DANIEL CHAPTER 6

[JLG]

1) Alexander's Death

https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_the_Great/

While still processing the grief of Hephaestion's death, Alexander returned to Babylon in 323 BCE with plans for expanding his empire but he would never realize them. He died at Babylon at the age of 32 on 10 or 11 June 323 BCE after suffering ten days of high fever. Theories concerning his cause of death have ranged from poisoning to malaria to meningitis to bacterial infection from drinking contaminated water (among others).

Plutarch says that, 14 days before his death, Alexander entertained his fleet admiral Nearcus and his friend Medius of Larissa with a long bout of drinking, after which he fell into a fever from which he never recovered. When he was asked who should succeed him, Alexander said, “the strongest”, which answer led to his empire being divided between four of his generals: Cassander, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and Seleucus (known as the Diadochi or 'successors').

 

[JLG]

2) Seleucid Empire

https://www.britannica.com/place/Seleucid-Empire

Seleucid empire, (312–64 bce), an ancient empire that at its greatest extent stretched from Thrace in Europe to the border of India. It was carved out of the remains of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian empire by its founder, Seleucus I Nicator. (See also Hellenistic Age.)

Seleucus, one of Alexander’s leading generals, became satrap (governor) of Babylonia in 321, two years after the death of Alexander. In the prolonged power struggle between the former generals of Alexander for control of the disintegrating empire, Seleucus sided with Ptolemy I of Egypt against Antigonus I, Alexander’s successor on the Macedonian throne, who had forced Seleucus out of Babylonia. In 312 Seleucus defeated Demetrius at Gaza using troops supplied by Ptolemy, and with a smaller force he seized Babylonia that same year, thereby founding the Seleucid kingdom, or empire. By 305, having consolidated his power over the kingdom, he began gradually to extend his domain eastward to the Indus River and westward to Syria and Anatolia, where he decisively defeated Antigonus at Ipsus in 301. In 281 he annexed the Thracian Chersonesus. That same year, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, the disgruntled son of Ptolemy I.
Seleucus was succeeded by his eldest son, Antiochus I Soter, who reigned until 261 and was followed by Antiochus II (reigned 261–246), Seleucus II (246–225), Seleucus III (225–223), and Antiochus III the Great (223–187), whose reign was marked by sweeping administrative reforms in which many of the features of the ancient Persian imperial administration, adopted initially by Alexander, were modernized to eliminate a dual power structure strained by rivalry between military and political figures. The empire was administered by provincial stratēgoi, who combined military and civil power. Administrative centres were located at Sardis in the west and at Seleucia on the Tigris in the east. By controlling Anatolia and its Greek cities, the Seleucids exerted enormous political, economic, and cultural power throughout the Middle East. Their control over the strategic Taurus Mountain passes between Anatolia and Syria, as well as the Hellespont between Thrace and Anatolia, allowed them to dominate commerce and trade in the region. Seleucid settlements in Syria, primarily Antioch, were regional centres by which the Seleucid empire projected its military, economic, and cultural influence.

The Seleucid empire was a major centre of Hellenistic culture, which maintained the preeminence of Greek customs and manners over the indigenous cultures of the Middle East. A Greek-speaking Macedonian aristocratic class dominated the Seleucid state throughout its history, although this dominance was most strongly felt in the urban areas. Resistance to Greek cultural hegemony peaked during the reign of Antiochus IV (175–163), whose promotion of Greek culture culminated in his raising a statue to Zeus in the Temple at Jerusalem. He had previously ordered the Jews to build shrines to idols and to sacrifice pigs and other unclean animals and had forbidden circumcision—essentially prohibiting, on pain of death, the practice of the Jewish law. This persecution of the Jews and desecration of the Temple sparked the Maccabean uprising beginning in 165. A quarter-century of Maccabean resistance ended with the final wresting of control over Judea from the Seleucids and the creation of an independent Judea in Palestine.

The Seleucid empire began losing control over large territories in the 3rd century bce. An inexorable decline followed the first defeat of the Seleucids by the Romans in 190. By that time the Aegean Greek cities had thrown off the Seleucid yoke, Cappadocia and Attalid Pergamum had achieved independence, and other territories had been lost to the Celts and to Pontus and Bythnia. By the middle of the 3rd century, Parthia, Bactria, and Sogdiana had gained their independence; the conquest of Coele Syria (Lebanon) and Palestine by Antiochus III (200) and a brief occupation of Armenia made up to some extent for the loss of much of Anatolia to the Romans. The decline accelerated after the death of Antiochus IV (164) with the loss of Commagene in Syria and of Judea in Palestine. By 141 all lands east of the Euphrates were gone, and attempts by Demetrius II (141) and Antiochus VII (130) could not halt the rapid disintegration of the empire. When it was finally conquered by the Romans in 64 bce, the formerly mighty Seleucid empire was confined to the provinces of Syria and eastern Cilicia, and even those were under tenuous control.

