The Bible as Literature

When the text says “recline” in Greek, it doesn’t mean “recline.” When the Greek text differentiates “recline” through repetition, it still doesn’t mean “recline,” even in translation. Even when Greek functions correctly, Greek alone is insufficient—it doesn’t work without lexicography. Without proper word study, there is no such thing as Scripture. If you merely hear the original Greek text in Greek without studying its Semitic inter-function, you are nothing more than a Greek. Jesus has not yet restored your ears, crippled by Hellenism.What is an alabaster flask? Oh yes, you want to discuss your ancient theology of burial—wrong again. What is an alabaster flask? Do you know where your theology originates, who it was crafted for in antiquity, and how it was used? Or would you prefer to talk about how noble it is that someone as esteemed as you deigns to meet with people you perceive as lesser?You hypocrite.You are not Jesus; he may be least, but he is less than no one in the story. They have nothing to offer him, and he has nothing to learn from them. Your theology of reclining is silly, too.If you disagree, it is because you still have not understood the command against patriarchy, family, institution, and Alexandrian Greco-imperialism in Genesis: you must leave your father and mother and cling to your wife.As a long-time listener wrote in this week:“In your last podcast, did you argue that the idea is not about continuation in a particular place? That the entire point is to disappear, ensuring that nothing continues from one generation to the next? Is it less about mother, father, husband, wife, nuclear family, sentimentality, and romantic ideals and more about living your time without worrying about progeny, trusting instead that God will provide?That looking back to our father’s generation and our ancestors is futile because clinging to what they had means we are simply trying to preserve an institution that God places no value on because continuing where you came from isn’t the command?”Yes…yes.Would you rather be a lily in God's field or a slave in Solomon's brig?He who has ears to hear, let him hear!Or, as I am wont to shout from the rooftops:“Free Palestine!”This week, I discuss Luke 7:36-39.Show Notesφάγω-ἐσθίω / א-כ-ל (aleph-kaf-lamed) / أ-ك-ل (ʾalif-kāf-lām)To “to eat” or “consume.” أَكَلَ (akala)“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat(אָכַל, akal) freely.’” (Genesis 2:16)“For God knows that in the day you eat (תֹּאכֵלוּ, tokelu) from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)κατεκλίθη / נ-פ-ל (nun-pe-lamed) / ن-ف-ل (nun-fa-lam)From the verb κατακλίνω, κατεκλίθη means to lay down or to cause to recline. It corresponds to נפל, which indicates fall, collapse, aggressive action, to fall upon in raid, to force to lie down, bring to ruin, drop to the ground, and by extension, to give birth (the related concept of dropping something to the ground). “If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but falls (נָפַל, nafal) to bed,” (Exodus 21:18)نَفَّلَ (naffala) “he fell to his share” or “assigned as a share.” الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ(al-anfālu lillāhi wa-l-rasūli)“The spoils are for God and the Apostle.”Surat al-Anfal 8:1κατάκειμαι / ש-כ-ב (shin-kaf-bet) / س-ك-ب (sīn-kāf-bāʼ)From the verb κατάκειται, κατάκειμαι means to lie down or to be laid out. It aligns with שׁכב, which can indicate to lie down, lie, lie asleep, or lie sick. سَكَبَ (sakaba) to pour or spill. “How long will you lie down (תִּשְׁכָּב tishkab), lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:9)“And you will be like one who lies (כְּשֹׁכֵב, ke-shokheb) down in the middle of the sea, or like one who lies (כְּשֹׁכֵב, ke-shokheb) down on the top of a mast.”وَيُسْكَبُ مَآءٌۭ حَمِيمٌۭ(wa-yuskabu māʾun ḥamīmun)“And scalding water will be poured.”Surah Al-Infitar (82:19)ἀλάβαστρονThe name “Alabastron” derives from the Egyptian city of the same name, where high-quality alabaster stone was quarried. The use of the alabaster flask is associated with the cult of Osiris and, by extension, Hathor. Sealed alabastrons were placed in tombs as offerings to the gods or for the deceased’s “ka” in the afterlife. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In their extreme hubris, humans believe that Luke’s admonition, “A tree is known by its fruit,” is nothing more than a proverb about being a “better parent.” But as I explained a few episodes ago, it is a warning that humans can’t parent.It is a judgment, a mashal, a rule, a verse, a biblical sign that there is no such thing as a good human parent because the only tree that bears “good fruit” is the wisdom of God.With this in mind, what did you go out to see in the wilderness of Luke 7? Twice?Luke wrote the question twice.Twice, he asked, “Are you the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”Twice, as if the same person were looking at himself in the mirror.Is Jesus looking for John the Baptist, or is it the other way around? What’s the difference between the message and the messenger?Do you study the Bible, or does the Bible study you?Who is the reed shaken by the wind?Is it the reed Solomon can’t use to measure John’s Palace, or the reed Isaiah’s “Bringer of Justice” refuses to break?Who is the “Bringer of Justice?” Can you tell?What did you go out to see, human?A prophet? You may be indifferent to the prophet, yes, but then you hate his message, too.You hypocrite.I will tell you what the fruit of the Good Parent looks like.It doesn’t eat bread, and it doesn’t drink wine, and you say it has a demon.It eats bread and drinks its fill, and you accuse it of gluttony.Why? Because you are a wicked human parent. You do not love God. You are like a spoiled child: impossible to please, self-serving, fickle, unresponsive, pouty, regardless of the message or the messenger.But the children of the Good Parent, whether they fast or feast sumptuously with sinners, are deemed righteous by the Most High; the same is shown to be righteous by his children.As Paul said:“You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”This week, I discuss Luke 7:25-35.Show Notesצ-ד-ק (sade-dalet-qof) / ص-د-ق (ṣād-dāl-qāf) / δικαιόωThe root צ-ד-ק carries the usage “deemed just” or “deemed righteous” in Semitic languages:Aramaic: צְדֵק “He was righteous.”Syriac: זָדֵק “It is right.” Note the shift of צ to ז. (Klein)Ugaritic: (ṣdq) “Reliable, strong.”Arabic: صَدَقَ (ṣadaqa) “He spoke the truth.”Ethiopic: (ṣadaqa) “He was just, was righteous.”In the Bible, there are numerous examples of this root as it pertains to God’s judgment:“And the heavens declare His righteousness (צִדְקָתוֹ, ṣidqātō), for God Himself is judge. Selah.” (Psalms 50:6)“Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; state your cause, that you may be proved right (תִּצְדָּק, tiṣdāq).” (Isaiah 43:26)“In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be [deemed] righteous (יִצְדְּקוּ, yiṣdāqū) and will glory.” (Isaiah 45:25)In the Qur’an and Arabic, the root ص-د-ق is associated with honesty, trustworthiness, acts of charity, the fulfillment of promises, and righteousness. Compare parallel usage in the Torah and the Qur’an:ְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה (Wa-heʾemin ba-Yahweh wa-yaḥshebaha lahu ṣidāqah)“Then he believed in the Lord, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيًّا(Wa-udhkur fī al-kitābi Ibrāhīma innahu kāna ṣiddīqan nabiyyā.)“And mention in the Book Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of righteousness and a prophet.”(Surah Maryam, 19:41)Examples of ص-د-ق in Arabic: صَدِّيقٌ (ṣiddīq) – A person of high righteousness and truthfulness.صَدَقَةٌ (ṣadaqah) – Voluntary charity or almsgiving.صَادِقٌ (ṣādiq) – Truthful, honest, a righteous person.تَصْدِيقٌ (taṣdīq) – Affirmation or confirmation of truth.مُصَدِّقٌ (muṣaddiq) – One who believes in and confirms the truth. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

