trembling

February 25, 2019

She was immediately cured (Lk 8:47-8:47)

“When the woman saw

That she could not

Remain hidden,

She came forward

Trembling.

She fell down

Before Jesus.

She declared

In the presence

Of all the people

Why she had touched him.

She explained

How she had been

Immediately healed.”

 

ἰδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαθεν, τρέμουσα ἦλθεν καὶ προσπεσοῦσα αὐτῷ δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν ἥψατο αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγειλεν ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ὡς ἰάθη παραχρῆμα.

 

Luke said that this woman saw that she could not remain hidden (ἰδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαθεν).  Thus, she came forward trembling (τρέμουσα ἦλθεν), as she fell down before Jesus (καὶ προσπεσοῦσα αὐτῷ).  She declared in the presence of all the people (ἀπήγγειλεν ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ) why she had touched him (δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν ἥψατο αὐτοῦ).  She explained how she had been immediately healed (καὶ ὡς ἰάθη παραχρῆμα).  This woman coming forward can be found in Mark, chapter 5:33, but not in Matthew.  Mark said that this woman knew what had been done and what happened to her.  She came forward in fear and trembling.  She fell down or worshipped before Jesus.  She told him the whole truth.  This woman, despite her fears, came forward to explain what she had done and what happened to her.  Can you overcome your fears?

September 6, 2018

The woman comes forward (Mk 5:33-5:33)

“But the woman,

Knowing what had been done

To her,

Came in fear

And trembling.

She fell down

Before Jesus.

She told him

The whole truth.”

 

ἡ δὲ γυνὴ φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα, εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν αὐτῇ, ἦλθεν καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν.

 

This woman coming forward can be found in Luke, chapter 8:47, but not in Matthew.  Mark said that the woman knew what had been done and what happened to her (ἡ δὲ γυνὴ, εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν αὐτῇ).  She came in fear and trembling (φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα), and fell down or worshipped before Jesus (ἦλθεν καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ).  She told him the whole truth (καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν).  This woman, despite her fears, came forward to explain what she had done and what happened to her.

December 13, 2017

The tents and curtains (Hab 3:7-3:7)

“I saw the tents

Of Cushan

Under affliction.

I saw the curtains

Of the land of Midian

Tremble.”

Habakkuk said that he saw the afflicted tents of Cushan.  Where is this Cushan?  It is probably not Cush in Ethiopia.  However, it could be a tribe next to the Midians in the Sinai area.  In Midian, the curtains on their tents were shaking or trembling.  This might be a vague allusion to the route from Egypt to the promised land.

December 7, 2017

The distressed city of Nineveh (Nah 2:6-2:9)

“The river gates

Are opened.

The palace trembles.

It is decreed

That the city

Be exiled.

Its slave women were

Led away,

Moaning

Like doves,

Beating their breasts.

Nineveh is

Like a pool

Whose waters

Run away.

‘Halt!

Halt!’

They cry.

But no one turns back.

Plunder the silver!

Plunder the gold!

There is no end

Of treasure.

There is an abundance

Of every precious thing.

Devastation!

Desolation!

Destruction!

Hearts faint!

Knees tremble!

All loins quake!

All faces grow pale!”

Nahum painted this picture of chaos in Nineveh.  He said that the river gates were opened, so that the palace and the people in it were trembling.  The people of this city were going to go into exile.  The slave women were led away, moaning like doves and beating their breasts.  The whole city of Nineveh had become like an overflowing pool.  People were saying stop, but no one was listening.  No one turned back as they keep on fleeing.  Meanwhile, there was a great plunder of their treasures of gold, silver, and the other abundant precious things.  Everywhere there was devastation, desolation, and destruction in this great city.  Hearts were fainting, while kneels were trembling.  Their faces grew pale as their loins shook.

September 7, 2017

Daniel stands up (Dan 10:11-10:11)

“The man said to me.

‘Daniel!

Greatly beloved!

Pay attention

To the words

That I am going

To speak to you!

Stand on your feet!

Now,

I have been sent to you.’

While he was speaking

This word to me,

I stood up trembling.”

This man from the vision spoke to Daniel. He said that Daniel was greatly beloved. However, he had to pay attention to the words that he was going to speak to him. First, Daniel had to get back up on his feet. This man explained that he had been sent to him. While this man was still speaking to him, Daniel stood up, even though he was still trembling.

