Image: The Mattanyahu Seal
Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced that a Hebrew seal bearing the name “Mattanyahu” has been discovered in Jerusalem in a site adjacent to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. According to archaeologists, the site where the seal was found is the closest structure to the First Temple found to date in archaeological excavations.

According to a report released by the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The seal is made of a semi-precious stone and is engraved with the name of its owner: Lematanyahu Ben Ho… ( למתניהו בן הו meaning: “Belonging to Matanyahu Ben Ho…”). The rest of the inscription is erased.

The name Mattaniah (Mattanyāhȗ,  מַתַּנְיָהוּ ) appears ten times in the Old Testament. In most places where the name appears in the the Bible, the names refer to temple officials, to priests, or to prominent individuals in the government. Of the ten people named Mattaniah in the Old Testament, five were priests, one was a member of the royal family, and the other four were members of the postexilic Jerusalem elite.

Although the last name of Mattanyahu is not given, it is possible that the Mattanyahu whose name appears on the seal could have been one of the persons mentioned in the Bible.

For instance, in 1 Chronicles 25:4 Mattanyahu (Mattaniah) appears as one of the sons of Heman. The sons of Heman were a group of Levites appointed by David to serve in the temple. According to the Chronicler, the duty of Mattanyahu and his brothers was to “prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals” (1 Chron. 25:1).

I believe that it will be impossible to identify the Mattanyahu whose name appears on the seal. However, this discovery brings us closer to people who actually served in the temple built by Solomon.

Note:

If you are unable to see the Hebrew letters in the essay, download the Biblical fonts and install them on your computer. Download the fonts here.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

The purpose of lifting the Torah before the congregation is so that the people may see the Torah scroll and testify: “This is the Law which Moses set before the children of Israel” (Deut. 4:44).

According to Jewish tradition, this custom is based on Nehemiah 8:5, the occasion when Ezra, before he read from the Law, raised the scroll so that everyone could see the writing: “And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people.”

In addition, when the scroll is lifted, it is customary for people in the synagogue to stretch out their right hand pointing towards the Torah, following the tradition that took place at the time Ezra opened the scroll: “and with their hands uplifted all the people said, Amen, Amen!” (Neh. 8:6).

The ritual of the lifting of the Torah scroll differs within the Jewish community. Among the Sephardic Jews, the lifting of the Torah precedes the Torah reading, while among the Ashkenazic Jews it follows the Torah reading.

The only problem with the ritual is that most Torah scrolls are heavy, weighing as much as 60 pounds. This means that when lifting a Torah scroll, congregants must be careful not to drop it, because when that happens, Jewish custom calls for acts of contrition.

In an interesting article dealing with this Jewish ritual, Lucette Lagnado describes the ritual of lifting the Torah and what happens when the scroll is accidently dropped by the person lifting it.

Lagnado wrote:

“If you drop the Torah, the implications are dire—the shame is enormous—and traditionally one needed to fast for 40 days,” says Jonathan Sarna, a professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. The offender has plenty of company in hunger, as anyone who witnesses the Torah tumble must also refrain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

The solution?  Some synagogues are opting for lighter scrolls, but they are very expensive.  Some scrolls can cost as much as $100,000.

The lifting of the Torah during the Sabbath services in the synagogue is evidence of the high regard our Jewish brothers and sisters have for the Word of God.

Readers who want to know more about the Hagbahah, the lifting the Torah, are encouraged to read Lagnado’s article.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

According to Regnery, “the first pillar of conservatism is liberty, or freedom.”  This means that
“Conservatives believe that individuals possess the right to life, liberty, and property, and freedom from the restrictions of arbitrary force.”

Regnery said that “the second pillar of conservative philosophy is tradition and order.”  This means that conservatives believe in the preservation of the values “that have led to an orderly society.”  It also means that individuals have the ability “to build a society that respects rights and that has the capacity to repel the forces of evil.”

