The Shepherd’s Outfit by George M. Mackie

 The Shepherd’s Outfit From Bible Manners and Customs George M. Mackie In the Bible the allusions to shepherd life and the figurative terms borrowed from it refer chiefly to its peaceful aspects. Its enemies were wild animals and robbers. The chief occasion of strife among the shepherds, as among the farmers, was connected with the…

Manners And Customs Of The Jews by Henry Benton

Manners and Customs of the Jews by Henry Benton CHAPTER 21 — BOOKS, AND SUBSTANCES WRITTEN UPON. We are plainly told that the commandments were “the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” These tables were flat, thin pieces of stone. Also the names of the children of Israel, worn upon the high priest’s shoulders,…

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom Excerpt from The People’s Bible Encyclopedia The proportion of animals mentioned in the Bible compared with the total number found in Bible lands is far larger than that which obtains in the case of plants. There are 38 mammals, out of perhaps 130, 34 birds out of about 350, 11 reptiles out of…

Excerpt from Bible Manners and Customs by George M. Mackie

Bible Manners and Customs by George Mackie There are three principal advantages connected with this study of Bible Manners and Customs. 1.  It helps us to understand better the life and character of the men and women of the Bible. —  …The more we know about their human life and its conditions, the better we…

Condescension Excerpt from Bullinger’s Figures of Speech

Condescension Excerpt from Bullinger’s Figures of Speech Used in the Bible   When God or Christ is spoken of as a Husbandman (i.e., by Synecdoche), or a vinedresser. See Isa. 5:1–9, John 15::1, Matt. 20:1–16. As a Builder. Heb. 2:4; Heb. 11:10. As a Warrior. Ex. 5:3. Ps. 45:3–5; Ps. 46:8-9; Ps. 46:76. As a…

Allegory; or, Continued Metaphor and Hypocatastasis

Allegory; or, Continued Metaphor and Hypocatastasis Excerpt from Figures of Speech Used in the Bible E.W. Bullinger Continued Comparison by Representation or Implication Al´-le-go-ry. Greek, ἀλληγορία, from ἄλλος (allos), another, and ἀγορεύειν (agoreuein), to speak or make a speech in the agora (i.e., assembly). Few figures have been the subject of greater controversy than Allegory;…

Figures of Speech by E.W. Bullinger Systematically Classified

Figures of Speech by E.W. Bullinger Systematically Classified PART ONE – Figures Involving Omission 1. Affecting words 2. Affecting the sense PART TWO – Figures Involving Addition 1. Affecting words 2. Affecting the sense, by way of Repetition Amplification Description Conclusion Interposition Reasoning PART THREE – Figures Involving Change 1. Affecting the meaning and usage…

Specific Figures

God has declared that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, which is instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16,17). Since we are dealing with the inspired Word of God, we should…

Introduction to Figures of Speech

All language is ruled by laws, but to convey special emphasis of a word or group of words, these general laws of language are purposefully departed from, and other laws of language are invoked, giving the single word or group of words a new form. The Greeks called these departures from normal language use, schemata,…

Speaking Mysteries

Speaking Mysteries The definition of mystery is “a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding.” Definition of musterion from Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew Lexicon: “the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly 3) in rabbinic writings, it…

Peshitta Manuscript

This is a section from an actual Aramaic Peshitta manuscript. The letters are written in Estrangelo script. That is the script that was used in the early centuries AD. All of the LWM Publications use a font that is fashioned after this script. Picture a scribe using a metal pen on vellum or parchment and…

Boldness and Access

Boldness and Access Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. The Aramaic reads: in him we have boldness and access with confidence by his faith. Boldness and access is a figure of speech called hendiadys, which means, two things are said, but one thing meant. When…