A single, passing word is easily overlooked in translation. You could pontificate about it in abstraction, but can you observe its importance, its technicality? Of course, you can’t—not in English. No way. Not in a thousand years.What does the word “luxury” have to do with the book of Genesis? Can you tell me how or where it connects to Genesis? What does “luxury” have to do with a dog’s vomit? Can you figure it out? Perhaps you could look up “dog’s vomit” and try to put it all back together from that hint. But by simply hearing Luke in English, you wouldn’t stand a chance. You have no hope of finding these connections. No hope, for example, of hearing what the writer is telling you about the Four Rivers in Genesis. About the difference between a tree and a human being.Could you, in English, hear by hearing the word “luxury” what Luke is proposing? No—you would simply pontificate about the problem of “ living in luxury” because you’re not interested in lexicography. You’re interested in context, in narrative, in interpretation. The best you could do is theologize about Paradise (or your 401K savings; they are functionally the same), which puts you in league with those condemned in 2 Peter 2.Your only way out of this dilemma is to hear Luke in the original Greek—but even that’s not enough. You will never hear what Luke is saying if you deal solely with the Greek manuscript.You have to hear Luke in triliteral Semitic.Can you discern from the word “luxury” in Luke 7 that you were never supposed to congregate in the first place? That there is a problem with “congregating?” That you’re supposed to spread out, to disperse? That you shouldn’t be here, safe and sound “inside?” You should be spreading out all over the earth—not gathering here in your synagogue, in your “ecclesia,” and settling down.According to Luke, the proof of your ignorance is found in your dress and your place of habitation. The place of luxury of which God speaks does not require soft clothing, let alone fancy suburban houses.This week, I discuss Luke 7:20-25.Show Notesق-ن-ى (qāf-nūn-yāʾ) / ק-נ-ה (qof-nun-he)קָנֶה (qāneh) in biblical Hebrew refers to a “reed,” “stalk,” or “cane. " It is often associated with plants that grow near water, such as the reeds along the Nile or Jordan River.As “calamus” or “sweet cane”“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane (קָנֶה־בֹשֶׂם, qāneh-bōśem) two hundred and fifty,” (Exodus 30:23)“Nard and saffron, calamus (קָנֶה, qāneh) and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.” (Song of Solomon 4:14).“The waters from the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, the streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes (קָנֶה וָסוּף, qāneh wāsūf) will rot away.” (Isaiah 19:5-6).“The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes (קָנֶה וָסוּף, qāneh wāsūf).” (Isaiah 35:7).“You have bought Me not sweet cane (קָנֶה, qāneh) with money, nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; rather you have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities.” (Isaiah 43:24).As “reed” or “measuring rod”“Behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod (קָנֶה הַמִּדָּה, qāneh ham-middāh) in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway.” (Ezekiel 40:3).“And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the temple all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod (קָנֶה הַמִּדָּה, qāneh ham-middāh) of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one rod; and the height, one rod.” (Ezekiel 40:5).“He measured on the east side with the measuring rod (קָנֶה הַמִּדָּה, qāneh ham-middāh) five hundred rods by the measuring rod.” (Ezekiel 42:16).The Arabic term قَنًى (qanā), which refers to a reed or stalk, is from the same root as the Hebrew קָנֶה (qaneh), and is associated with “acquiring,” “creating,” or “possessing. However, in the context of plants, it refers to reeds or stalks as slender, hollow structures.قَنًى (qanā): A reed or stalk, similar to the Hebrew קָנֶה (qāneh).قِنِيَة (qinīyah): Related to possession or acquiring, aligning with ק-נ-ה, which can also mean “to acquire” or “possess.”قَنِيَ (qaniya): The verb form meaning “to acquire” or “to obtain.”وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى (wa-annahu huwa aghnā wa-aqnā) “And that it is he who enriches and satisfies (or makes content).” Surah Al-Najim 53:48)τρυφή / ع-د-ن (‘ayin-dal-nun) / ע-ד-נ (‘ayin-dalet-nun)Luke employs the term tryphē as a sociopolitical statement, contrasting the immorality of his opponents—condemned in 2 Peter 2 for emulating the Roman “palace”—with the gentleness of John, who is associated with the Lord God’s Eden.The term עֵ֫דֶן (‘ēḏen) refers to the “place of delight,” “fertility,” or “pleasure.” In Hebrew, עֵ֫דֶן emphasizes delight and lushness, tied to a specific place, the Garden of Eden. In Arabic, عدن (‘adn) pertains to permanence and bliss, the abode of reward, جنة عد (jannat ‘adn), the “Garden of Eternity” or paradise. This function corresponds to τρυφή tryphē in Luke 7:25. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The Odyssey narrates Odysseus’s ten-year journey as the king of Ithaca, during which he attempts to return home after the fall of Troy. Virgil’s Aeneid chronicles the journey of Aeneas, a Trojan hero and son of the goddess Venus. Aeneas escapes the fallen city of Troy and embarks on a quest to start a settler-colonial project in Italy. Virgil wrote a work of total fiction, and then as if by witchcraft, Augustus traced his (and Rome’s) historical origins back to Aeneas.In Jewish Antiquities, Josephus Flavius followed the line of Augustus, adulterating the Bible to appease the ego of his settler-colonial abuser, adopting the same Greco-Roman “literary-historicizing” framework. This may not have resonated with the Jews of the time, but man, would-be Christian imperial colonizers loved his historicizing of epic literature to “build” their apotheosis.What good is Star Wars if lightsabers are not real, if you are not the heir of Luke Skywalker,  and the Republic is not rightfully yours to “possess?”So, thanks to Josephus Flavius, the (sellout, Uncle Tom) closet Hasmonean, and his oversized case of Bible-wrecking Stockholm Syndrome, by now, we’ve had to deal with two millennia of Hellenized theologians who really believe that Jesus picked up where Venus and Augustus left off. If you want to understand the socio-political consequences of this approach, consider watching independent news media on YouTube.If you want to be set free from the tyranny of Augustus and Josephus, hear the Gospel of Luke. This week, I discuss Luke 7:17-19.Show Notes ἔρχομαι (erchomai) ب-و-ء (bā-wāw-hamza)/ ב-ו-א (bet-waw-alef)The Hebrew verb בוא (bo) and the Arabic verb بَاءَ (bā’a) “he returned” are cognates that trace back to a common Semitic root related to movement toward a point—be it coming or returning. This root corresponds to ἐρχόμενος (erchomoenos) in Luke 7:19, the one who is expected.