May 22, 2017

A lamentation for Tyre (Ezek 26:17-26:18)

“The princes of the sea

Will raise

A lamentation

Over you.

They will say

To you.

‘How you have vanished

From the seas!

O city renowned!

Once mighty one

On the sea!

You!

Your inhabitants!

You imposed

Your terror

On all the mainland!

Now coastlands

Tremble On the day

Of your fall!

The coastlands

By the sea

Are dismayed

At your passing.’”

The princes of the sea or the trading partners of Tyre would lament over what had happened to Tyre, since it had vanished from the seas. This once renowned city had been a mighty force on the Mediterranean Sea. They and their inhabitants had imposed terror on all the mainland towns. Now these coastland towns were trembling because they had lost this mercantile seaside town. They saw what had happened to Tyre. Thus they were dismayed by the passing and demise of Tyre.

September 2, 2016

The people are powerless (Isa 41:5-41:7)

“The coastlands have seen this.

They are afraid.

The ends of the earth tremble.

They have drawn near.

They come.

Each one helps the other.

They say to one another.

‘Take courage!’

The artisan encourages the goldsmith.

The one who evens the surface

With the hammer

Encourages the one

Who strikes the anvil.

He says of the soldering.

‘It is good.’

They fasten it with nails

So that it cannot be moved.”

The people on the Mediterranean coastline are afraid since all over the earth the land is trembling. They are getting together to help each other. They try to encourage each other, especially in their occupations. The artisan and the goldsmith get together. Those who work with metals try to work together with those who use hammers and anvils. Those that solder and nail work together also. They want to make sure that things stay the same.

August 19, 2016

Watch out sinners (Isa 33:13-33:14)

“Hear!

You who are far away!

What I have done!

You who are near!

Acknowledge my might!

The sinners in Zion

Are afraid.

Trembling has seized the godless.

‘Who among us can live

With the devouring fire?

Who among us can live

With these everlasting flames?’”

Isaiah has Yahweh ask the Israelites to listen, just as he had done. If they are far away, can they see what he has done? If they are near, then they should acknowledge Yahweh’s might. The sinners at Mount Zion are afraid. The godless are trembling. They seem to ask how they can live with this devouring fire and these everlasting flames.

August 5, 2016

The broken earth (Isa 24:18-24:20)

“The windows of heaven are opened.

The foundations of the earth tremble.

The earth is utterly broken.

The earth is torn asunder.

The earth is violently shaken.

The earth staggers

Like a drunkard.

It sways

Like a hut.

Its transgression lies heavy upon it.

It falls.

It will not rise again.”

The phrase ‘windows of the heaven’ was a reference to a big rainfall since we still use this term that the heavens or clouds open up during a heavy rainstorm. The foundations of the earth were trembling since the earth was broken, torn asunder, and violently shaken. Isaiah refers to it as a drunken earth, staggering around as he also compared it to a swaying hut. The earth has committed many transgressions, so that it will fall and not rise again. The end is near.

August 3, 2016

The vision of the attack against Babylon (Isa 21:2-21:5)

“A stern vision

Is told to me.

The betrayer betrays.

The destroyer destroys.

Go up!

O Elam!

Lay siege!

O Media!

All the sighing

She has caused

I bring to an end.

Therefore my loins are

Filled with anguish.

Pangs have seized me,

Like the pangs of a woman in labor.

I am bowed down,

So that I cannot hear.

I am dismayed

So that I cannot see.

My mind reels.

Horror has appalled me.

The twilight I longed for

Has been turned for me

Into trembling.

They prepare the table.

They spread the rugs.

They eat.

They drink.

Rise up!

Commanders!

Oil the shield!”

Isaiah has this stern vision from Yahweh. The betrayer and the destroyer act out together. Elam and Medes, the Persians and the Medes were about to attack Babylon. Since the Israelites were in Babylon, they were afraid but hopeful, like a woman experiencing labor before the birth of a child. Isaiah, in the first person singular, was not quite able to hear or see what was going on. He knew that horror was about to happen. Instead of a happy twilight there was trembling. However, they continued as normal, eating and drinking at tables with rugs. Nevertheless, the cry came to the commanders to rise up and get ready. They had to oil the straps on their shields as they prepared to do battle.