1. What is effective Bible study

By David Bailey.

how to do bible study

This is the first of three articles on how to do Bible study, each building on the other. Here’s what we hope to cover:

  • Part 1 — explores what Bible study is, the objective, and what is required to study our Bibles effectively.
  • Part 2 — shows the essential techniques for building an understanding of a passage using practical exercises to assist in developing helpful skills.
  • Part 3 — looks at how to do more detailed, “verse-by-verse” study, and how to record the information.

Before we begin: some assumptions, background, and intentions

stream through forestI assume that the reason you are reading this is because you would like to do Bible study but not sure how, or have found it difficult in the past, so you are looking for some advice or tips. My intention is to provide you with a method for doing effective Bible study. What do I mean by effective Bible study? John Carter says, “The mind insensibly is affected by the stream of thought passing through it, and it is desirable to have the stream as pure as possible. A mind familiarised by pictures of evil is not strongly fortified if sin should assail.” (John Carter, The Letter to the Ephesians, p 123). The “Bible study” that is important, then, is thinking about the Word of God and its principles as much as possible rather than “pictures of evil”, as John Carter describes it, and drawing upon it in daily life. I’m not claiming to provide the definitive guide to Bible study. I will simply provide my own approach to Bible study, but I believe others follow this or a similar approach, too. What follows is based upon a very old set of notes I wrote for a talk on how to do Bible study at a Bible school many years ago. I have used these same notes (and methods) for the School of the Prophets here in New Zealand for many years. The thing is, this method of Bible study can be applied any time we open God’s Word. What’s more, anyone can do this.

What do we mean by “Bible study”?

“Bible study” sounds academic, and it can be. It sounds like hard work, and it is.  God’s Word is certainly not like reading a novel, a history book, encyclopaedia, or a text book; it’s different. It isn’t a simple read. I’ve had people say to me, “I can’t do Bible study because I’m not academic”. Too many assume that Bible study is academic — made up of lexicons, concordances, commentaries, and esoteric reasoning and deep investigations into the meanings of words from ancient languages such as Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek. Theologians and theological colleges make their living out of this belief. study stress But, if we think about it, God wouldn’t have left a book that only serves academics. God’s Word itself says that acceptance with God lies not with the “many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:26–29). His intention is that people understand and know Him (John 17:3; Jer. 9:24; Psa. 19:7; 2 Tim. 3:15–16). The Bible was written so that anyone can read and understand it, and develop a skill in “rightly dividing” it, being moved by it, and changed by it.

Can you read? You can do Bible study

Anyone who can read can study the Bible. Let me go a step further: anyone who can simply hear the Word of God and is able to think about its meaning can study the Bible. For millennia Bibles were not available to the public; only the Levites and priests had access to the few hand-written copies of the Old Testament. For long periods of history most people were illiterate; but, they could listen. Even in the apostles’ day, most did not have access to a physical copy of the Scriptures, but listened to those who read from a single copy they had obtained. They lived in an aural society, and people learned to memorise and mull over the words they heard read aloud. Many committed large portions of the Bible to memory. We have lost this skill because we have such easy access to not just one Bible, but many versions of that Bible. Nevertheless, today, anyone who can read can study the Bible. bible reading The word “study” simply means the applying of time and attention to gain an understanding of a subject. Those two ideas are key to effective Bible study:

  1. Giving our time
  2. Applying concentrated attention on understanding what the Bible is saying.

Essentially, Bible study is reading and thinking. Most can do this. It just takes the desire and effort to do it.

Why does Bible study seem so hard?

Why, then, is Bible study difficult? Well, it’s not hard to study the Bible, the fact that it’s a problem is more an indication of our motivation.

An acquired taste!

food tastingPsalm 34 says, “taste and see that Yahweh is good”. But, it’s an “acquired taste”; it’s not something that comes naturally. We have a nature that seeks to gratify itself, and Bible study to one that hasn’t developed a taste for it appears uninteresting and hard work for little immediate pleasure. There’s a million other things we naturally would rather do! It’s only when we genuinely know our need for God’s Word that we are motivated enough to even begin the process. I know of people who, with good intention, began the process, but got bogged down, not making head nor tail of what the passage was about, or just not able to be excited by what they have read. “It’s not like what the speaker at the Bible school could bring out of it. Maybe I’m just not cut out to do this Bible study stuff!” The benefits of God’s Word do not come without effort.

