Musings
Ramblings.
Rants.
Thoughts (half-baked or otherwise).
Musings on various topics... sometimes only tangentially related to Scripture.
Many of these articles were previously published in the Psalm11918.org blog.
The Merriam-Webster word of the day for July 14th was grudging. M-W provided this definition:
1 : unwilling, reluctant 2 : done, given, or allowed unwillingly, reluctantly, or sparingly
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for June 25th was desolate.
1 : devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted 2 : joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one 3 a : showing the effects of abandonment and neglect : dilapidated *b : barren, lifeless c : devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope : gloomy
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for June 24th was cavalcade.
1 (a) : a procession of riders or carriages (b) : a procession of vehicles or ships 2 : a dramatic sequence or procession : series
Modern American presidents often travel in a cavalcade of Chevy Suburbans.
Messiah was in a cavalcade... twice. No presidents or Suburbans were present, of course. :)
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for June 17th was preeminent. They provided this definition:
having paramount rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding, supreme
G-d is supreme (Revelation 5:13). All believers would agree upon this... but who among believers is preeminent? The Catholic church says Peter is preeminent. Others say Paul since he wrote much of the New Testament. The disciples had this same question:
My wonderful bride, Amy, and I recently traveled to Oregon and Washington. What a beautiful land G-d has made!
As we traveled around Oregon, we visited a number of waterfalls. The experiences there were very moving for both of us. When we returned home, Amy mentioned some passages that came to mind when we were at the falls.
Here are some photos and the passages she related:
The Merriam-Webster word of the day for June 15th was effrontery.
shameless boldness : insolence
Interestingly we find Romans mentioned in the history of the word:
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for May 26th was obnubilate.
If you would like you can subscribe to the Word of the Day.
Pronounced \ahb-NOO-buh-layt\ the word is a verb that means "to becloud, obscure".
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for October 17th, 2008 was genius. (Yes, I am a bit behind schedule in my writing. :) )
1 : a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude 2 : extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity 3 : a person endowed with transcendent mental superiority; especially : a person with a very high IQ
The Merriam-Webster word of the day for March 26 was dross.
1 : the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal 2 : waste or foreign matter : impurity 3 : something that is base, trivial, or inferior
The history of the word they provided included this:
"Dross" has been a part of the English language since Anglo-Saxon times; one 19th-century book on Old English vocabulary dates it back to 1050 A.D. Its Old English ancestors are related to Germanic and Scandinavian words for "dregs" (as in "the dregs of the coffee") — and, like "dregs," "dross" is a word for the less-than-desirable parts of something. Over the years, the relative worthlessness of dross has often been set in contrast to the value of gold, as for example in British poet Christina Rossetti's "The Lowest Room": "Besides, those days were golden days, / Whilst these are days of dross" (1875).
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for February 9, 2008 was metathesis.
a change of place or condition: as a: transposition of two phonemes in a word b: a chemical reaction in which different kinds of molecules exchange parts to form other kinds of molecules
Merriam Webster's Word of the Day for Thursday, July 9th was inexorable.
not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless
As always, they provided interesting etymological insight into the word:
My wonderful bride, Amy, was reading Proverbs and came across this little nugget:
He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die. (Proverbs 19:16)
When she related that passage I immediately asked the question: Does "keep" mean "retain possession of" or does it mean "guard"? I examined the Hebrew and found this:
Shamar mitzvah shamar nepheshu botzah derekiv yevamot (transliterated from the Hebrew).
Young's Literal translates it this way:
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for June 23rd was corvine:
of or relating to the crows : resembling a crow
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for May 31st was spurious (pronounced SPYUR-ee-us). M-W provided this definition:
1 : of illegitimate birth 2 : not genuine : false
The Merrriam-Webster Word of the Day for June 1st was tenebrous.
The definition is as follows:
1 : shut off from the light : dark, murky 2 : hard to understand : obscure 3 : causing gloom
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for May 16th was repudiate and they provided this definition:
1 : to refuse to have anything to do with : disown 2 : to refuse to acknowledge, accept, or pay
The Merriam-Webster Word of the day for May 17th was domiciliary. Their definition was the following:
of, relating to, or constituting a domicile: as a : provided or taking place in the home b : providing care and living space (as for disabled veterans)
Aaron Eby relates an interesting video from Joel Osteen's church where Osteen tells his congregation to avoid eating pork or shellfish in order to promote healthy living. Is Osteen promoting kosher?
Not really.
Merriam Webster's Word of the day for June 4th was deterge.
If you are thinking that sounds a lot like detergent then you're right! M-W provided this definition
to wash off : to cleanse
Merriam Webster's word of the day for June 3rd was pompadour-
1 a : a man's style of hairdressing in which the hair is combed into a high mound in front b : a woman's style of hairdressing in which the hair is brushed into a loose full roll around the face 2 : hair dressed in a pompadour
The Merriam-Webster word of the day for June 1st was malinger. M-W defined it this way:
to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work)
Many individuals and families who are beginning to walk in Torah commandments are interested in keeping "Biblically kosher", that is, eating according to the commandments of G-d. The commandments regarding food are primarily given in Leviticus 11 and in Deuteronomy 14. Kosher is a Hebrew word that means "proper". Although the word kosher is never used in Scripture to describe the food that is fit for consumption according to G-d's commandments, it is the word that has been commonly used for millennia to describe that food.
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for May 26th was Philadelphia lawyer.
The word means "a lawyer knowledgeable in the most minute aspects of the law". M-W provided the following background:
This week has provided an abundance of words for thought. Merriam-Webster's word of the day for May 26th was manumit.
M-W defined the word as "to release from slavery" and provided the following information:
The Merriam-Webster Word of the day for May 20th was deasil. Note that it is deasil and not diesel (the fuel).
Deasil means clockwise. M-W says...
According to an old custom, you can bring someone good fortune by walking around the person clockwise three times while carrying a torch or candle. In Scottish Gaelic, the word "deiseil" is used for the direction one walks in such a luck-bringing ritual. English speakers modified the spelling to "deasil," and have used the word to describe clockwise motion in a variety of rituals.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 24th was destitute.
1 : lacking something needed or desirable 2 : lacking possessions and resources; especially : suffering extreme poverty
The Merriam-Webster word of the day for Friday May 22nd was carrefour. They provided this definition:
1 : crossroads 2 : square, plaza
If we were to be transported back in time to the first century and were to study "Moses and the Prophets" as Jesus, the disciples, and the two men on the road to Emmaus did (Luke 24:27), what would we learn? What portraits of the Messiah would we find? Come… join our band of believers and study Scripture in the footsteps and pattern of our Lord and Savior.
The foundation of first-century Bible study included an annual reading of the Torah: the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Scripture that is studied this time of year (mid-May) is Numbers chapters 1-4. The chapter and verse numbers that we use today to identify passages of Scripture did not exist in the days of the Master. Instead, they identified the weekly passages, known as a parashah (”portion”) by the first word or two of that passage. This week’s parashah is known as B'midbar (pronounced buh MID bar). This Hebrew word means “in the wilderness”. B'midbar is also the Hebrew name for the Book of Numbers. It is known as the book of "In the Wilderness" as it is written at the beginning of this portion:
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Friday, May 15th was scrupulous.
1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper 2 : punctiliously exact : painstaking
During some recent reading I came across this passage in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians:
However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
This brought to mind the idea that we should walk in G-d's commandments in the natural world (i.e. a literal, physical observance) so that we can reap rewards in the spiritual. One of the examples of a literal observance is the daily wrapping of tefillin (phylacteries) by men in observance of the commandments found in Deuteronomy 6:8, Deuteronomy 11:18, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:16.