“‘Behold, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come (יָבוֹא, yāḇôʾ) to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)“The Lord God has sworn by his holiness, ‘Behold, the days are coming (בָּאִ֣ים, bā’îm) upon you when they will take you away with meat hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.’” (Amos 4:2)Related functions in Arabic:بَاءَ (bā’a) To return, to incur, to be burdened with, to bring upon oneself.بَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ (bā’ū bi-ghaḍabin mina allāh)“They have incurred wrath from God.”(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:61) بَوَّأَ (bawwa’a) To settle someone, to provide lodging, to assign a place.مُتَبَوَّأ (mutabawa’a) A dwelling place. Arabic Lexicon, Hawramani, https://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/?p=1617&book=50#9b0b27وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ (wa laqad bawwa’nā banī isrā’īla mubawwa’a ṣidqin)“And we settled the Children of Israel in a good dwelling-place.”(Surah Yunus 10:93)تَبَاوَأَ (tabāwa’a) Used in literature to describe competition and contention between characters. The verb carries a negative connotation that implies equality. To be equal with each other. Equality in sin or punishment: state of being equally guilty. القتيلان فِي الْقصاص تعادلا (al-qatīlāni fī al-qiṣāsi ta‘ādalā) “Two dead, in retribution, were tied.” “بَوَاءٌ” Arabic Lexicon, Hawramani, https://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/?p=63888#dbd19f ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul reiterates the importance of hearing Scripture within its historical and sociopolitical context. Beginning with Alexander the Great’s quest for divinity, he illustrates this with references to subsequent events, like the Maccabean Revolt and the resulting Roman domination of Judah. In contrast, he critiques the folly of philosophy in biblical studies, arguing that theology, under the influence of its namesake, Alexander the Great, continues the Macedonian's quest for divinity, recounting the tale of how Aristotle's pupil once halted a battle to embark on a “spiritual journey” into the desert, seeking to understand himself as an incarnate god. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What does it take to liberate people from exceptionalism? To liberate a teaching?  Such a pernicious snare, that saying of yours, “family first.” It was your fear of losing the tribe that led you to elect a king and build a city against the will of God.  So he sent his Shepherd to rescue his sheep from Cain’s cities, to liberate his people and the Torah from the stone idols fashioned by Cain’s sons.For those who have stayed with me on the podcast all these years, let me say it plainly:The idea that all people are created equal—an American principle—is beautiful and correct, but like the Torah, it is held hostage by identity politics. Like the preaching of the Cross under a Roman standard, it has been corrupted by a military-industrial nationalist agenda that feeds on the broken backs of impoverished women and children.Nothing changes under the sun.The Gospel of Luke is the Gospel to the Poor. It is a radical Gospel of Liberation. It this scroll of the Torah, the Lion of Judah, breaking free from the gilded prison of Herod's Temple—shattering the gates of brass—raging against you for your sake on behalf of the poor.He who has ears to hear to hear, let him hear!Still, the scroll of Luke is not a “liberation theology.” It is a warning that we must forsake what we have built, not build back again, but abandon what Cain built to roam freely with the Lion in his land. As Paul said:“For if I build again the things I have destroyed, I prove myself to be a sinner.” (Galatians 2:18)To borrow a term from psychology (one that I’ve used before), prophetic preaching keeps the disciple in a perpetual state of cognitive dissonance, unable to fall back on the natural human instinct to reconcile our innate hypocrisies.The teaching of Scripture is not “God is love.” The teaching of Scripture is “you are a hypocrite.”Until you submit to this repetitive literary frame, you can’t hear what Moses said, let alone Jesus. You can’t be set free. That is why the Qur’an went to such great lengths to stress St. Paul’s teaching of submission.Because the “children of the book” are no such thing. They still belong to Pharaoh.This week, I discuss Luke 7:11-16.Show Notesש-ע-ר (shin-‘ayn-resh) / ش-ع-ر (shīn-‘ayn-rāʾ)The Hebrew word שַֽׁעַר (sha’ar) means “gate” or “entrance.” It corresponds to πύλη (pylē) in Luke 7:12, functional with Ruth 4:"Now Boaz went up to the gate (שַּׁעַר֮, sha‘ar) and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down." (Ruth 4:1)This root relates to awareness, feeling, and literary expression in Arabic:شِعْر (shi‘r)—“poetry”: This is one of the most common words from this root, referring to poetry or verse, which is central to Arabic literary tradition.شَاعِر (shā‘ir) - “poet”: This word describes a person who composes poetry, playing a significant role in Arabic and Islamic culture.شَعَرَ (sha‘ara) - “to feel” or “to perceive”: This verb means to feel or become aware, capturing the idea of sensitivity or perception.مَشَاعِر (mashā‘ir) - “feelings” or “emotions”: This word, in the plural form, denotes feelings, emotions, or sentiments, often used to express emotional sensitivity.شعار (shi‘ār) “logo, emblem, or slogan”: identification or awareness through a symbol, slogan, or distinguishing mark, a “sign.”مَشْعَر (mash‘ar) - “place of awareness” or “sacred monument”: Used in Islamic contexts, mashʿar refers to a sacred or symbolic place, often in pilgrimage sites like Mashʿar al-Ḥarām near Mecca.נ-ע-ם (nun-‘ayn-mem) / ن-ع-ي-م (nūn-ʿayn-yāʾ-mīm)The word Ναΐν (Nain) is derived from the Hebrew word נָעִים (na'im), meaning “pleasant” or “lovely.” Behold, how good and pleasant (na'im) it is when brothers dwell in unity! (psalm 133:1)It, too, corresponds (prescriptively) to the books of Ruth נָעֳמִי (Naomi) but also to the Qur’an. For reference: “Blessing,” “favor,” “bounty” (ni‘mah): نِعْمَة  “And if you count the blessings of God, you will not be able to enumerate them.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:34)“Bliss,” “luxury,” “delight” (na‘īm): نَعِيم “In gardens of delight.” (Surah Al-Waqi’ah, 56:12)“To live in ease or comfort” (na‘ama): نَعَمَ “And for you in them are many comforts.” (Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:21)“Bestower of blessings,” “benevolent one” (mun‘im): مُنْعِم “And indeed, your Lord is the Forgiving, Possessor of great bounty.” (Surah An-Najm, 53:32)“Soft,” “gentle,” “smooth” (nā‘im): نَاعِم “[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant.” (Surah Al-Ghashiyah, 88:8)“The blessings” (al-ni‘am): النِّعَم “They recognize the favor of God; then they deny it.” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:83)“Softness,” “ease,” “comfort” (na‘mah): نَعْمَة “Lest His punishment should befall you if you deny his blessing.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:7) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Elitist intellectuals are drawn to the concept of a psychological trap because others’ suffering entertains them and because their perception of another's supposed trap reinforces their sense of self-importance and permanence. Poor Sartre, poor DNC, poor duopoly.