利未記 {li4-wei4-ji4}Old Testament – Penteteuch Pronunciation isn’t particularly hard for this one. It helps to slow down at first:[li-VI-ti-kuhs] As its name suggests, Leviticus addresses the priestly duties within the tribe of Levi. A contemporary reader may find it difficult to relate to the regulations of an ancient but newly minted nation, but Leviticus was a…
Author: yubo.du
Correction 37
In Issue #37, there’s a typo under “Empires”, where King Menahem of Israel was misspelled as “Mehahem”. Its influence started in Mesopotamia 兩河流域 and reached the Bible when King Pul 普勒 (the face of this issue) invaded Israel during Mehahem’s reign. Original Its influence started in Mesopotamia 兩河流域 and reached the Bible when King Pul…
Correction 1
During the first issue, I mentioned that 2 Corinthians can be pronounced as “TWO Corinthians”, especially in Britain, and solicited support from C. S. Lewis’ literature. I later realized that I had only heard it from an audiobook production of his work, which of course, was not read by Lewis himself. Touche. Though I cannot say for…
Empires
You’ve seen them throughout the Bible, the Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Romans, etc. They were not particularly a friendly bunch. In fact, the very definition of an empire is a state that has political and military control over other states. If they were ever mentioned in the Bible, chances are they had locked horns with God’s people….
2 Samuel
撒母耳記下 {sa4-mu3-er3-ji4-xia4}Old Testament – Historical Books I know you know how to pronounce Samuel. I know you know what 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel talk about. So why bother talking about them here? But please indulge me with just two questions. First, “Who wrote 1 Samuel?” Samuel, you might say, and that’s not wrong. But 1 Samuel 25:1 says,…
A Look at Ourselves
Christians. At the mention of this word, a whole array of emotions, experiences, connotations, and implications come to mind. Depending on who you are, they take on vastly different colors. If you are reading this, chances are this word solicits a deep conviction that resonates from the inside out, influencing your thoughts, attitudes, and actions….
Nahum
那鴻書 {na4-hong2-shu1}Old Testament – Minor Prophets The anglicized pronunciation of Nahum can either be:[NEY-uhm] or [NEY-huhm]. Basically, it’s optional to pronounce “h”. Nahum is a book of prophecy addressed to Nineveh 尼尼微 {ni2-ni2-wei1}, not Israel or Judah. The literal meaning of the word “prophecy” is “burden“. So imagine God placing a crushing burden upon Nineveh. Who can…
Lead Like a King
This week, we turn our attention to another good king. But before going any further, let’s be reminded of what Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “… No one is good—except God alone.” Jesus did not exaggerate. No matter which king we look at, or what kingdom he belonged to, none finished his life with a perfect score. And…
This Is Unfair
Speaking of incongruency between languages, the one that deals the most unease for me comes from Genesis 2:9. There we are introduced to two significant trees: 生命樹 Tree of Life分別善惡樹 Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Do you see the disparity here? Tree of Life gets 3 syllables in both languages. The other tree (because I’m…
Mic Up
I can’t imagine how Moses talked to millions of people in the wilderness without a mic. Perhaps the natural terrain offered some acoustic advantage? Or maybe more likely, Moses employed a chain of command. Either way, I’m extremely relieved that we don’t have to worry about that. Do not underestimate this nifty little machine in…