 

[JLG]

3) Antigonid dynasty

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Antigonid-dynasty

Macedonian history

Antigonid dynasty, ruling house of ancient Macedonia from 306 to 168 bce. The Antigonid dynasty was established when Demetrius I Poliorcetes, the son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus, ousted Cassander’s governor of Athens, Demetrius of Phaleron, and conquered the island of Cyprus, thereby giving his father control of the Aegean, the eastern Mediterranean, and all of the Middle East

except Babylonia. Antigonus I was proclaimed king in 306 by the assembled army of these areas.

Demetrius succeeded Antigonus I to the throne, and his son, Antigonus II Gonatas, strengthened the Macedonian kingdom by routing a band of Galatian invaders from Macedonia. In 239 Gonatas died, his resilience and solid work having given Macedonia a sound and durable government. Gonatas’s son Demetrius II (reigned 239–229 bce) at once became involved in a war with the Greek Achaean and Aetolian leagues that lasted until his death. Macedonia was weakened, and Demetrius’s heir, Philip V, was a child. Conditions became so unsettled that the child’s guardian, Antigonus Doson, took the throne as Antigonus III. He marched into Greece and, after defeating the Spartan king Cleomenes III at Sellasia (222), reestablished the Hellenic Alliance as a confederacy of leagues, with himself as president. Doson died in 221, having restored internal stability and reestablished Macedonia in a stronger position in Greece than it had enjoyed since the reign of Gonatas.

Under Philip V, Macedonia first clashed with Rome (215), but Philip seriously miscalculated Rome’s strength, and his defeat at Cynoscephalae (197) led to a peace that confined him to Macedonia. The Hellenic Alliance, which had fallen apart, was replaced by a series of leagues in former Macedonian areas. Above all, the old balance of power was upset and Rome became the decisive power in the eastern Mediterranean.

Philip’s successor, Perseus (reigned 179–168 bce), was recognized as a champion of Greek freedom against Rome. But Perseus’s failure to deploy his full resources brought about his defeat (168) at Pydna in Macedonia and signaled the end of the dynasty.

 

[JLG]

4) Lysimachus

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lysimachus

Lysimachus, (born c. 360 bc—died 281), Macedonian general, satrap (provincial governor), and king who, as one of the diadochoi (“successors”) to Alexander the Great, came to rule strategic parts of the divided Macedonian Empire.

Lysimachus was one of Alexander’s bodyguards during the conquest of Asia, and, in the distribution of satrapies that followed Alexander’s death (323), he was assigned to govern Thrace. Occupied there for many years in wars against the local peoples, Lysimachus took little part in the struggles among Alexander’s other successors in Greece and Asia. Not until 302, when he bore the brunt of the campaign that ended in the overthrow of the successor Antigonus Monophthalmus, king of Asia, at the Battle of Ipsus (301), did Lysimachus emerge as a power of the first rank. Through this victory he added the greater part of Asia Minor to his European possessions and began to consolidate his power in both areas against the threat posed by Antigonus’ son, Demetrius I Poliorcetes. In 285 Lysimachus drove Demetrius from Macedonia, which had been taken by Demetrius in 294.

The last period of Lysimachus’ life was darkened by the intrigues of his third wife, Arsinoe II, daughter of Ptolemy I Soter, king of Egypt. In order to gain the succession for her own sons, she had her husband execute his eldest son, Agathocles, on a charge of conspiring with Seleucus I, the Syrian king, to commit treason. During the disorders that followed Agathocles’ death, Seleucus seized the opportunity to invade Asia Minor, where he killed Lysimachus in the decisive battle of Corupedium in Lydia, in 281.