As for tradition, Regnery wrote: “And tradition is an important dimension of belief in God. What could demonstrate tradition and order more fully, for example, than the Old Testament and the history of the Jewish people, or the doctrines of the Christian Church?”

The third pillar that forms the basis of the conservatism movement in America is the rule of law. Regnery wrote: “Conservatism is based on the belief that it is crucial to have a legal system that is predictable, that allows people to know what the rules are and enforce those rules equally for all.”

According to Regnery, the fourth pillar upon which the conservatism movement is based is belief in God. Regnery wrote:

Belief in God means adherence to the broad concepts of religious faith—such things as justice, virtue, fairness, charity, community, and duty. These are the concepts on which conservatives base their philosophy.

Conservative belief is tethered to the idea that there is an allegiance to God that transcends politics and that sets a standard for politics. For conservatives, there must be an authority greater than man, greater than any ruler, king, or government: no state can demand our absolute obedience or attempt to control every aspect of our lives. There must be a moral order, conservatives believe, that undergirds political order. This pillar of conservatism does not mean mixing up faith and politics, and it certainly does not mean settling religious disputes politically. It also does not mean that conservatives have a monopoly on faith, or even that all conservatives are necessarily believers.

According to Regnery, the four cities that have influenced the conservative movement in America are Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, and London.

Space limits me to write about the contributions of Athens, Rome, and London.  But what Regnery wrote about Jerusalem is important as we consider the importance of the Old Testament in the formation of American values. Regnery wrote:

The first city is Jerusalem, where the concept of a transcendent order originated—the understanding that true law comes from God and that God is the source of order and justice. From Jerusalem came one of the most essential ideas of conservatism—that man does not have all the answers, that there is a power greater than man to which we owe our lives and everything that is good. The Hebrews in the Old Testament taught that God made a covenant or compact with His people; He decreed laws by which they should live, and from that revelation we eventually developed modern ethics and modern law. The idea of a compact forms the very basis of our modern political order.

Today most people are aware that secularism is growing in America.  And as people depart from the four pillars that made our country an exceptional place, they become less and less familiar with those famous words that are the bedrock of our very existence as a nation:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Creator who gave us these unalienable rights chose Jerusalem to be his dwelling place (Psalm 132:13).

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Northern’s faculty is delighted that Scot McKnight has accepted our invitation to join our community as we seek to prepare men and women to face the challenges of presenting the message of the gospel to a society that has practically rejected what Jesus has to offer.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

NEWS RELEASE

Northern Baptist Seminary has released the following news release about the appointment of Scott McKnight as Professor of New Testament at Northern Baptist Seminary:

Dr. Scot McKnight, world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church has been appointed as Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. His new position will begin on August 1, 2012. At its board meeting on Saturday, April 21, Northern Seminary’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Dr. McKnight to this position. Northern’s President, Dr. Alistair Brown, remarked, “Scot McKnight brings unique gifts to an already first-rate faculty team. His deep scholarship, strong communication skills and passion for God’s mission will push Northern forward even faster in its work of equipping the church with excellent leaders.”

Dr. McKnight is a prolific writer whose recent books include, The King Jesus Gospel (Zondervan, 2011), a commentary on James (Eerdmans, 2010), and One. Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow, (2010), and a new edition of his award-winning book, The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others, which is called The Jesus Creed for Students (Paraclete, 2011). Dr. Scot McKnight is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament. His blog, Jesus Creed, is a leading Christian blog. A sought after speaker, he has been interviewed on several radio and television programs as well as spoken at numerous local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world.

