Weekly Bible Study - December 1, 2025

Welcome to our weekly study! Each week, our reading plan will take us through three different parts of the Bible: a psalm, a passage from Proverbs, and a few chapters from another book as we journey through the entire bible.

These notes aren't meant to be an exhaustive commentary. Think of them as a friendly guide to get you started. My hope is to provide a little context, point out interesting literary details you might not notice, and highlight key themes—all to help enrich your own reading and our conversation together. (Google Gemini, an AI Engine, helps me write these notes.)

Bible passages for this week:

• Psalm 35
• Proverbs 17:1-9
• Matthew 5-7

Psalm 35

Psalm 35 stands as one of the fiercest invocations of Divine Warrior theology in the Psalter. It is a jarring text for modern readers, primarily because it demands that God step out of the abstract and into the visceral reality of physical combat. The psalmist does not ask for inner peace; he asks God to "grasp shield and buckler" (v. 2). This imagery challenges the Gnostic tendency to spiritualize God's protection. Here, YHWH is asked to arm Himself like a hoplite or an Ancient Near Eastern infantryman to impose order on a chaotic situation. It reminds us that biblical peace (shalom) is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of a righteous authority who actively subdues the agents of disorder.

The psalm also presents a fascinating interplay between the courtroom and the battlefield. The opening plea, "Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me," uses distinctively legal terminology (riv), suggesting a lawsuit. Yet, the anticipated enforcement of this legal verdict is entirely martial. This bridges the gap between God as Judge and God as Warrior. In the ancient mind, these roles were inseparable; a verdict was useless without the power to execute it. For the believer, this is a "gem" of assurance: God’s legal declaration of our justification is backed by His omnipotent capacity to defend that standing against any accuser.

A deeply poignant aspect of this psalm is the revelation of the enemy's identity. These are not foreign armies or strangers; they are former friends. The psalmist describes a time when these enemies were sick, and he wore sackcloth and fasted for them, mourning as for a mother (v. 13-14). This betrayal creates a sharp dissonance—the "peace" the psalmist sought was met with treachery. It highlights a recurring biblical theme: the most painful persecution often arises from within the covenant community or close relational circles, foreshadowing the betrayal of Jesus by one who dipped his hand in the bowl.

The imprecatory nature of the psalm—calling for the angel of the Lord to chase them down (v. 5-6)—often causes theological indigestion. However, from a biblical-theological perspective, this is not a tantrum of personal vengeance; it is an appeal to the Covenant. The psalmist has abdicated his right to personal revenge and handed the sword to God. This is actually an act of high ethical restraint. By praying for judgment, the psalmist refuses to enact it himself. He trusts that God’s justice is not passive but active, maintaining the distinction between the "weeds" and the "flowers" so that the garden is not overrun.

Finally, the psychological movement of the text is instructive for the life of prayer. Three times the psalmist descends into the reality of his threat, and three times he emerges with a vow of praise. He does not wait for the deliverance to arrive before he pledges to thank God. This is the "sacrifice of praise"—praising God for a verdict that has not yet been read in the visible world, based solely on the character of the Judge. It teaches us that lament, when properly oriented, always acts as a runway toward worship, rather than a pit of despair.

Theme and Genre

• Genre: Individual Lament / Imprecatory Psalm. It is classified as a lament because of the distress and plea for help, but specifically "imprecatory" because it invokes curses or judgment upon enemies. It also contains strong elements of a Lawsuit Psalm (rib-pattern) where the psalmist brings a legal case before YHWH.
• Main Theme: Vindication through Divine Justice. The psalmist (likely David, based on the superscription and thematic links to 1 Samuel 24) appeals to God to act as both Advocate and Executioner to deliver him from unjust, treacherous persecutors.

Structural Features

The psalm is organized into three distinct strophes (movements), each following a similar pattern: a complaint/petition followed by a promise of praise. This tripartite structure suggests a repeated cycle of prayer, perhaps indicating the intensity and duration of the struggle.

• Strophe I (Verses 1–10): The Appeal for Military Intervention.
  • Focus: Immediate physical danger.
  • Metaphor: God as a warrior with shield, spear, and javelin.
  • Resolution: Ends with a vow to rejoice in God's salvation (v. 9-10).
• Strophe II (Verses 11–18): The Appeal for Legal/Social Vindication.
  • Focus: Social betrayal and false accusation.
  • Metaphor: Malicious witnesses in a courtroom and ungrateful friends.
  • Resolution: Ends with a vow to give thanks in the "great congregation" (v. 18).
• Strophe III (Verses 19–28): The Appeal for Final Judgment.
  • Focus: The gloating of enemies and the vindication of righteousness.
  • Metaphor: The mockery of the wicked vs. the shout of the righteous.
  • Resolution: Ends with the tongue singing of God's righteousness "all day long" (v. 28).