 

[JLG]

- Coming back to Daniel 5 thread 45:

Alexandria continued to develop as a spectacularly beautiful city and to foster Greek culture and intellectual pursuits, though the great days of Ptolemaic court patronage of literary figures had passed. But the flourishing interest in philosophy, particularly Platonic philosophy, had important effects. The great Jewish philosopher and theologian of the 1st century, Philo of Alexandria (Philo Judaeus), brought a training in Greek philosophy to bear on his commentaries on the Bible. This anticipated by a hundred years the period after the virtual annihilation of the great Jewish community of Alexandria in the revolt of 115–117 ce, when the city was the intellectual crucible in which Christianity developed a theology that took it away from the influence of the Jewish exegetical tradition and toward that of Greek philosophical ideas. There the foundations were laid for teaching the heads of the Christian catechetical school, such as Clement of Alexandria. And in the 3rd century there was the vital textual and theological work of Origen, the greatest of the Christian Neoplatonists, without which there would hardly have been a coherent New Testament tradition at all.

- We are told about the influence of Platonic philosophy which “had important effects”, about “Philo of Alexandria (Philo Judaeus) who brought a training in greek philosophy to bear on his commentaries on the Bible”...”in which Christianity developed a theology that took it away from the influence of the Jewish exegetical tradition and toward that of Greek philosophical ideas” !

- We are also told about Clement of Alexandria and origen, the greatest of the Christian neoplatonists!

- What a big mixed salad really different from God’s word!

 

[JLG]

- Coming back to Daniel 2 thread 236 :

According to Porphyry, Origen attended lectures given by Ammonius Saccas, the founder of Neoplatonism. A letter of Origen mentions his “teacher of philosophy,” at whose lectures he met Heraclas, who was to become his junior colleague, then his rival, and who was to end as bishop of Alexandria refusing to hold communion with him. Origen invited Heraclas to assist him with the elementary teaching at the Catechetical school, leaving himself free for advanced teaching and study.

- Man’s word or God’s word?

 

[JLG]

32) God and Job / Job and God

Job 42

God said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and your two companions, for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has. …​

I will surely accept his request not to deal with you according to your foolishness, for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has.”

- Here we get God’s decision!

- Here we can know what God thinks!

- His judgment about Job has never changed and will never changed!

- May we try to look with God’s eyes and not with human eyes!

 

[JLG]

6) There is no one like him on the earth and a wealthy farmer

Job 1

- Think about what Job would think if he could see what men do today!

- He would be proud of himself!

- But he would be ashamed of humanity!

- You call that superior animals!

- They are ridiculous!

- All that for that!

- Always waiting to get into trouble to start doing something!

- And always listening to stupid people!

- Human beings look like teenagers good to nothing and unable to evolve!

 

[JLG]

9) There is no one like him on the earth and a wealthy farmer

Job 2
Finally his wife said to him: “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her: “You are talking like one of the senseless women. Should we accept only what is good from the true God and not accept also what is bad?” In all of this, Job did not sin with his lips.

- Job resists the devil !

- Job resists the loss of all what he has !

- Job resists illness !

- Job resists his wife !

- Job will resist 4 individuals !

- He will show equal to himself !

- He will be blessed to a great extend !

- All of this testifies about his incredible quality of his relationship to God !

- Once again, there is no better example than Job !

- He is FAITHFULNESS PERSONIFIED !

- A MIRROR of what we are or not !

 

[JLG]

16) There is no one like him on the earth and a wealthy farmer

Job 7
Remember that my life is wind, That my eye will never again see happiness. The eye that sees me now will see me no more; Your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone. Like a cloud that fades and vanishes, The one who goes down to the Grave does not come back up. He will not return again to his house, And his place will acknowledge him no more.

- Job is used to action!

- He was in charge of many people and animals!

- He had to organize everything!

- Having nothing to do is something really difficult to do with when you are used to action!

- And now he is waiting for death!

- Really different from his past life!

- And he is only thinking about death!

- So he prefers to be dead!

- Of course, it’s different when you know you are going to die but you can be active and do things!

- Then you can do as much as you want!

 

[JLG]

24) There is no one like him on the earth and a wealthy farmer

Job 9
Even if I were in the right, I would not answer him.

- Yes, Job respects God!

- Yes, Job knows his position compared to God!

- Yes, he knows he is only a human beings with limitations!

- But he wants to tell God about his pain and sufferance!

- He wants to call for God because he needs his help!

- And he needs his relationship!

- Can we spend a day without thinking of God?

- Can we spend a day without praying to God?

 

[JLG]

31) There is no one like him on the earth and a wealthy farmer

Job 10

I loathe my life. I will give vent to my complaints. I will speak out in my bitter distress!

- Job is not ready to give up easily!

- That’s his fighting spirit!

- Every time he speaks you can feel it!

- He got it by helping others without limits!

- He got it by developing his strong relationship with God!

- That’s why he was so confident!

