I was recently interviewed on a podcast called “The Dust Cast: Exploring the Ancient Hebraic Context of the Bible.”
I had a great conversation with the host, Jason Mahler, about the current book I’m working on, Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus, as well as some questions from earlier books.
We talked about the “two handed” approach to reasoning that is common in Jewish culture and how it differs from our Western approach to theology. (For more, see the chapter in Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus called “Thinking with Both Hands.”)
We also tackled Paul’s difficult words about “working out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) I shared from my ebook, 5 Hebrew Words that Every Christian Should Know and explained about the wideness of Hebrew words, and how “fear” can often be very positive, denoting reverence or awe. “Fear and trembling” was an expression that could mean “spine-tingling, joyful awe” as it does in Jeremiah 33:9.
If you want to hear our conversation, tune in to The Dust Cast podcast here.
After you’re done listening to me, check out two other recent conversations on The Dust Cast with Ben Witherington and Gary Burge, two well-known scholars in New Testament studies.
Mark says
You’re missing the point of Jeremiah 33:9. God intended to bless Jerusalem so that when the wicked nations saw it they would fear and tremble. Wicked people don’t express joy toward God.
Lois Tverberg says
I disagree. The subject of Jeremiah 33:9 isn’t Israel’s enemies, it is the nations. Immediately beforehand, in verse 8, the text says that the city will bring God honor and praise and glory, and then this line continues positively by saying that the nations will “tremble in awe.”
I checked several modern translations, and almost all of them concur that “fear and trembling” should be read in a positive way.
On a related note, Paul uses phobos kai tromos, “fear and trembling” elsewhere in a positive way too. See 2 Corinthians 7:15 and Ephesians 6:5.
Jedidja says
Hi,
I was writing a short review about your book (in Dutch): Luisteren naar de taal van de Bijbel. Thank you so much for writing this book. I love it and I am learning new things. I will give it to my old father (86) He’s stille learning Hebrew and Aramaic from his youth.
May the LORD bless you
Darin Osborne says
I was just on the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research alliance partners page and there is a bad link to the En-Gedi site.