Key Hebrew Poetic Devices

• Legal/Martial Double Entendre (Verse 1): The Hebrew root riv (to contend/strive) is used in the first phrase ("Contend, O Lord..."). This is standard legal terminology for a lawsuit. However, the second line uses lachim (to fight/do battle). The parallelism forces the reader to see the courtroom battle and the physical battle as one reality.
• Wordplay on "Ruins" (Shoah): In verse 8, the psalmist prays: "Let destruction (shoah) come upon him when he does not know it... let him fall into that destruction (shoah)." This word implies a crashing ruin or storm. It creates a poetic irony (contrapasso): the very mechanism the enemy designed for the psalmist is requested to be the mechanism of their own undoing.
• The "Heavy" Soul (Kavod vs. Nephesh): In verse 13, "my prayer returned to my own bosom" (literally chiq - lap/bosom). This idiomatic phrase is debated; it likely signifies a posture of intense grief (head bowed on chest) or that the blessing he prayed for them revoked back to him because they were unworthy (a concept Jesus uses in Matthew 10:13).
• Mockery via Mimicry: In verse 21, the psalmist quotes the enemies: "Aha, Aha!" (Heach! Heach!). Hebrew poetry often employs direct quotation to expose the character of the antagonist. The use of onomatopoeia here captures the guttural, animalistic nature of their gloating.

Notable Details & Connections

• New Testament Citation (The Hated Messiah): Jesus explicitly alludes to Psalm 35:19 (and Psalm 69:4) in John 15:25: "But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’"
  • Theological Implication: By applying this psalm to Himself, Jesus identifies as the innocent sufferer of Psalm 35. This transforms the imprecations (curses) in the psalm. In the NT context, Jesus absorbs the "destruction" meant for the enemy, but He also validates the psalm's premise: that hatred against God's anointed is groundless and irrational.
• Historical Context (David and Saul): While we cannot date it with absolute precision, the content aligns remarkably well with the period of David fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 24). Specifically, the mention of treating enemies well (fasting for them) aligns with David refusing to kill Saul in the cave. The betrayal by "friends" could refer to the courtiers of Saul who turned on David to save their own skin.
• The "Angel of the Lord" (Malak YHWH): Verses 5 and 6 mention the "Angel of the Lord" driving the enemies away. This is rare in the Psalms (appearing only here and Psalm 34). In Old Testament theology, the Angel of the Lord is often a theophanic figure representing YHWH’s direct, visible presence on earth. For the Christian scholar, this hints at a Christological reading—the pre-incarnate Christ acting as the protector of the righteous sufferer.

Proverbs 17:1-9

Proverbs 17:1

Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

This "Better-than" saying (a common form in Wisdom Literature known as a tov-proverb) presents a sharp evaluation of value, contrasting material wealth with relational peace. The phrase "feasting" is literally "sacrifices of strife" (zibche-riv). In ancient Israel, the peace offering (fellowship offering) was one of the few times the average family ate meat; it was meant to be a joyous religious festival of communal unity. The irony here is palpable: the table is loaded with the best religious food, ostensibly honoring God, yet the atmosphere is toxic with conflict. It challenges the assumption that religious observance or economic prosperity can mask a dysfunctional home. A Christian reading connects this to the New Testament emphasis that reconciliation with a brother takes precedence over the offering at the altar (Matthew 5:23-24), reminding us that God prefers the "dry morsel" of genuine peace over the fatted calf of hypocritical worship.

Proverbs 17:2

A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

This verse is a sociological bombshell in the Ancient Near East, where primogeniture and bloodlines were paramount. It asserts that Wisdom is a disruption to the natural social order; merit can supersede birthright. We see echoes of this throughout the biblical narrative where the younger, "wiser" (or chosen) figure usurps the natural heir—think of Jacob over Esau, or even Joseph, a servant in Egypt who effectively ruled over his brothers. It serves as a warning to the complacent "son" (the insider, the covenant member by birth) that status is not security if accompanied by shameful behavior. For the believer, this points to the New Testament reality where Gentiles (outsiders) who respond with the wisdom of faith are grafted into the inheritance, sharing equally with the "natural branches" (Romans 11).

Proverbs 17:3

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.