- Now he has lost his confidence because he has lost everything and in particular his special relationship to God!

- He has lost hope!

- But keeping alive means complaining to God!

- He will keep calling for him!

- And tell him about his pain and suffering!

 

[JLG]

38) There is no one like him on the earth and a wealthy farmer

Job 12

- The carefree person has contempt for calamity, Thinking it is only for those whose feet are unsteady. The tents of robbers are at peace, And those who provoke God are secure, Those who have their god in their hands. However, ask, please, the animals, and they will instruct you; Also the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you. Or give consideration to the earth, and it will instruct you; And the fish of the sea will declare it to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of Jehovah has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing And the spirit of every human.

- Job sees wickedness everywhere!

- But animals, birds, the earth, the fish of the sea tell about our creator!

- God created everything!

- It was an evidence for Job!

- It is not an evidence for many men!

- But look at what they have done of the earth!

- Every time they have more capacities to destroy all life on the earth!

- Life vs destruction!

- Two opposite ways!

- We must make a choice!

- Like Job!

 

[JLG]

1) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Chapter one

- Jeremiah was a priest !
- The word of God came to him in the days of Josiah and Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, three kings of Judah until Jerusalem went into exile !
- This chapter is interesting because God says he knew him before he was born and before he was in the womb of his mother !
- He was to be a prophet to the nations !
- We don’t know anything about his parents !
- He told God he was but a boy and didn’t know how to speak !
- But God didn’t give him any choice !
- He wanted him to go to people and tell them his word !
- He would save him !

Jeremiah 1:9 :

Then the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

reached out
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

His hand,
יָד֔וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

touched
וַיַּגַּ֖ע (way·yag·ga‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

my mouth,
פִּ֑י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

and said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to me:
אֵלַ֔י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Behold,
הִנֵּ֛ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I have put
נָתַ֥תִּי (nā·ṯat·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

My words
דְבָרַ֖י (ḏə·ḇā·ray)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

into your mouth.
בְּפִֽיךָ׃ (bə·p̄î·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

- CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT !

 

[JLG]

2) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 1:10 :

See,
רְאֵ֞ה (rə·’êh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see
I have appointed
הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ ׀ (hip̄·qaḏ·tî·ḵā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit
you today
הַיּ֣וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day
over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against
nations
הַגּוֹיִם֙ (hag·gō·w·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts
and kingdoms
הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת (ham·mam·lā·ḵō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

to uproot
לִנְת֥וֹשׁ (lin·ṯō·wōš)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5428: To pull or pluck up, root out
and tear down,
וְלִנְת֖וֹץ (wə·lin·ṯō·wṣ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5422: To pull down, break down
to destroy
וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד (ū·lə·ha·’ă·ḇîḏ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish
and overthrow,
וְלַהֲר֑וֹס (wə·la·hă·rō·ws)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2040: To pull down, in pieces, break, & destroy
to build
לִבְנ֖וֹת (liḇ·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1129: To build
and plant.”
וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃ (wə·lin·ṭō·w·a‘)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5193: To strike in, fix, to plant
- God is telling Jeremiah that he will tell God’s word to the nations !

- But it will be mainly words of DESTRUCTION !

- And just at the end, there are two small positive verbs !

- BUILD AND PLANT !

- It seems really strange after four verbs of destruction !

 

[JLG]

3) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 1

- Then God asks Jeremiah what he sees !

- Jeremiah answers by saying that he sees :

- A branch of an almond tree !

- A boiling pot !

What do almond trees represent?


Highly revered in many cultures, the almond symbolizes watchfulness and promise of new life, as this tree is the first to burst into bloom in many countries. For the Jews, the almond branch was the model for the menorah, and for the Christians, it is a symbol of Jesus' virgin birth.9 abr 2012

Spring Blossoms in Art: The Symbol of Life — ArtCorner - overstockArt.com

https://www.overstockart.com › blog › spring-blossoms-in

What does almond tree mean in Hebrew?
The Hebrew name for the almond (sha-KED) and for the tree (EitzhaSha-KED or shkaydiYAH) coincidentally has the same root letters as a verb meaning “to be eager, alert, awake, diligent, ready to act.”

What is the meaning of the boiling pot in the Bible?
The giant boiling pot, tilted from the north so as to pour its contents over Judah, symbolized a foreign army entering Judah from the north and overrunning the country. This was a judgment brought about by God because of Judah's idolatry (13-16).