“The fool says in his heart, There is no Judge.”I agree, Jean-Paul: for your spiritual children, there can be “No Exit.”The local Judean elders, who should be hearing and repeating Jesus’s words, are more concerned with manipulating the goodwill of their Roman occupiers to further their political agenda. In turn, the Roman servant, manipulated by the elders, shows zeal for the Torah. Still, his life remains in disrepair because the people of the Synagogue love their “nation” and their shiny new Synagogue more than the words—the debarim—of Isaiah.What right do the Judeans have to call anyone “worthy” or good? Their human judgment, assessment, and feedback “build” a house that Jesus does not enter and a Synagogue that ultimately rejects him.Is there an exit from Sartre’s hell? Yes. Clearly. French existentialism, like postmodernism, is silly.There is only one Judge.Stop listening to the people of Capernaum and start following Jesus. Imitate the obedience of the Centurion, who did not accept accolades from the people of Judaea but received instead the one vote that counts.This week, I discuss Luke 7:1-10. Show Notesי-ק-ר (yod-qof-resh) / و-ق-ر (waw-qaf-ra)ἔντιμος (éntimos) “precious,” “honored,” “honorable in rank” (Luke 7:2) aligns with יקר (yāqār) in Hebrew, which can function as “heavy,” “valuable,” “honored,” “dignified,” “dear,” or—relevant to Luke 7:2, 1 Peter 2:4 and 1 Peter 2:6—“precious.” The Arabic root و-ق-ر (waw-qaf-ra) implies dignity, and can funtion as “to honor.”وَقَار (waqār) — Dignity or solemnity. This word is often used to describe a person’s respectful or dignified demeanor.وَقِرَ (waqira) — To be weighty or important. In this form, it implies something substantial or of significant value.وَقَّرَ (waqqara) — To honor or respect. This is the form II verb (with shadda on the middle letter), meaning “to show respect or honor,” often used in contexts where someone honors or reveres another.تَوْقِير (tawqīr) — Reverence or high regard. This noun, derived from form II of the root, refers to the act of showing respect or esteem, often used in formal or respectful contexts.مُتَوَقِّر (mutawaqqir) — Dignified or solemn person. This adjective describes a person who carries themselves with dignity, calmness, and respectability.وَقُور (waqūr) — A dignified or composed person. This adjective describes someone who possesses an aura of respect, often used for people who are calm, collected, and reverent.The Hebrew root רפא (rafa) is rich in function related to healing, repairing, and recovering, extending across various Semitic languages. Arabic uses the verb رَفَأَ, (rafa'a) “to mend or repair,” with a similar connotation. "And say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired (לְהֵרָפֵא, leheraphe)and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.’" (Jeremiah 19:11 )ח-ו-ר (ḥet-waw-resh) / ح-ر-ر (ḥāʾ-rāʾ-rāʾ)ἔντιμος (éntimos) also aligns to חֹר (ḥor), “free,” or “noble” حُرّ (ḥurr) freebornحرية (ḥurriya) “freedom” or “libertyحرر (ḥarrara): To liberate or set freeἔντιμος appears only in Luke 7:2, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:6 and Philippians 2:29.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The folly of human construction is similar to that of large language models. Noam Chomsky talks about this in his famous critique of the current state of artificial intelligence and the absence of scientific analysis. We imagine that these expansive predictive systems are creative. Sure, they are impressive, even helpful—for good and ill—and yes, they will likely replace or change your job, but these tools are not creative. They simply regurgitate what was already found before the LLMs themselves were made functional.LLMs validate the power of syntax. In effect, a machine is Sola Syntaxis: by merely observing word order and function at scale, it can channel the content of a written text without philosophical abstraction or creativity. LLMs do not comprehend. A machine does not tell you what it thinks, feels, or experiences. Yet, it can often accurately repeat what is found in a text, unlike theologians and philosophers, who are tripped up by human creativity and reason.At the same time, if you ask an LLM a question about a data set, instead of analyzing the data, it will accurately repeat what other people have said about that data. In that case, it often sounds as stupid as we do.I believe the marketing people and even some programmers when they say that they do not understand how these systems work because they are neither scientists nor grammarians. They are capitalists, digital tycoons, corporate shills, and engineers. You know, the people who control education, media, politics, and religion in the West in the service of making a buck or pursuing their dreams.I, myself, am not an expert. The industry may or may not be close to general artificial intelligence. Then again, food, water, and medicine may or may not reach Palestinian children who may or may not be in mortal danger and who may or may not deserve the same benefits upon which you gorge yourself daily. I don't need the Holocaust media to tell me that. I heard it in the Torah.But hey, ignorance is strength, Habibi.Whether or not large language models become creative, I do not doubt that industry will leverage them in harmful and destructive ways as we do with all technology—as we already have in West Asia because “nothing changes under the sun.”But that’s the point. An LLM is just a mechanism of regurgitation. Ask it a question, and you get the same old answer, just faster, at scale. It does a miraculous job of aggregating, processing, regurgitating, and predicting more of the same more efficiently. That’s what human construction is. You take something that was there at the world’s foundation—something you did not create—and rearrange it. You can’t make something new because you are not the builder. The environmental crisis is just more damage piled up. Even the nuclear bomb, as ugly and stupid as it is, is just a bigger bomb. There’s nothing to brag about. It’s not new. It’s just bigger and dumber. You, O man, can’t make one hair on your head black or white.Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? (Job 40:9)Unfortunately, I’m convinced that most of you, based on where you are found in the Parable of the Sower, are convinced that you do thunder with a voice like God’s—best of luck to you.This week, I discuss Luke, chapter 6, verses 46 to 49.Show Notesח-ר-שׁ (ḥet-resh-shin) —or— ח-ר-שׂ (ḥet-resh-sin)In the original consonantal Hebrew, “sin” and “shin” are not differentiated; the reader must infer the correct pronunciation. Is Paul, the self-proclaimed “ἀρχιτέκτων” of 1 Corinthians 3:10, the חֶ֫רֶשׁ (ḥeresh)—the expert “artisan” or the wise חֶֽרֶשׂ (ḥeres), “earthen vessel” of Isaiah 3:3?“The captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the expert artisan (or wise earthen vessel),and the skillful enchanter.” (Isaiah 3:3)The Arabic function ح-ر-ش (ḥāʾ-rāʾ-shīn) conveys usages that relate to pottery, for example, “to scratch” or “to be rough” but functions more broadly concerning acts of incitement, provocation, and can mean “to stir up.” حَرَشَ (ḥarasha)– to incite or stir up (as in creating conflict).تحريش (taḥrīsh) – incitement, provocation, or stirring up discord.