In the ancient world, tribute and payment often took forms that might seem unconventional to us today. One intriguing example of this is found in… Read More »Payment in Lambs: A Biblical Insight into Ancient Tribute Systems
For centuries, the majestic cedars of Lebanon stood as symbols of strength and beauty. These trees, known for their durability and grand stature, were highly… Read More »Joyful Trees: The Rejoicing Cedars of Lebanon
In the ancient world, where survival often depended on avoiding the threats posed by wild predators, the idea of tame farm animals coexisting peacefully with… Read More »The Vision of Peace: Farm Animals and Wild Animals Living in Harmony
Yokes were wooden frames placed on work animals such as oxen to harness their power. When Israelites heard prophets like Isaiah speak of the yokes placed… Read More »Yokes
A sanctuary and a rock? Elsewhere in Scripture, the Lord is described as a “rock” that provides a place of “sanctuary” or “refuge” (see Ps. 61:2–3). Here,… Read More »A sanctuary and a rock?
Shaving. Being forced to shave was a mark of humiliation (7:20). In some nations of that time, the hair of slaves was shaved in a particular… Read More »Shaving
Ten acres of vineyard would normally produce 10,000 gallons (37,850 liters) of wine yearly. Isaiah says that the Lord’s judgment upon Israel would be so severe… Read More »Ten acres of vineyard
The tinkling of feet mentioned in 3:16 is probably the ankle bracelets many women wore in the ancient world. They were usually made of bronze and were attached permanently.
Pruning hooks (2:4) were used to cut away newly formed leaves and shoots from grape vines. The blade curved into a sharp hook at the tip,… Read More »Pruning hooks
The Holy One of Israel is Isaiah’s main title for God. The phrase occurs 25 times in the book, but rarely elsewhere in the Bible. The… Read More »The Holy One of Israel
Vineyards, fields, and palm trees. The Song of Solomon takes place in a rural setting, and the lovers describe each other using images drawn from this context. The… Read More »Vineyards, fields, and palm trees
The woman addresses the daughters of Jerusalem four times throughout this book, creating a refrain that ties her “songs” together (2:7; 3:5; 5:8; 8:4). She urges them… Read More »Daughters of Jerusalem