Here we find a metallurgical metaphor describing the doctrine of Divine Omniscience and sanctification. The crucible and furnace are not merely places of observation, but of intense heat designed to separate dross from precious metal. The parallelism suggests that just as the smith is the only one skilled enough to purify gold, YHWH is the only one capable of truly assessing and purifying the human inner life (leb). Humans judge actions; God assays the motives. This verse strips away our ability to self-validate; we often do not know our own dross until the heat is applied. It aligns perfectly with 1 Peter 1:7, which views trials not as punishment, but as the necessary firing process to prove the "genuineness of your faith," making this a verse about the severe mercy of God’s testing.

Proverbs 17:4

An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

This proverb diagnoses the pathology of the listener, not just the speaker. It suggests a symbiosis between the liar and the audience; false speech requires a receptive market. If someone finds themselves constantly surrounded by gossip, conspiracy, or malice, this text suggests it is because their ear has an appetite for it. The Hebrew word for "mischievous" (havvah) implies destruction or engulfing ruin. Thus, the appetite for lies is actually an appetite for destruction. In a practical church context, this is a tool for discernment: we can identify the character of a person not only by what they say, but by what they are willing to entertain. It reinforces the biblical ethics of hearing—that we are morally responsible for what we choose to consume.

Proverbs 17:5

Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

This is a profound theological tether between social ethics and the doctrine of Creation. To mock the poor (rash) is not merely a social faux pas; it is a direct theological assault on the Artisan who crafted them. The Hebrew word chereph (insults/reproaches) suggests treating God with contempt. This establishes the intrinsic dignity of the human being regardless of economic status (Imago Dei). The second half of the verse deals with Schadenfreude—taking joy in another's disaster. This creates a terrifying legal expectation: if you enjoy the judgment falling on another, you invite the Divine Judge to turn His gaze toward you. It connects directly to the warning in Proverbs 24:17-18, where God may turn His wrath away from the enemy and onto the gloating observer.

Proverbs 17:6

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

This verse celebrates the reciprocal honor of the multi-generational family, presenting a vision of continuity that defies modern individualism. The "crown" represents the public honor and validation of a life well-lived; the existence of a third generation is a visible sign of God’s covenant blessing and the patriarch’s/matriarch’s endurance. Conversely, parents are the "glory" (or beauty/boast) of their children, suggesting that in a healthy wisdom culture, children derive their sense of identity and security from the standing of their parents. It is a beautiful picture of interdependence: the old need the young for honor, and the young need the old for roots. In a fractured society, this verse acts as a normative goal, encouraging investment in the stability of the home as a reflection of covenantal faithfulness.

Proverbs 17:7

Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.

This is an observation on moral aesthetics—certain things are grotesque because they do not fit. "Fine speech" (literally "lip of excess" or "arrogant speech") implies lofty, eloquent, or commanding language. When a fool (a distinctively moral category in Proverbs, not intellectual) tries to speak with gravitas, it is disjointed and unseemly. The "how much more" (a fortiori) argument follows: if it is ugly for a fool to speak like a king, it is absolutely detestable for a "prince" (noble/leader) to speak like a liar. The expectations for leadership are higher. Leaders who lie deconstruct the very reality they are commissioned to govern. This connects to the New Testament qualifications for elders (1 Timothy 3), where character and speech are paramount; a lying leader is a contradiction in terms.

Proverbs 17:8

A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.

This verse is a "gem" that requires careful handling, as it often confuses readers who expect a moral condemnation. Here, the sage is acting as a realist observer rather than a moralist. The "bribe" (shochad) is described as a "stone of grace/favor" (even chen—possibly a lucky charm or a gem that dazzles). The observation is pragmatic: bribery works. It opens doors; it clears paths. However, the Bible elsewhere strictly forbids taking bribes (Exodus 23:8, Deuteronomy 16:19) because they blind the eyes of the wise. This proverb functions as a warning about the seductive power of money—it feels like "magic" because it bypasses the hard work of righteousness, but it is a dangerous shortcut. It serves as a mirror to the human heart's desire for easy influence.

Proverbs 17:9

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

This text distinguishes between the godly handling of sin and the destructive nature of gossip. "Covering" an offense does not mean enabling abuse or ignoring crime; the Hebrew concept (as seen in Proverbs 10:12) parallels the idea of atonement (kippur—covering). It means choosing not to weaponize a past wrong for social leverage. It is the active decision to let a matter die rather than keeping it on life support through discussion. The contrast is the "repeater"—someone who harps on a matter, perhaps under the guise of "processing" or "venting." The consequence is the severing of the "close friend" (alluph—a confidant or chief friend). This is the Old Testament foundation for 1 Peter 4:8, "love covers a multitude of sins," teaching us that true friendship requires a robust disposal system for minor offenses.