ע-ש-ק (‘ayin-shin-qof) / ع-س-ق (‘ayn-sīn-qāf)The Greek term πλήμμυρα (plēmmyra), “flood,” occurs only once in the New Testament (Luke 6:48) and only once in the LXX:“If a river rages (יַעֲשֹׁ֣ק ya‘ashoq), he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. (Job 40:23)In Arabic, عَسَقَ (‘asaq) means “to commit injustice” or “to oppress” and extends to wrongful treatment or exploitation. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul underscores how the Septuagint’s different ordering and classification of texts impact our ability to hear the words of God correctly, shifting Chronicles from the Ketubim to historical books, reframing them as historical events rather than wisdom writings. The same can be seen with Daniel’s placement between Ezekiel and the Twelve, which undermines its resonance as wisdom literature. (Episode 330) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For all you lost souls, reading books about how to be a better parent; For all you disciples of neoliberalism, believers in the new fascism, the elitist colonialism repackaged in a delusion tailor-made for people lured by the flattery of progress, fooled by a “new world” where the enlightened trample on the dead, comforted by the lie that they know better than all those who have ever lived, I have news for you:It’s not “good” news; it’s just news, but if you insist on labeling it, please consider it “bad news.”According to the Gospel of Luke, “a tree is known by its fruit.”Now, before you get together with your breakfast buddies and start gossiping about each other’s children, again, I have “news” for you, Habibi.You are gossiping.Oops!Like Jesus said, there is no such thing as a “good” teacher or a “good” parent because, as far as the eye can see, there has never been a family tree that has produced a “good” result.You, Habibi, are the blind guide, just like the rest of us.Let’s assume for a moment that the Platonic principle of the “moral arc of history” isn’t wishful thinking and make the wild assumption that you are an improvement on your parents, an incremental step forward, part of the sum total of history your ancestors and your society have achieved.What’s the result?What’s happening now in the world after everything supposedly learned by man less than a century ago? What did we learn? Did the war ever stop?Did we “grow” in humility? Never mind that you can’t “grow” into something small. It’s a foolish statement, an antinomy.No, our behavior has not improved, as evidenced by your parents’ fruit and yours.We used to use religion to whitewash our tombs. Now, we use liberal values, which cynically ridicule religion while embracing the fiction of religious nationalism in West Asia to justify the desperate agenda of the dollar. In the end, the mechanism—the function—is the same. In the modern West, our heartfelt, introspective, socially conscious, “normie” liberal values are leveraged as the new opium of the people: “bread and circuses” as the elitist machine rages forward.Luke’s message is clear: There is no such thing as progress. We are no better than our parents; the judgment of Genesis 6 is written, and God almighty has spoken the truth. We dare not test him.No human tree ever bears good fruit. If there is any hope, we must put our hope in him.This week, I discuss Luke 6:43-45.Show Notesע-ץ-ץ (ayin-ṣadi-ṣadi) / ع-ض-ه (‘ayn-ḍād-hā’)The Hebrew עֵץ (‘eṣ) can refer to “tree,” “timber,” “wood,” or even a “handle.” It has a functional connection to עצה (‘eṣah), which pertains to advice or counsel. In Arabic عِضَاه (‘iḍāh) can refer to thorny trees and shrubs commonly found in arid or desert regions. Aligns to δένδρον (dendron) in Luke 6:43. “When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees (צָעֵ, ‘eṣa) by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree (עֵץ, ‘eṣ) of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?” (Deuteronomy 20:19)ס-נ-ה (samek-nun-he) / س-ن-ن (sīn-nūn-nūn)סְנֶה (s’neh) in biblical Hebrew can mean briar or bramble (a thorny, fruit-bearing bush), sometimes translated as “bush,” as follows in Exodus. It corresponds to βάτος (batos) in Luke 6:44:“The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush (סְנֶה,s’neh); and he looked, and behold, the bush (סְנֶה,s’neh) was burning with fire, yet the bush (סְנֶה,s’neh) was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2)In Arabic, sanan (سنن) is multi-functional. Though not directly used as “thorn” or “bush,” its root س-ن-ن (sīn-nūn-nūn) pertains to things like “point” or “sharp edge” and can relate to the idea of something pointed or thorn-like. The plural form, sunan, refers to “customs” or “practices,” particularly those of the Prophet Muhammad, known as Sunnah (سُنَّة), recalling, from the Bible, that wisdom has an edge and cuts against the grain:“The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When a student plays teacher with an earthen vessel, there comes a moment in their imaginary dialogue when the trust they thought they had is broken. It's not broken, of course, because the dialogue itself was platonic. It's akin to the crisis of faith a student has when they hear the Bible clearly for the first time and realize the Jesus they heard about in Sunday school is not the Jesus of the gospels. This crisis of trust is a sudden realization that the point of reference for the imaginary dialogue in your head is not the point of reference for the liberating monologue that breaks through to you from the lips of the earthen vessel. Your platonic dialogue exemplifies “the blind leading the blind,” leading you into a snare inside your mind. To break free from this crisis of faith, you must move past your confession that you don't trust the earthen vessel. You must realize the truth, namely, that it is the Torah that you do not trust. You trust in yourself and your construct of the blind leading the blind. You value the comfort of blindness more than the teaching of God. So, Habibi, you have to make a choice. The comfort of the snare and the pit, the blue pill, or the difficulty of the painful thing you don't trust, the red pill, which comes to you through the earthen vessel, the bitter delivery mechanism of God's monologue.The problem, of course, is that the red pill shares nothing in common with everything about you. You can't find one book in your library, one stance in any corner of your broken premises that shares anything in fellowship with the red pill. Every time it is offered, it seems wrong and untrustworthy—the red pill, not the vessel, or is it the pill? Can you even decide which one you don't trust?This week, I discuss Luke 6:41-42. Show Notesט-ר-ף (ṭet-resh-fe)טָרָף (ṭaraf) “fresh-plucked” aligns to κάρφος “dry stalk” and is the only such alignment in the Septuagint. It is typically (weirdly?) translated as “speck” or “mote” by colonial scholars. “The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a (ṭaraf) freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water had subsided from the earth.” (Genesis 8:11)“Why do you look at the (κάρφος) speck (dry stalk) that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41)Also, κάρφος does not appear in Paul’s letters, only in Matthew 7:3 and Luke 6:41.طَرَفَ (ṭarafa) in Arabic can mean “to tear” or “to take a portion.”طُرْفَة (ṭurfa) can refer to something that is torn off or a fragment, and in some dialects, it may mean something rare or unique.