Of the appointment, Dr. McKnight said, “For years teaching and speaking have led me increasingly back to the seminary classroom and my excitement for teaching has been reinvigorated in ways I did not anticipate. The beginning of the school year won’t arrive soon enough for me. Seminary and the preparation of church leaders and pastors have never been so challenging, and the opportunity to participate in Northern’s vision for churches and church leaders humbles me and has driven me to deeper commitments to God’s mission in this world. The administration and faculty at Northern impress me not only academically and professionally but spiritually: I have encountered a joyful family, a fellowship and a team at Northern that genuinely wants to serve the church for the sake of the gospel. I spent time with a number of students at Northern who impressed me in their curiosity, their no-nonsense Christian spirituality and their diversity. Teaching is no longer about downloading information; it’s about collaboration and mutual education.”

Northern is excited to welcome Dr. Scot McKnight. His appointment is the second for Northern this academic year. Dr. Cherith Fee Nordling was appointed as Associate Professor of Theology in November. She, too, will begin teaching in the fall.  Dean of Academic Programs, Dr. Karen Walker Freeburg, commented, “As Northern continues to reimagine theological education, our faculty are in a unique position. With the addition of McKnight, the opportunity is wide open for deep integration of the study of Bible and Christian theology in ways that will be light years beyond traditional models of cross-departmental study. McKnight is well-known for his ability to integrate the finest thinking of the academy with a strong understanding of what will make a difference for Christ’s church in this generation. McKnight and Nordling are great additions to a core faculty which has incredible knowledge, experience as church leaders, and a non-negotiable passion for shaping and forming leaders whose very lives embody the message of Christ.”

I am delighted that Scot is joining the faculty of Northern Seminary. His appointment reflects Northern’s commitment “to prepare leaders who will faithfully serve Jesus Christ with evangelical passion and missionary skills in Biblically grounded and culturally relevant ministries.”

If you are considering a theological education that is relevant to the needs of our society in the 21st century, come and join us as we seek to serve and minister those who have been called to serve Christ.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

I enjoy blogging and I also enjoy the dialogue with my readers through their comments and their emails.  But, let us face it, blogging is time-consuming.

I generally do not blog the way many of my fellow bloggers do. When I blog, I like to offer some new insights on biblical texts or biblical problems. To do this requires extra reading and at times, extra research. I have my own ideas and my own views on all of the issues I cover in my posts. After all, I have been teaching now for almost 30 years.

When a person has been teaching for more than a quarter century, that person has read many books and articles on different subjects. This is what has happened to me. I have ideas and views that I would like to share with my readers. In order to do that, I need to put my thoughts in order and that requires additional reading and additional research.

I could just blog and tell readers about things that are peripheral to the Old Testament. However, that is not my style.  I am a teacher and I like to teach through my blogs. In fact, most of my posts come from issues and discussions I have had in class with my students. I like to say to my students that the readers of my blog are receiving a free course on the Old Testament. I just wish I had more time to cover more of the difficult passages in the Old Testament.

This quarter blogging will be a difficult issue again. I am teaching an overload, preparing a lecture on the theology of prayer in the book of Chronicles, writing an article on wealth in the Old Testament, and doing additional reading for a book I am planning to write on my sabbatical, which begins on July 1.

Although I have not been consistent with my blogging, it does not mean that I am not committed to my blog. I will try to write as often as possible. I know that there are thousands of people who read my blog regularly, both here in the USA and in many parts of the world. In fact, the largest concentration of readers outside the USA is in China. I am glad to be able to be a teacher to a large number of Chinese Christians.

I would like to thank you, the reader of this blog, for your support and words of encouragement. I hope to continue writing articles of interest, articles on topics that are hard and controversial. Somebody has to address those difficult biblical issues and those “texts of terror” that we find in many places throughout the Old Testament. I am happy to do that and I am always energized by the challenge in trying to make those difficult texts more comprehensible to my readers.

I will see you at the blog.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

The ritual for the Day of Atonement is described in detail in Leviticus Chapter 16. In Leviticus 16 God spoke to Moses giving instructions on how to make atonement for the sins of the priests, of the people, and of the nation.

The Day of Atonement was celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month. The Day of Atonement was a day of solemn rest, fasting, and sacrifices. On that day the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the people and the nation and to make atonement for the tabernacle and the altar.