Seeing eyes and hearing ears

The parable of the sower demonstrates how the Word of God is received by different people. The wayside is those who “understand it not” (Matt. 13: 19). The stony ground is those who hear the Word and even rejoice in understanding, but it lasts only a little while, for it is not deeply rooted. And, the seed sown among thorns is the mind that’s distracted by the cares of this life. But the good ground is he that heareth and understandeth (v. 23). Christ provides the “secret” ingredient that those of the “good ground” have that the others don’t. In Matthew 13, when the disciples asked Christ why he spoke in parables, he gave the answer:

“Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” Matthew 13:11-16.

blocking ears You can hear the irony here—even sarcasm! God says: These people can’t be bothered listening to Me; they wouldn’t go out of their way to to repent and convert to Me because that would mean I’d have to heal them—and they’d never want that! They are simply not interested enough. Christ spoke in parables as a filtering mechanism. Those that weren’t earnest lost interest. Those like the disciples, even though they often didn’t understand, persevered—seeking to know. They had minds like the good soil, “which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). Are we good soil? It’s a choice not a condition. It’s up to us to be good soil.

Seek and you shall find

Proverbs 25 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter” (v. 2). The words “thing” and “matter” are the same Hebrew word, debar, which can mean “thing” or “matter” but is usually translated “word”, and can refer to God’s Word. So, God conceals; we are to seek it out. He is looking for those that seek — not just for a while, but persistently, earnestly, honestly — and they shall find (Matt. 7:7–8; Jas. 1:5–6).

Two kinds of Bible student

James describes two kinds of Bible student (James 1:23–25):

  • those who give up
  • those that persevere.

The first man (vv23–24) studies, but he sees the truth about himself reflected in the Word, and doesn’t like what he sees. So, when he finishes his study, he doesn’t take it to heart and he’s not prepared to make any changes: he straightway forgets what manner of man he was, so he’s not a doer of the Word. It’s like stony soil. The second man looks at the Word with a different attitude; he sees it as something that can liberate him — it’s for his life, so he persists with it, despite it being hard. This man changes, because he’s a doer of the Word, and, therefore, is blessed (v.25).

It’s always hard at the beginning; don’t give up

foundationsWhat this means is, that when we start our Bible study project, we shouldn’t give up just because we can’t see it clearly, or find it uncomfortable. Bible study is like anything; laying foundations is the hard part. If you have watched how a house is built, at first it seems to take forever, there’s surveying, pegs, measuring, holes made, trenches dug, boxing set, reinforcing wire and mesh laid and tied in, concrete poured. The place looks messy and like nothing is happening for a long time. The next time you look, all the framing is up, then the roofing, then the cladding, and it looks like things are moving along fast, and you get a better idea of what the house will look like. It’s the same with Bible study. It takes time laying those foundations. It looks like no progress is being made, but it is. It’s hard slog, “measuring”, “digging”, “pouring”. Once all that hard work is done, suddenly, you can see the framework and can start filling in the details. Finally, you can see the colours, the trimmings, the little special features that set the distinctiveness of the building that gives it character. Like any building project, it requires certain methods and skills that aren’t understood or acquired naturally; they must be developed. And, before the foundation of any building is laid, there needs to be a plan, and before the plan, an objective or goal. The same is the case with Bible study.

The purpose and objective of Bible study

So, what is the objective of Bible? There are several answers we could give to this question; here are some of them:

Really, Bible study assists us in all these things, but the overall and purpose for Bible study is:

to come to know God.