ק-ו-ר (qof-waw-resh)The triliteral root of (qorah), which typically functions as “beam,” “rafter,” or “timberwork,” and is associated with houses and walls. It aligns with the Greek, δοκός (beam), clumsily translated as “log” by colonial/neoliberal scholars attempting to make sense of what they perceive as “oriental” hyperbole. Combining “function” and Tarazi’s “itinerant word” methodology, we learn instead that the word קֹרָה (qorah) usually refers to the construction of houses and, finally, the Temple of Solomon. (1 Kings 7:2)“The beams (קֹרוֹת, qorot) of our houses are cedars, our rafters, cypresses.” (Song of Solomon 1:17) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Once you hear the biblical text and understand that the Bible satirizes and dismantles the arrogance and foolishness of war, political schemes, government powers, and the absurdity of any ruling authority, you can’t hear the Old Testament without bursting into laughter, the way that God laughs at us. The gift of biblical satire—with all its fury—is true freedom from the historical tyranny of the hell that surrounds us. Thank God that God judges and condemns us in the Bible. Only a monster would bless the monsters we are: men and women who do such monstrous things in his name, using his book, which lays out the epic parables of our monstrous forbears, whose legacy we are so desperate to manifest as our “new” destiny in West Asia. I challenge all of you to find one inch of Western society that hasn’t been coopted, sold, or sold itself out to slogans or navel-gazing. “What does it really mean that anyone can buy and sell activist discourse? Besides the trivialization of real issues…it is unclear who has claim to and who is profiting from this commodification. Think about all of the BLM merch sold on the website Etsy.com. On this site, anyone who makes anything can sell it. That being said, it is hard to know exactly who you are buying from on this site and where the money is going. I clicked on one seller with the username thewomenstore and saw that next to a shirt that read “Black Lives Matter” was a shirt that read “Tequila is Gluten Free.” … Are these phrases, priced the same, equally as important? Did this seller simply add a Black Lives Matter shirt to her collection because she knew it would sell?” — jaenichelle, Blavity.comThere are signs of hope, always, but we can count on our Western institutions to fight against them in the name of the almighty dollar. After all, our institutions were established by David and administered by Absalom. Ah, yes, “A student is not above his teacher.”This week, I discuss Luke 6:39-40.Show Notesע-ו-ר (ʿayin-waw-resh) / ع-و-ر (ʿayn-waw-ra)In Arabic, the word أَعْوَر ( ’a‘war) means “one-eyed” or “having one eye.” עִוֵּר corresponds to τυφλός in Luke 6:39, which also appears in Romans 2:19. פ-ח-ת (pe-ḥet-taw)פַּ֫חַת—pit; ravineThe corresponding term βόθυνος (bothynos) does not appear in the New Testament, except in some Greek manuscripts where it onlyappears in Luke 6:39. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Why is there violence in the Bible?Why did the authors of Deuteronomy present parables of genocide? Why did the gospel writers posit a story about tribal, religious, and political betrayals, acts of treason, and violent acts by the hand of God? Why do both Testaments deal with war, cruelty, violence, and the threat of God's wrath? The New Testament is not new in its content. It is the same old content directed at a new audience.The Bible is not a bunch of broken fragments from different writers patched together arbitrarily. This is a boring orientalist theory invented by German colonial scholars that nobody who knows what they are talking about takes seriously anymore.J,E,D,P,Q. The last one is my favorite. If you can't find the source, there must be an all-powerful imaginary source called “Q.” It was such an excellent idea that Gene Roddenberry named an entire race of fictional narcissistic deities “Q.” Good job, biblical scholarship! You're so “mystical.”For heaven's sake, pick up a copy of Tarazi and catch up.As inconvenient as it is for Westernized (Hellenized) Christians, Paul's teaching of grace—his repurposing of Roman gratia in submission to the teaching of the Cross—was a reapplication of Deuteronomy's literary wrath against Israel's sense of self-entitlement and self-importance. A redirection of God's judgment against the latest monsters to invade and occupy Mesopotamia. Deuteronomy was something like a “directed conversation” held indirectly with all parties in which God himself warns everyone, beginning with Israel:“The land belongs to me. It put you in, and I can talk you out. ”The New Testament repeats this warning to a new audience: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13) This verse or “sign” is the novelty of the prophetic self-destruction of the Temple and of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and its sign is clear: the Emperor has no clothes.I wish Congress understood Deuteronomy. But how could they? Even Western scholars, let alone the clergy, don’t get it.“Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.” (Deuteronomy 29:4)Remember, the writers of the Torah, who wrote under the pen name “Moses,” were something akin to disillusioned and disaffected State Department employees.So why did Scripture deal with violence head-on, placing all violence in the hands of the unseen and indepictable God? Let me count the ways for you. For all of you “evolved” and “enlightened” Westerners.The following are notable genocides and massacres committed by invaders against occupied populations, starting from the Mesopotamian era through the Greek and Roman periods.Conquest of Sumerian City-States by Sargon of Akkad (2334–2279 BC)Gutian Invasion and Destruction of Akkad (2150 BC)Destruction of Ur by the Elamites and Amorites (2004 BC)Destruction of Mari by Hammurabi (1761 BC)Destruction of Babylon by the Hittites (1595 BC)Elamite Conquest of Babylon (1155 BC)Assyrian Destruction of Susa (647 BC)Destruction of Babylon by Assyrians (689 BC)Persian Conquest of Elam (540 BC)Destruction of Thebes (335 BC)Siege of Tyre (332 BC)Destruction of Carthage (146 BC)Massacre of the Lusitanians (150 BC)Gallic Wars (58–50 BC)If you want to get a sense of the cruelty and horror of each of these events, read Deuteronomy!“NOTHING CHANGES UNDER THE SUN.” 🍉This week, I discuss Luke 6:38.Show NotesThe triliteral root for the Hebrew word מִדָּה (middah) is מ-ד-ד (mem-dalet-dalet), which generally relates to the concept of measuring or measuring out. It corresponds to μέτρον in Luke 6:38. Its various uses can function as measures, portions, or the act of measuring something. The corresponding root in Arabic is م-د-د (mīm-dāl-dāl). This root generally relates to extension, lengthening, or spreading. Words derived from this function can include مدّ (madda), meaning "to extend" or "to stretch out," and مِقدار (miqdār), meaning "measure" or "amount."Here are some common Arabic words derived from this function:مَدَّ (madda) - to extend, stretch, or lengthen.مَدّ (madd) - extension, lengthening, or a stretch.مِدَاد (midād) - ink (historically referred to the extension of writing).مُدَّة (mudda) - duration or period of time.مِقدار (miqdār) - amount, measure, or quantity.مَديد (madīd) - long or extended.مُتَمَدِّد (mutamaddid) - stretched out, lying down, or expanded.تَمْدِيد (tamdīd) - extension or prolongation.مَامُود (mamūd) - a well-known old term meaning praised or extended (rare usage).إِمْدَاد (imdād) - reinforcement, support, or supply.