In this episode of Prophet Pearls, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson discuss the Prophets portion for Masei covering Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4. Gordon gives eyewitness accounts of the springs and cisterns of Israel—springs that are sources and fountains of living water and man-made cisterns that can be rendered worthless. We learn that the “makor” (mem, qoof, reish), the “spring” with which Jeremiah was most familiar, still exists today.
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In this episode of Prophet Pearls, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson discuss the Prophets portion for Matot, covering Jeremiah 1:1-2:3. Gordon and Johnson provide copious context for the life and times of Jeremiah and the heart-wrenching message he delivered to Jerusalem. The word-of-the-week is “shoked” (shin, qoof, dalet). Its expressions of “almond branch” and “diligence” provide a lesson in creative destruction and an example of a classic Hebrew word pun. Gordon closes with a prayer based on the last verse of the portion—thanking Yehovah for protecting the first fruits of his harvest in Jerusalem, in Israel, and throughout the world.
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In this episode of The Original Torah Pearls, Masei (Numbers 33:1-36:13), we reach the final portion for the Book of Numbers! Among the topics we discuss is, how are the gentiles who join themselves to Yehovah (Isaiah 56) assigned to one of the twelve tribes, as Calev was assigned to Judah?
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In this episode of the The Original Torah Pearls, Matot (Numbers 30:2-32:42), we explore the relationship between the Midianites and Israel and the laws on vows.
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In this episode of Hebrew Voices #161, The Moses Scroll, Nehemia and Ross Nichols discuss the “Book of Moses” mentioned in Deuteronomy and its possible relation to the controversial “Shapira scrolls.” They also reminisce about how they met decades ago through the writing of The Hebrew Yeshua vs. the Greek Jesus.
In this episode of Prophet Pearls, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson discuss the Prophets portion for Pinchas covering 1 Kings 18:46-19:21. Following the smack-down at Mount Carmel, Elijah flees to the desert. But was he “afraid” or did he just “see” what he needed to do? Gordon parses “ra’ah” (reish, aleph, hei) and explains why this word could be translated “afraid” or “saw.”
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In this episode of The Original Torah Pearls, Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1), we discuss what is the qualification of the first born? Who inherits the land if a father has no sons but only daughters? Did Pinchas impale a princess of Midian? Double portion or two thirds – what did it mean for Moses to impart some of his glory to Joshua, or Elijah’s spirit to Elisha?
Continue reading![Prophet Pearls Balak, Micah 5:7[6]-6:8, balak, biblical idolatry, haftarah, hebrew paragraph divisions, Yehovah, yhvh, Keith Johnson, micah 6:8, nehemia gordon, obedience sacrifice, paragraph divisions, samech pei, parashah, Parsha, parshas, parshat, prophet micah, prophets, remnant, samech pei, what the lord requires](https://i0.wp.com/www.nehemiaswall.com/wp-content/uploads/Prophet-Pearls-40-Balak.jpg?ssl=1)
In this episode of Prophet Pearls, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson discuss the Prophets portion for Balak covering Micah 5:6-6:8. The portion begins with Micah drawing from the song of Moses to illustrate what the remnant of Jacob will look like—“as showers upon grass.” The prophet also provides a list of things that will be cut off “in that day.” And lest we think biblical idolatry is obsolete, Gordon and Johnson provide modern day examples that masquerade as piety. We learn the uses of the paragraph divisions of “samech” and “pei” and Gordon scours the Tanakh for other uses of “in that day.”
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In The Original Torah Pearls, Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9), we discuss was Yehovah Balaam’s God? What kind of prophet was Balaam? Why did God seek to kill Balaam? Does Numbers 22:22 really say that the angel of Yehovah was Satan? Did Balaam announce the first recorded messianic prophecy in the Torah?
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In this episode of Prophet Pearls, Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson discuss the Prophets portion for Chukat covering Judges 11:1-33. Gordon and Johnson draw parallels between events in this portion and current diplomatic strategies over the land of Israel. For a clearer understanding of Jephthah, the exiled son of a prostitute who brings deliverance to Israel, Gordon provides a summary of the history, religions, and geography of the Ammonites and Moabites. This portion provides an example of properly translating “malach”—where only context determines if it’s “angel” or “messenger.” Gordon and Johnson point out the striking word play found with the word-of-the-week yihyeh “he will be” (yud-hei-yud-hei). Gordon reads from Deuteronomy concerning the seriousness of vowing to Yehovah and provides rabbinical interpretations of Jephthah’s tragic vow.
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