Tag Archives: Torah

Biblical Studies, Poetic, Religion and Spirituality, Terminology

Friday Phraseology: Acrostics

Leave a comment

Acrostic. A poetic form where the initial letters of each line form a word, phrase, or alphabet. For example, Psalm 119 is structured around the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet (eight lines for each letter). Acrostics are sometimes thought to be mnemonic (memory) devices, but they are more readily viewed as literary or aesthetic devices whereby authors can use the constraints of the form (the acrostic itself) to contribute to the theme. In the case of Psalm 119, a *hymn in praise of *Torah, the author uses the twenty-two letters to show the total sufficiency of Torah.

Source: Arthur G. Patzia; Anthony J. Petrotta. Pocket Dictionary of Biblical Studies (p. 7). Kindle Edition.

Related articles

 

Advertisement
Bible, Old Testament, Religion, Review, Theology

Journal Review: What is the New Covenant “Law” in Jeremiah 31:33? Femi Adeyemi

2 Comments

What is the New Covenant “Law” in Jeremiah 31:33? Femi Adeyemi

Some biblical scholars have regarded the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34 as the one of the most profound and incitable verses at the highest point of Old Testament Scriptures due to the nature of promises. The predominant promises are inclusion of: (a) genuine spirituality (“I will put My Law within them and on their heart I will write it”), (b) intimate fellowship between Israel and Yahweh (“I will be their God, and they shall be My people”), (c) universal knowledge of God on the part of Israel (“they will all know Me”), and (d) absolute forgiveness of sin (“I will forgive their iniquity”) (312).

The richness of the texts also indicates its predominance over any previous prophetic predictions. Because of the nature of the promises, Stewart claims that the covenant has unique features that make the covenant itself a unique one. In his own words, “It is the high-water mark of the Old Testament and the supreme achievement of Hebrew religion” (313). I could not have said any better than this. The covenant also shows how God is going to deal with Israel in the near context on account of his covenant relationship with Israelites in the salvation history. Continue reading Journal Review: What is the New Covenant “Law” in Jeremiah 31:33? Femi Adeyemi →