Matthew 5-7

This is a magnificent section of Scripture. Matthew 5–7, the Sermon on the Mount, is effectively the Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven.

To approach this as—someone who loves the text as God’s word but refuses to check their brain at the door—you need to see this not just as a list of ethical rules, but as a polemic that redefines reality. Jesus is declaring who is truly "lucky" (blessed) and how the world actually works, in direct contrast to the Roman Empire and the religious establishment of his day.

1. The Big Picture: The "New Moses" Typology

How does this fit into the book? Matthew is structured around Five Major Discourses (sermons), likely mirroring the five books of the Torah (Pentateuch). The Sermon on the Mount is the first and foundational discourse.

• The Setting: Notice Matthew 5:1, "He went up on the mountain... and sat down." This is not casual geography; it is theological signaling. Just as Moses went up Sinai to receive the Law, Jesus goes up the "New Sinai" to deliver the Messianic Law.
• The Posture: Teachers in the ancient world sat down to teach with authority (hence the "Chair" of St. Peter or a University "Chair").
• The Theme: Jesus is not abolishing the Old Testament; He is "fulfilling" it (Matt 5:17). The Greek word pleroo (fulfill) here has the sense of filling a container to the brim or reaching a destination (telos). He is showing the goal to which the Law always pointed.

2. Structure: The Hidden Skeleton

• The Inclusio (Bookends):
  • 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets."
  • 7:12: "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
  • Significance: Everything between these two verses is Jesus' exposition of what the Law and Prophets actually mean.
• The "Kingdom" Bookends:
  • The first Beatitude (5:3) ends with: "...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
  • The eighth Beatitude (5:10) ends with: "...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
  • Significance: The Beatitudes between them are the description of what life inside that Kingdom looks like.
• The Centerpiece (Chiasm): Many scholars argue the entire sermon is a chiasm (a V-shaped structure) where the focus narrows down to the very center.
  • Chapter 5: True Righteousness.
  • Chapter 6:1-18: True Piety (Giving, Praying, Fasting).
  • The Center: The Lord’s Prayer (6:9-13).
  • This implies that prayer is the engine that drives the entire ethical life of the Kingdom.

3. Greek Nuances & "Missing" Cultural Context

A. "Blessed" (Makarios)

We often read "Blessed" as "Holier-than-thou." The Greek Makarios essentially means "flourishing," "happy," or "enviable." In the ancient world, people thought the rich, powerful, and Roman conquerors were the "enviable" ones. Jesus flips the pyramid. He is saying, "You think the Caesars are the enviable ones? No. The mournful, the meek, and the persecuted are actually the ones in the position of power."

B. "Salt of the Earth" (5:13)

• Chemistry vs. History: You will hear people say, "Salt is a stable compound (NaCl); it can't lose its saltiness." That is true of pure salt. But 1st-century salt from the Dead Sea was a mixture of salt, gypsum, and other minerals. If it got wet, the actual salt could leach out, leaving a white powder that looked like salt but had no flavor.
• The Application: It was literally good for nothing. They would throw it on the roof to harden the mud or on the road. It’s a warning against having the appearance of godliness (the white powder) without the power/substance (the sodium chloride).

C. "Righteousness" (Dikaiosyne)

When Jesus says our righteousness must "exceed that of the Scribes," he doesn't mean we need to follow more rules than them. The word dikaiosyne in Matthew often leans closer to the Hebrew Tzedakah—which is not just legal standing, but covenantal faithfulness and social justice. The Scribes had technical righteousness (rule-keeping); Jesus demands whole-person righteousness (heart alignment).

D. The Golden Rule vs. Hillel

Rabbi Hillel, a famous contemporary of Jesus, famously taught: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor." This is the Silver Rule (Passive: Do no harm). Jesus’ version is the Golden Rule (Active): "Do unto others..." (Matt 7:12).

• The difference: You can obey Hillel by living in a cave and doing nothing. You can only obey Jesus by actively entering into people's lives to do good.

4. A Critical Note on "Judgment" (7:1)

Be careful with "Judge not." The Greek word Krino can mean "condemn" or "discern." Jesus forbids condemnation (playing God), but just a few verses later (7:6) he tells you not to cast pearls before "swine." You can't obey verse 6 without "judging" (discerning) who the swine are.

• The Balance: We must be critical thinkers (discernment) without being critical spirits (condemnation).

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