“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement (מידה, middah) of weight, or capacity.” (Leviticus 19:35)The triliteral root for the Hebrew word נתן (natan) is נ-ת-נ (nun-tav-nun). This root generally means “to give” or “to grant.” It is used in various contexts to denote acts of giving, granting, or placing. It corresponds to the word δίδωμι in Luke 6:38.“Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given (נָתַתִּי, nāṯattī) you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.’” (Genesis 1:29 ) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul emphasizes that the hearing of scripture is a literary battleground where various traditions compete for control over its meaning. He critiques how translations like the Septuagint and later Christian adaptations have altered the original intent of the Hebrew consonantal text, arguing that figures such as Philo and Josephus Flavius laid the groundwork for this betrayal. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The word “آية” (āyah) in Arabic refers to a “verse” in Scripture. It can also mean a “sign” or “miracle.” Its root in Semitic is ء-ي-ي (hamza-ya-ya) or ء-ي-ن (hamza-ya-nun), depending on the classical derivation one follows.The equivalent of “آية” (āyah) in biblical Hebrew is אוֹת (’ot), which means “sign,” "proof," or “mark.”“And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign אוֹת (’ot) to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’” (Exodus 3:12)In Exodus, God himself spoke to Moses. The fact that God spoke is itself the sign, and Moses, in turn, is his sign—living proof of God's promise: “Certainly I will be with you, and you shall worship me.”“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign (’ot), they may believe the witness of the last sign (’ot).” (Exodus 4:8)“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply my signs (’otot) and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 7:3)In Exodus, Moses is living, functional proof that God himself has spoken. Moses is the ’ot elohim, the “آية الله” (āyat allāh), the “sign of God,” the ”proof of God” to Pharaoh.But as Moses confirms in Deuteronomy, the signs in Exodus are not the miracles and wonders themselves, but rather, the verses that carry them, the āyāt that record what God has spoken. These verses serve as the true “signs,” the otot that carry God’s will and instruction to the people.In turn, all those who proclaim these verses—for example, Jesus in Luke’s Gospel—are judged by those who shun God. Yet, in fulfillment of God’s command, even Jesus would not judge them before the time. His only purpose was to give God’s signs as proof in anticipation of the one Judge whose Kingdom rules over all.This week, I discuss Luke 6:37.Show NotesThe word “āyāt” in Arabic is written as آيات. It is the plural form of “āyah” (آية), which means “verse” or “sign” and is commonly used to refer to the verses of the Abrahamic texts. “They have sold the proofs' of God at a cheap price and turned away from? His path; evil is what they did.” (Surah Al-Tawbah 9:9) ש-פ-ט (shin-fe-ṭet)To judge, to rule or govern, a judgment, to administer justice. Related to the function ש-ל-מ (mem-sheen-lamed), mashal—can signify a parable but also signifies ruling, judging, and making comparisons. It can also mean “to rule” or “to have dominion.” In Arabic م-ث-ل (mīm-thāʾ-lām) is “to resemble” or “to compare” مثل (mathal).ר-ש-ע (resh-shin-‘ayin) / ر-س-ع (rā-sīn-‘ayn)To be wicked, to act wickedly. A wicked person. In Arabic, رَسَعَ can mean looseness or slackness of limbs. From the Hadith of Ibn Amr ibn al-As: “بَكَى حَتَّى رَسَعَتْ عينُهُ” (baka hatta rasa‘at ‘aynu) “He cried until his eye changed, became damaged, or its eyelids stuck together.” The word رَسَعَتْ (rasa‘at) here means: 1. Changed or became altered, 2. Became damaged or corrupted, 3. The eyelids stuck together due to excessive crying. Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari. al-Nihāya fī Gharīb al-Hadīth wa-l-Athar. d. 1210, Arabic Lexicon. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It’s difficult to be part of any relationship, at an individual or group level, without attempting to exert control. We rationalize to ourselves that we don’t want control, but it's not true. If you carefully examine your relationships in life, the level of control you attempt to exert is commensurate with your level of investment, which, in a culture of excess, precedes your commitment.In a Roman household, your level of commitment is not optional. If you are living under the pressure of your patron, you’re stuck. Whether you’re a family member or a slave, you must operate within the confines of the sheepfold in which you are found. That is your life. It’s not a question of what you choose or your level of commitment; you are committed. That’s what you do. It’s your job. Most people in the world, in day-to-day life, don’t have the opportunity to ask what entitled Americans ask. They don’t get to say, “I wonder what my purpose in life is,” or, “What is my dream job?” They just get a job if they’re fortunate and are thankful to be able to do something that provides income so that they can live.So, if you are found in a Roman household, whatever your function or status, you are committed to do whatever you are committed to do. But if your patron has not been baptized by Paul, then your reference is not Christ; your reference is Caesar. This means that the favors your patron provides the sheepfold are not given freely. They come with a price.Even though you are fully committed and have no power over your station, you still have to earn your spot. There is an expectation that your family gods, your patrician, the broader neighborhood (the familia, or city block under your patrician), and more importantly, your chief god, the emperor, expect an offering from you in order for the grace of Caesar’s favor through his patrician to be maintained.But in the end, if you act correctly because you know that your gods, your father, or your neighbors are expected to act correctly or give you something in return, is that grace? Are you committed within the sheepfold, under God through Jesus Christ, or are you still somebody else’s slave?This week I discuss Luke 6:32-36.Show Notesח-נ-נ (ḥet-nun-nun) / ح-ن-ن (ḥāʾ-nūn-nūn)חָנַן (ḥanan): “to be gracious” or “to show favor”תְּחִנָּה (teḥinnah): “supplication” or “plea for grace”حَنَان (ḥanān): meaning “tenderness” or “compassion.”تحنّن (taḥannun): meaning “to show mercy” or “to act compassionately.”נָח (nun-ḥet) NoahIn Hebrew, נָח (nun-ḥet) refers to resting, settling, or being at rest.In Arabic, أَنَاخَ (’anāḫa) “he made camels kneel down”; مُنَاخ (munāḥ) “resting place of camels”. The triliteral ن-و-خ (nūn-wāw-khāʾ) is a different root, but related, according to Klein. This connection underscores biblical shepherdism. “But Noah נָח (nun-ḥet) found favor (חֵן, ḥēn) in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8)In this week’s podcast, Fr. Marc explains how Luke dismantles Rome’s system of gratia, highlighting three categories of “untouchables” in the American system, all related to control of the land. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul examines later additions to biblical manuscripts, such as Greek breathing marks and the differentiation between uppercase and lowercase letters, which were not in the original texts. He criticizes poor translation choices, like rendering the Hebrew "yarash" as "possess" instead of "inherit." He also discusses Kamal Salibi’s original discovery that the Hebrew consonants for "raven" and "Arab" are identical, allowing for different interpretations. Salibi's work, which questioned specific translation choices, remains unresolved, emphasizing the need to hear the text consonantally and showing that the biblical text resists modern interpretive control and should be read on its own terms. (Episode 328) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

