communicative purpose of the discourse and 2) compare the versions to reveal and assess the translation strategies of the translator...

What does the Bible have to say about wisdom? Matthew Delaney (MA Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages) discusses a part of Scripture where the English word for wisdom might not show up even though the Hebrew word does appear. This teaching has implications for how we understand Exodus, how we approach career, and has a challenging and encouraging message about our God given gifts and callings.

Stay tuned for an upcom...

We have a conversation with Chad Bird inspired by his new book “Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament.” How do we summarize the Hebrew Bible in a way that is engaging and helpful? How do read difficult Psalms? How do we see Christ in the Hebrew Bible? We talk about all of this and more in today’s episode.