Isaiah 57:15b TNIV
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with those who are contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
I have to admit I understand the revive part but didn’t understand how our spirit is revived and what the difference is between spirit and heart.
I was taking spirit to mean similar to what’s mentioned in James:
James 2:26 TNIV
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
As an aside, the NLT seems to be even more literal here as far as I can see:
James 2:26 NLT
Just as the body is dead without breath,* so also faith is dead without good works.
*Or without spirit.
Looking at Strong’s and BDB shows a wide semantic range. But then I could see what spirit probably means in this context. As in, “My spirit was low after I got the bad news.”
The NLT gets more at the meaning:
“I live in the high and holy place
with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”
The NET is rather surprising:
“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,
but also with the discouraged and humiliated,
in order to cheer up the humiliated
and to encourage the discouraged.”
The more dynamic translations/renderings help me to see the possible meaning and have something to go on for further investigation.
How do you think they did?
My back prevents me from spending any more time on this one.
That is interesting, and also demonstrates the value of comparing multiple translations of varying philosophies. I am giving serious consideration to buying a paper copy of the NET Bible. I have access to it online and in Logos as well, but I seldom refer to a Bible in digital format. Unfortunately there is no cheap hardcover of the NET available and I’m not quite ready to drop $50-100 for another Bible… The NLT and NET are easier to understand, if they are accurate.
I’d like the NET just for all the notes but the online version will suffice.
Jeff
I just found out my parents are getting me a copy of the NET for christmas.
Do they always tell you what they’re getting you? At least they didn’t tell you Santa is giving it to you.
That will be nice to have on paper.
Jeff
Well TC had just finished convincing me to not buy the NET for myself this month. Then while we were still instant messaging my mom called and asked what I wanted for Christmas. So I told her the NET Bible was only $50 and that is what they generally spend on me. Plus my parents like to buy me religious things for gifts as opposed to electronics, etc. I look forward to truly reading the notes for the first time.
Gee, I wonder what TC was telling you to get? (smiley would go here)
Jeff
(Inside joke. That would be the TNIV.)
No, he just recommended to not buy the NET and to wait for the second edition. I already own more TNIVs than I care to admit
I hadn’t heard about that. When might that be coming out?
Jeff