Jeremiah 1:13 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

https://www.studylight.org › commentary › jeremiah

 

[JLG]

4) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 1

- God says that the kingdoms of the north will set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem !

- But not only against Jerusalem but also against all the cities of Judah !

- And God says why !

- It is about his judgments against their wickedness !

- Because they abandoned him !

- Because they worship other gods !

- Who is concerned !

- EVERYBODY: KINGS OF JUDAH, THE PRIESTS, THE PEOPLE !

- IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE MORE CLEAR !

- BUT USUALLY PEOPLE ARE DEAF AND BLIND WHEN IT IS INTERESTING FOR THEM !

- BUT IT IS NOT GOING TO LAST !

- THUS ISRAEL AND HUMANITY : SAME FIGHT !

- THE RESULT IS NOT GOING TO BE POSITIVE AT ALL !

 

[JLG]

5) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 2:2

I remember
זָכַ֤רְתִּי (zā·ḵar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male
the devotion
חֶ֣סֶד (ḥe·seḏ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty
of your youth,
נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ (nə·‘ū·ra·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5271: Youth, the state, the persons
your love
אַהֲבַ֖ת (’a·hă·ḇaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 160: Love (noun)
as a bride,
כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ (kə·lū·lō·ṯā·yiḵ)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 3623: Bridehood
how you followed
לֶכְתֵּ֤ךְ (leḵ·têḵ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk
Me in the wilderness,
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech
in a land
בְּאֶ֖רֶץ (bə·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land
not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
sown.

- This chapter begins with positive terms :

-Devotion of your youth !

- your love as a bride !

- How you followed me in the wilderness !

- Jeremiah 2:3 : Israel was under God’s protection !

 

[JLG]

6) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 2:5

This is what
כֹּ֣ה ׀ (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now
the LORD
יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say
“What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what
fault
עָ֔וֶל (‘ā·wel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5766: Injustice, unrighteousness
did your fathers
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֥ם (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father
find in Me
מָּצְא֨וּ (mā·ṣə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present
that
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction
they strayed so far
רָחֲק֖וּ (rā·ḥă·qū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7368: To be or become far or distant
from Me,
מֵעָלָ֑י (mê·‘ā·lāy)
Preposition-m | first person common singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against
and followed
וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk
worthless idols,
הַהֶ֖בֶל (ha·he·ḇel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory
and became worthless themselves?
וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃ (way·yeh·bā·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1891: To act emptily, become vain

- But it didn’t last !

- They abandoned God for worthless idols !

- And became worthless themselves !

- THIS IS THE WORST CONDAMNATION !

- IT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN WORST !

- So when we hear the Pharisees discussing with Jesus, saying Abraham is their father, they forget something crucial !

- Abraham was God’s friend !

- We can’t say the same of Israel !

- Israel was God’s enemy !

- Thus when we hear the Pharisees, it is disgusting !

- If the devil is the father of lies, what are the Pharisees and the scribes ?

- There is no name for such a felony !

 

[JLG]

7) LOOKING FOR JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 2

- Then God remembers Israel that he brought them from Egypt !

- Thanks to him, they survived in the desert !

- And he gave them the land he promised to Abraham !

- He gave them a good land with many good things !

- What for ?

- Let’s have a look at Jeremiah 2:7

I brought
וָאָבִ֤יא (wā·’ā·ḇî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go
you
אֶתְכֶם֙ (’eṯ·ḵem)
Direct object marker | second person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case
into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to
a fertile
הַכַּרְמֶ֔ל (hak·kar·mel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3759: A plantation, garden land, fruit, garden growth
land
אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

to eat
לֶאֱכֹ֥ל (le·’ĕ·ḵōl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 398: To eat
its fruit
פִּרְיָ֖הּ (pir·yāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6529: Fruit
and bounty,
וְטוּבָ֑הּ (wə·ṭū·ḇāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2898: Good, goodness, beauty, gladness, welfare
but you came
וַתָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ (wat·tā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go
and defiled
וַתְּטַמְּא֣וּ (wat·tə·ṭam·mə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean

My land,
אַרְצִ֔י (’ar·ṣî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land
and made
שַׂמְתֶּ֖ם (śam·tem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set
My inheritance
וְנַחֲלָתִ֥י (wə·na·ḥă·lā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5159: Something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion
detestable.
לְתוֹעֵבָֽה׃ (lə·ṯō·w·‘ê·ḇāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8441: Something disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry, an idol

- Can you believe what God says about Israel ?

- It is unbelievable !

- It is shocking !