Ben’s Reviews > The SBL Study Bible > Status Update

“Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”

“Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.”

“The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low; he also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust:
he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor..
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.”

“I gave you a land on which you had not labored and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant.”

“The sun stopped in midheaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before of since…”

“If you besiege a town…you must not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them. Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you? You may destroy only the trees that you know do not produce food; you may cut them down for use in building siegeworks against the town that makes war with you, until it falls.”

“But as for the towns of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes remain alive.”

“Since there will never cease to be some in need of the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’ “

“…those whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, they shall trouble you in the land where you are settling.”