In the present post, I will not discuss all the events that occurred on the Day of Atonement.  I will return to this topic at a later time. Rather, I want to discuss the selection of the two goats to be used on the Day of Atonement.

According to the ritual described in Leviticus 16, Aaron must make personal preparations to enter the Holy of Holies. He must bathe in water, put on his holy vestments, and make a sacrifice for himself and for his family. As for the sacrifice for the people, Aaron must take two male goats and place them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Then, lots would be cast upon the two goals.

The English translations differ on how to interpret the selection of the two goats. All translations agree that the first goat is for the Lord. The problem comes with the selection of the second goat.

Below are four translations of Leviticus16:8-10:

King James Version: “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”

The Douay-Rheims: “And casting lots upon them both, one to be offered to the Lord, and the other to be the emissary goat: That whose lot fell to be offered to the Lord, he shall offer for sin:
But that whose lot was to be the emissary goat, he shall present alive before the Lord, that he may pour out prayers upon him, and let him go into the wilderness.”

The New Living Translation: “He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the LORD and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel. Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the LORD. The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the LORD. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the LORD.”

The New Revised Standard Version: “and Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer it as a sin offering; but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.”

Before the goat was sent away into the wilderness, the high priest would place his hands on the head of the goat, and lay the sins of the people on the goat. After the priest had transferred the sins of the people to the goat, then the goat would be sent out into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins of the community.

There has been a great amount of confusion on the exact meaning of the Hebrew word Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל). It is clear from the text that the second goat was not a sacrifice, since the goat was not killed, but sent away into the wilderness carrying away the sins of Israel. The symbolism behind this act was that the goat was removing the sins of the people into the wilderness.

However, the exact meaning of the Hebrew word Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל) is a matter of dispute among scholars. Some believe that Azazel was the name of a far away place to which the goat was sent in order to remove the sins of the people.

The King James Version translates Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל) by dividing the one Hebrew word into two words.  The KJV translates word עז meaning “goat” and the word אזל meaning “to send.” Thus, the translation “scapegoat” or “the goat that goes.”

The Douay-Rheims translates Azazel as “the emissary goat.” This translation follows the Vulgate )the Latin Version( which translates the word Azazel as caper emissarius.

Others believe that Azazel was the name of a being.  This is the position taken by the New Revised Standard Version. In the same way that the first goat was dedicated to Yahweh (the name of a being), the second was was sent to Azazel (the name of a being).

The Bible says that the wilderness was the place where demons lived. Leviticus 17:7 reads: “So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore” (ESV). If Azazel was the name of a desert demon, then the symbolim behind the ritual was to send evil back to its place of origin.

The New Living Translation attempts to make a compromise with the various meanings of the word Azazel. The expression “wilderness of Azazel” could be construed in this translation to be the name of a place. In the translation, “The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot,” the word Azazel is translated as “scapegoat,” while the expression “to Azazel in the wilderness” is clearly a reference to a being.

Thus, it is evident from the evidence above that the meaning of the word Azazel is uncertain. Some translations use the term “scapegoat” while others use Azazel as the name of a being. However, since the name Azazel stands in a parallel relationship with Yahweh in verses 9-10, it is clear that the name Azazel refers either to a place or to a demon that lived in the wilderness.

Note:

If you are unable to see the Hebrew letters in the essay, download the Biblical fonts and install them on your computer. Download the fonts here.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Archaeologist Eliezer Oren, from Ben Gurion University, discovered the burial site.  The site dates from 1750 BC to 1650 BC, the Middle Bronze IIB Period.

The article also details the presence of horses and donkeys in the Ancient Near East.  Below is an excerpt from the article:

Other discoveries in recent years in the Near East have painted a picture revealing the extensive use of donkeys and horses in ancient cultures.

The Vulture Stele, in Mesopotamia, dating to 2600BC to 2350BC, known as the Early Dynastic III period, portrays an equid pulling a chariot-like vehicle.