Christ says, himself, that it is life eternal to know God (John 17:3). There’s only one place that we can go to find out about Him, and that’s His Word. The Word is the expression of His will, His mind, His character, as well as a record of examples of what He has done, and how He deals with humankind. We often see in the Law of Moses the refrain, “for I am Yahweh”, meaning, you are to do this thing because this is what I think like (e.g., Lev. 11:44,45; 18:2,4-6, 21, 30; 19:3, 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 25, 28, 30-32, 34, 36–37; 20:7–8, 24; 21:12; 22:2–3, 8, 30-33; 23:22, 43; 24:22; 25:17, 38, 55; 26:2, 13, 44–45). Sometimes this expression is used as a declaration of what God is like (Exodus 6: 2–8; Malachi 3:6). Again, God often declares through His prophets that His actions are for the purpose that people “may know that I am Yahweh” (e.g., Ezekiel 11:10–12; 12:15–16, 20; 13: 9, 14, 21; 36: 11, 23, 36; 38: 16, 23). So, in our study of God’s Word, we are endeavouring to come to know God, to understand His ways (Psalm 103: 7; 147: 19–20). We want to learn to think like Him, to speak like Him, to act like Him. Jeremiah says it like this:

“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

This is very important, because it affects the way we read and think about God’s Word. So, not only is “knowing God” the purpose of Bible study, but it is also the objective for Bible study. Bible study isn’t about accumulating knowledge so that we become an expert! Bible study should create a different spirit than that; it creates a humble spirit in a person, the same spirit that was in God’s son — one that elevates God, not self. Having “knowing God” as our motive and objective for Bible study means something else, too. We are building a relationship with God. That’s why the Word of God and prayer are so often together in God’s Word. Watch out for the next article in this series, where we will look at the essentials for good Bible study — and it’s not as hard as you think! It takes effort, but it’s not hard.

Image credits: Feature image — Bible and study books: by Congerdesign on Pixabay under CC 0 Stream through woods: Photo by kata bijak yang terdalam found in Google Search free for re-use. The photo has been modified. Woman studying: Photo by LUSI on RGBstock.com free for use. The photo has been modified. Bible and glasses: by Boesmantjie on Pixabay under CC 0 Food tasting: Food Trades School, State Library Victoria Collection found on Flickr under CC 2.0 Foundations: The Bullitt Centre, Seattle under construction, by the original uploader was Erudy at English Wikipedia under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.  

Colossians 1: 26–29

“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”

John 17:3

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Jeremiah 9:24

“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

Psalms 19:7

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”

2 Timothy 3:15–16

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

Matthew 13:19

“When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.”

Matthew 13:23

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Matthew 7:7–8

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

James 1:5–6

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

James 1:23-25

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

James 1:23-24

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”

James 1:25

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Acts 20:32

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

2 Timothy 3:15-17

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Psalms 1:1–2

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Psalms 119:33–34

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”

Psalms 119:103

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

Colossians 3:1–2

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Romans 10:17

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Leviticus 11:44, 45

“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Leviticus 18:2, 4–6

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God … Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 18:21

“And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 18:30

“Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:3

“Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:4

“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:10

“And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:12

“And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:14

“Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:16

“Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:18

“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:25

“And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:28

“Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:30-32

“Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 19:34

“But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 19:36, 37

“Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 20:7–8

“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.”

Leviticus 20:24

“But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.”

Leviticus 21:12

“Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 22:2–3

“Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 22:8

“That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 22:30-33

“On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD. Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you, That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 23:22

“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 23:43

“That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 24:22

“Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 25:17

“Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 25:38

“I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.”

Leviticus 25:55</h5 “For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
Leviticus 26:2

“Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 26:13

“I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.”

Leviticus 26:44–45

“And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”

Exodus 6:2-8

“And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.”

Malachi 3:6

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Ezekiel 11:10-12

“Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel: And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.”

Ezekiel 12:15–16 “And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Ezekiel 12:20

“And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 13:9

“And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 13:14

“So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 13:21

“Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 36:11

“And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 36:23

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”

Ezekiel 36:36

“Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.”

Ezekiel 38:16

“And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”

Ezekiel 38:23

“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

Psalms 103:7

“He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.”

Psalms 147:19–20

“He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.”