Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
In contrast to the sluggard, is the prudent person. The word “prudent” also predominates the book of Proverbs with 10 appearances, contrasted to only two in the rest of the Bible. “Prudent” means “wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense; careful in regard to one’s own interests or conduct.” It seems […]
There are several words that appear with disproportionate frequency in the book of Proverbs—and with minimal representation in the rest of the Bible. They are: Plus, there are some additional words that appear with surprising regularity in Proverbs: In upcoming posts, we will look at each of these words. [The 1984 NIV version of the […]
The book of Proverbs in the Bible has 31 chapters. I see them organized as follows: So there are essentially three segments to Proverbs: In the next few weeks, we will look at the book of Proverbs in greater detail.
So far, we have covered seven of the 15 judges mentioned in the book of Judges. They are the more commonly known judges, merely because there is more written about them. That leaves eight remaining judges, for whom very little is known. Often their entire life is summarized in just a couple of verses. They […]
One of Gideon’s sons was Abimelech. It is arguable if Abimelech should be counted as a judge. If so, he would be classified as a failure, for he violently seized power, did not fight for or liberate his people from foreign powers, but instead fought internally, with much loss of life as a result—including his […]
Deborah is another familiar judge, with two chapters in the book of Judges devoted to her. There are some noteworthy facts about her: First, she is the only female judge in the entire book. This was very counter-cultural for the day—and very cool! Second, she was the only judge who actually “held court”—which would be […]
Just before Gideon goes to battle, he tells his men to “watch me,” “follow my lead,” and “do exactly what I do.” His men did and God used their collective actions to throw the enemy into complete confusion. As a result, a great victory was won. Gideon’s actions were worthy of emulation. From a spiritual perspective, […]
Ultimately, Gideon, the Judge, obeys God and realizes a great victory, but he first needs a lot of confirmation to deal with his doubts: Gideon first asks for a sign that the angel had really spoken God’s words. God acquiesces; when the angel touches his staff to the food Gideon prepared, it miraculously ignites and […]
Of all the characters mentioned in the book of Judges, the most familiar is likely Samson. This may be because four of the book’s 21 chapters are devoted to him. Another reason may be his unwise, yet intriguing, dalliance with Delilah. As a person, Samson did not have much in his favor. He was self-centered, […]
15 People in the Book of Judges When I think of a judge, I immediately conjure up an image of a person wearing a black robe and presiding over a hearing or trial. Indeed, that is the primary definition of the word “judge.” However, that understanding is greatly misleading when reading the book of Judges […]