Exegetically Speaking

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 podcast, is Professor of Old Testament, Assistant Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies in the Litfin Divinity School, and Program Director of the M.A. in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton Graduate School. He is currently President of the Institute of Biblical Literature. His publications include Savoring Scripture: A Six-Step Guide to Studying the Bible and (with Gregory Goswell) God's Messiah in the Old Testament: Expectations of a Coming King.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3GdsmVS M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3IxWKux

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 Amos, including a major commentary on that prophetic book in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series. He explores the features discussed in this episode in his newest publication, The Lord Roars: Recovering the Prophetic Voice for Today.

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B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4lxtcLR

M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3Ib6VoX

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 has contributed several episodes to our podcast.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4npvVsB M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4eJpHjz

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 Context: How to Avoid Misinterpreting the Bible and The Search for Quotation: Verbal Parallels in the Prophets; he has co-edited with Daniel Block, Bind Up the Testimony: Explorations in the Genesis of the Book of Isaiah.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4e7CgVw M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3HFTMnn

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."

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4l0bd0B M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4kx3ozy

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, 8th in the college's history. His most recent book is I Have My Doubts: How God Can Use Your Uncertainty to Reawaken Your Faith. You can hear many of his talks at Family Life Ministry – Podcast or at Every Last Word.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/43wN0Yw M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/3FwNk1l

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: Historical Summaries and Memory Formation in Second Temple Judaism. Dr. John Walton, Old Testament Professor Emeritus at Wheaton Graduate School, is a frequent contributor to this podcast. He has many volumes in his "Lost World" series along with many other publications, including Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Dr. Buster and Dr. Walton are collaborating on a major commentary on Daniel (NICOT). The first volume on Daniel 1-6 is due out soon.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3Sm7pdH M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/43IbAqx

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. He is currently working on a commentary on 1 Corinthians for the T&T Clark International Theological Commentary series.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3SFcxcR M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/45dIW1H

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 Search for Quotation: Verbal Parallels in the Prophets; he has co-edited with Daniel Block, Bind Up the Testimony: Explorations in the Genesis of the Book of Isaiah.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3EWIdHE M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/42Pce5h

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 Memory Formation in Second Temple Judaism. She and John Walton are co-authoring a major commentary on Daniel (NICOT). The first volume on Daniel 1-6 is due out soon.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4m02lJy M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4jUhz0K