Various Mesopotamian manuscripts dating to this period mention the horse, donkey, hemione and hybrids such as the mule.

From Sumeria, terracotta reliefs from the early second millennium BC show equids pulling a chariot and a human riding horseback.

Hittite art from the 13th century BC, in modern Turkey, show a larger species of equid, perhaps a horse, pulling a chariot with three soldiers, in contrast to smaller equids in Egyptian murals  – presumably donkeys – pulling chariots with only two men.

Horse bones were found at Tell el-’Ajjul, in Israel, in contexts dated to around 3400BC and, in Turkey, at Bogazkoy, from the 17th century BC.

Archaeologists excavated donkey remains at Tell Brak in Mesopotamia dating between 2580BC and 2455BC.

Egyptian donkey burials dating to 2000 BC to 1550 BC, known as the Middle Bronze II periods, include those found at Inshas, Tell el-Farasha, Tell el-Maskhuta, and Tell el-Dab’a.

From similar time periods in the Levant – the area including most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories – archaeologists have excavated donkeys at Tell el-’Ajjul and Jericho.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Visiting Israel is always a trip of a lifetime. This trip is a joint venture of ClaudeMariottini.com and Northern Baptist Seminary. However, this trip to Israel is open to everyone. You do not have to be a seminary student to participate. Our trip to the Holy Land will be from December 27, 2012 to January 5, 2013.

During this trip, we will be visiting the most important sites in Israel. Among the Old Testament sites, we will be visiting Jericho, Dan, Hazor, Megiddo, Plains of Jezreel, Bet Shean, Joppa (The City of Jonah), Mt. Gilboa, the Valley of Aijalon, Jerusalem, Masada, Qumran, and Mount Hermon.

Among the New Testament sites we will be visiting are Tiberias, Galilee, Sea of Galilee, Caesarea Philippi, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Mount of Olives, and Bethany.

In addition, we will be visiting several other sites of interest. Among them are the Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum), the Western Wall, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts are kept, the Temple Institute (the place where they are making instruments for the new Temple), the Church of the Nativity, Mount of the Beatitudes, the Old City (Jerusalem), the Via Dolorosa, the Dome of the Rock, concluding with a celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the Garden Tomb.

I am planning to write a book, The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, which I will make available to everyone going on the trip. The book will discuss the sites we will be visiting and some other interesting things about Israel and the people of the Bible.

The trip is available to every reader of my blog. The flight will leave from Chicago, but one can make connections from anywhere in the United States.  Since the group will spend the New Year in Israel, the popular saying will become a reality for all those who travel with us: “Next Year in Jerusalem.”

If you want to receive more information about the tour, send me an email to DrMariottini@Gmail.com.  I will send you a brochure with all the information you need to plan your trip

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

The psalmist had so much confidence that the Lord was his keeper that he used the word “keep” six times in the Psalm:

“He who keeps you will not slumber” (Psa. 121:3).
“He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psa. 121:4).
“The LORD is your keeper” (Psa.121:5).
“The LORD will keep you from all evil” (Psa. 121:7).
“He will keep your life” (Psa. 121:7).
“The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore” (Psa. 121:8).

It is unfortunate that some of the English translations of this psalm dilute the emphasis of the psalmist by using another word to express the psalmist’s confidence.

For instance, the King James Bible uses the word “preserve” instead of the word “keep” in verses 7 and 8:

“The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil.”
“He shall preserve thy soul.”
“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

The NIV does the same thing. Only once does the NIV use the word “keep.” The other five times, the NIV uses the word “watch over” to express the psalmist’s feelings of security.

“He who watches over you will not slumber.”
“He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
“The LORD watches over you.”
“The LORD will keep you from all harm.”
“He will watch over your life.”
“The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

The repetition of the Hebrew word שָׁמַר (shāmar) in Psalm 121 is a deliberate effort by the psalmist to emphasize God’s care and protection for the individual and for the nation.