If you accept the Bedouin axiom, “The tree begins with a seed”, you have taken your first step to joining the human race; to accepting that pragmatism is the currency of facts. Admit to yourself that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and operate on that basis, or lie to yourself that you aspire to a higher ideal as you continue to operate in a dog-eat-dog fashion, with blinders on. In both cases, you are squarely under God’s judgment. In the second example, with the added charge, “bearing false witness.”Whether you console yourself with your fake ideals or justify your sins with the inevitability of pragmatism, the truth is, whatever men build, create or devise, no matter their intention, it ends in moral bankruptcy. System failure is coded in your DNA.This is why, by design, the sacrifice of Isaac confounds and mocks human ethics and morality.There is another Bedouin proverb, Habibi, that reflects the actual pragmatism of life, the fact of the anti-philosophical fate in which you are found:“The hand that gives is upper one.”The problem is not interpretation, absolutism, the constitution, authoritarianism, legality, or your ability to adapt to change. The problem is you. You are not and cannot be your own reference.Learn another saying, Habibi, from the first Bedouin:“God will provide for himself the lamb for the offering.” (Genesis 22:8)People misunderstand the admonition of Luke. Yes, you are commanded to offer the other cheek, but it is not yours to give in the first place, and it given under the pressure of his upper hand, because, as he said, you are wicked.It is he who found you in utter darkness. In his wrath he is testing you as one in time of battle. He is pressuring you. You are under his judgment, for the sake of his honor.It is not your enemy who strikes you, then you could bear it. It is him.“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)This week I discuss Luke 6:29-31.Show Notes - ​נ-כ-ה (nun-kaf-he) / ​ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he)The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to strike” or “to beat.”“Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating (מכה, makkeh) a Hebrew, one of his brethren.” (Exodus 2:11)“He went out the next day and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, ‘Why are you striking (תכה, takkeh) your companion?’” ​ (Exodus 2:13)“Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike (נכה, nakkeh) the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.’” (​Exodus 7:17)“He who strikes (מכה, makkeh) his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” (Exodus 21:15)In Arabic, the root نَكَى (nakā) shares a similar meaning related to causing harm, injury or damage. The noun نِكَايَة(nikāyah) refers to “the inflicting of injury.” ​ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he) is rare in the Qur’an but appears in contexts related to harm or inflicting damage, particularly in warfare.نَكِيل (nakīl) – punishment, severe retribution. It often refers to a severe or exemplary punishment meant to serve as a deterrent or warning.نَكِيلًا (nakīlan) – severe punishment or retribution, often used in Quranic or formal contexts to describe intense chastisement.“Indeed, with us [for them] are shackles and burning fire. And food that chokes and a painful punishment. On the day the earth and the mountains will convulse, and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down. Indeed, we have sent to you a messenger as a witness upon you just as we sent to Pharaoh a messenger. But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so we seized him with a ruinous punishment (nakīlan).” (Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:12-16) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Am I humble?Am I arrogant?Am I pious?Am I blasphemous?Am I cruel?Am I kind?Who is the judge?Search me.Who can tell?There is only one who can tell.Any attempt to test, judge, discover, search, or discern is human folly. You can’t tell. You can’t even discover yourself. It’s a lost cause. Your best effort is to study (darash) God’s scroll, and in doing so, discover that it is God who studies you. Then there is a chance that you will be found wandering in your darkness (qoder), a chance that you will be found out, and then you will find hope.You will find God’s power in your fate (qadr) and reprieve from your mourning (qoder).If you have no control over your own fate, Habibi, why does it matter what others do? You yourself are not the judge. St. Paul will not even judge himself.There is only one judge. It’s not that you do not understand his words when they are fed to you; you just don’t like their taste in your ears.Why do you care what other people do?It’s because you want control. You want to own God. You want to keep him as your pet—at least, for starters. Your true aim is to become God.You want the throne.You want control.But you’re not the Shepherd, let alone the Divine “Emir” (أ-م-ر), his Father, who commanded his prophets “to speak” (א-מ-ר) the words that you can’t stomach:“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”This week I discuss Luke 6:27-28.My thanks to Matthew Cooper, the OCABS scholar who unlocked the inter-functionality of the Arabic word “emir” with the Hebrew verb “amar.” ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Subscribe: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2350896.rssAll of us, like Job, “go about in darkness (qoder), without comfort;” we “stand up in the assembly and cry for help.” (Job 30:28)That is what I did, under the cloud of darkness (qoder), in which God found me. I made a call, as I do each week in the assembly: you must do the work, in that state in which you have been found, because there is work to be done.This is your fate, Habibi.ק-ד-ר (Qof-Dalet-Resh)It is the same function in Arabic. The expression, laylat al-qadr (ليلة القدر), refers to the command of God given to his prophet at night: in the “night of [his] decree,” the “night of [his] power.” John Pearson was indeed attentive that night, and the result is The Slow Bible Study podcast.As fate challenges each of us, John challenges American individualism, urging his hearers to submit to Scripture as it was originally intended—through its ancient languages, in its historical setting. By stripping away interpretations and theologies, John emphasizes the Bible’s clear, uncompromising call to bow down before the Lord. His podcast confronts the pervasive egoism of American culture, encouraging us to hear and obey Scripture as God's command in the assembly, rather than our personal interpretations, reminding us that the Bible is a call to submission, not a prop for our self-justification.“In my distress, I cried to the Lord, and he answered me.” (Psalm 120:1)He who has ears to hear let him hear! I give you the premiere episode of The Slow Bible Study podcast. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★