As one reads this psalm, it is proper to ask, “from where did the psalmist’s faith come?” The answer is evident from verse 2: “My help comes from the LORD.”

Recently, I was reading Theodore Beza’s translation of Psalm 121 and came to his unique translation of Psalm 121:1, a translation which may not be supported by the Hebrew text, but one which reflects the true theology behind the psalmist’s confidence.

Theodore Beza (Théodore de Bèze, June 24, 1519 – October 13, 1605) was a French theologian and a disciple of John Calvin who played an important role in the Reformation. Beza lived most of his life in Switzerland.

The Hebrew text of Psalm 121:1 reads as follows:

אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים מֵ֜אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי

Below are three examples of how English translations of the Bible have translated the words of the psalmist.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psa. 121:1 KJV).

“If I raise my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come?” (Psa. 121:1 CJB).

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” (Psa. 121:1 ESV).

The three examples above reflect, in general, the ways English Bibles translate the words of the psalmist.

The problem with the King James version is that the translation takes the word מאַ֗יִן (“from where”) as a simple adverb to indicate the source of security: my help comes when I look toward the mountain.

The English Standard Version correctly follows the Hebrew by saying the psalmist looks toward the mountains and then asks about the source of his trust, while in the Complete Jewish Bible, the psalmist is wondering whether he should look to the mountains for help.

Then enters Theodore Beza and his unique translation of Psalm 121:1. Here is how he translated verse 1:

“Attollerem oculos meos ad istos montes? Unde veniret auxilium meum?

“Should I lift up my eyes unto these mountains? From where will my help come?

According to Beza, the psalmist asked two questions, not one. The first question is whether or not he should look toward the mountains; the second question is about the psalmist’s source of confidence.

Most commentators believe that the “mountains” in question refer to one mountain, Zion, the dwelling place of God. They explain the plural “mountains” in Psalm 121:1 by referring to “the mountains of Zion” in Psalm 133:3.

Thus, whether the psalmist approaches Jerusalem with a group of pilgrims as they go up to the temple during one of the yearly festivals (Psalm 121 is a “Song of Ascent,” a song sang by pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem) or whether he looked from a distance to Jerusalem, where the sanctuary was, the psalmist believed that the Lord would hear his prayer from the sanctuary.

But Beza’s interpretation may reflect another reality behind the psalmist’s faith. In Israel, the mountains were the places where pagan practices and illegitimate worship were conducted by the Israelites.

In his condemnation of Israel, Jeremiah wrote: “For long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds, and you said, ‘I will not serve!’ On every high hill and under every green tree you sprawled and played the whore” (Jer. 2:20).

On the mountains, the people of Israel built pagan altars. Although scholars are uncertain of the true meaning of the bāmâ, the high place, they believe that the high places represented Canaanite places of worship.

Thus, according to Beza’s translation, the psalmist refuses to look toward the mountains because he knew that his help would not come from there. Thus, using Beza’s translation of verse 1, “Should I lift up my eyes unto these mountains?”, the answer to the psalmist’s question is “no”, because his help will not come from the pagan gods worshiped on the mountains.

The Complete Jewish Bible’s translation of verse 1 comes closer to Beza’s translation: “If I raise my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come?” This translation implies that the psalmist is reluctant to look to the mountains because he knows that his help will not come from there.

The Hebrew text does not support Beza’s translation, but even if it does not, Beza’s translation may provide us with the real intent of the psalmist. The psalmist is unwilling to join the crowds and look for help and protection from the pagan gods worshiped on the high places. He will be different because he knows that his help will come not from Baal or Asherah, the pagan gods worshiped on the high places (“the mountains”), but from Yahweh, the one who is the keeper of Israel. The keeper of Israel is also the keeper of every faithful Israelite.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Note:

If you are unable to see the Hebrew letters in the essay, download the Biblical fonts and install them on your computer. Download the fonts here.