Pinchas Shir

My research is focused on the interpretations of biblical texts in the contexts of ancient culture, languages, and history.

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The Angels of Punishment in Enoch and Revelation

What comes to mind when you hear the word "angel?" Most people visualize some sort of human-looking figure with wings. Yes, some angels do have wings, but wings are not their most common feature. Best we can tell, there are many types of angels, and their duties, not

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Thicker than Blood

The Prophets tells us a story of extraordinary friendship that tests the strengths of family loyalty against true friendship. Samuel’s books tell us that Jonathan loved David deeply as a friend: “he loved him as his own soul.” They have been friends ever since David killed Goliath. Jonathan and

Video

Why Study the Books of Enoch?

To put things simply... Because ancient stories about the inner workings of the divine realm, the angels, both fallen and faithful, the origins of corruption, sin, and forbidden knowledge, the visions of the Messiah, and the coming judgment are scattered across ancient books like Enoch. These stories were never meant

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Harps in the World-to-Come

I wish to share with you a curious ancient discussion about the inner workings of the temple that once stood in Jerusalem that I came across. Apart from the slaughter of the animals and the smoke that carried the flavor of sacrifices to the heavens, the Jerusalem Temple was a

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Do you know Angels?

I would venture to say that most of us have never seen angels, or maybe we have, and we had no idea we even had such an encounter. That, of course, all depends on what you think angels are and what you expect them to look like. The writer of

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Listen to 3 BARUCH 4 - 5, New 2025 Translation

The Books of Baruch: Four Oracles in New Translation" - this edition presents you with a new, easy-to-read, and culturally nuanced English translation of four ancient oracles: 1 - The Book of Baruch, 2 - The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, 3 - The Slavonic Apocalypse of Baruch, and 4

Video

Coming Closer to God in Leviticus

I rarely run into people who tell me that Leviticus is one of their favorite books in the Bible. Many people simply skip most of this book when they read the Bible because it does not speak to them on a spiritual level and does not even make much sense.

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Cleansing by Fire

Have you ever seen a sign that simply says "Jesus is Coming"? My wife pointed out a better one for me as we traveled together recently. It read, "Jesus is coming, clear your browser history!" Even in modern times, purity is a tangible concern. Naturally, we

Articles

Why do Bible Translations Differ So Much?

There are numerous Bible translations available in English. The number of options is related to the consumer market. English speakers spend more money on Bibles than many others; hence, the marketplace offers consumers a greater variety of choices competing for prominence and influence. Ultimately, publishing books is a complicated undertaking,

Video

Two Seals from the First Temple Era

Archaeological evidence from the First Temple era is very rare. The main reason is that the temple site has been off-limits for study and excavation in modern times. However, in 2013, a volunteer looking through the dirt that had been excavated from Robinson’s Arch found a 1-centimeter seal impression.

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>Seminars

Striving for Unity in Diversity: Part Four (Romans 12-16 ~2h)

This series of lectures on Paul’s Letter to the Romans explains familiar concepts from a vector you may not have heard before. The structure of the letter itself informs us which topics are primary and which are peripheral. We move chapter by chapter, zeroing in on the most complicated

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Out of Nothing

Miracles of multiplication are great, but they don’t happen every day. And sadly, Elisha is not walking around for us to ask for his help. It’s really something extraordinary and unique as we read these stories. How, besides us running out and getting all the empty jars in

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The Fullness of Gentiles in Romans

Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans is not easy reading. In my opinion, it is written from the perspective of a missionary to non-Jews, who wants them to understand that they are not the axis, but a part of a much bigger ancient plan. In this message, Paul speaks

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The Books of Baruch: Four Oracles in New Translation

Because 1 Baruch was incorporated into the Greek Septuagint (LXX), some are familiar with this ancient text. But many do not realize there are actually four books of Baruch in existence. Therefore, this edition presents a collection of four ancient texts attributed to Baruch in a new, modern, and culturally

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>Seminars

Branches of the Olive Tree: Part Three (Romans 9-11 ~4h)

In this series of lectures on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, we move chapter by chapter, zeroing in on the most complicated sentences, periodically considering Greek and Hebrew concepts, background, and omitting only the most peripheral content. What may be most unusual in this study for many viewers is

Video

Almighty's Wings My Shelter Be

Psalm 91 is a favorite for so many people because its words express powerful promises of divine protection. Feeling safe is something we can all identify with. Since deep antiquity, Jews have recited these words on a regular basis. So here is a new musical rendition of this Psalm'

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The Herald Angels Do Not Sing

There is a beautiful old song, often heard around the holidays, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” It was written sometime in the eighteenth century and is based on Luke 2:8-14, which explains its connection to Christmas. But I have to ask a question, “Do the angels actually sing?” You

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Turning Hearts

The story of Eliyahu ha-navi, Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, is iconic. A showdown between 1 prophet of Hashem and 450 prophets of a storm god on the slopes of the Carmel Mountain range. The contest is simple: each of them set up a sacrifice,

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How Saul of Tarsus Became Paul

Most people know that Apostle Paul was a pious Jew. Many New Testament readers would note that he was a Pharisee trained with the rabbis at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). And at the same time, an overwhelming majority of Christians also see Apostle Paul as a radical

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Listen to 2 BARUCH 6-9, New 2025 Translation

"The Books of Baruch: Four Oracles in New Translation" - this edition presents you with a new, easy-to-read, and culturally nuanced English translation of four ancient oracles: 1 - The Book of Baruch, 2 - The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, 3 - The Slavonic Apocalypse of Baruch, and

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>Seminars

Untwisted Examples: Part Two (Romans 4-8 ~3h)

This series of lectures on Paul’s Letter to the Romans raises multiple questions that some may consider controversial, as the apostle's words are not explained in a traditional manner. The lectures are built on a presupposition of Paul not as a follower of a new religion (Christianity)

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Mastering Challenges

In Deuteronomy Moses recounts the events that have already happened. He gives a summary of events that have transpired during many years in the wilderness. At the very beginning of his speech, he admonishes the Israelites to take possession of the land promised to them. And the way he spoke

Articles

Reading Paul's Letter to Romans in Context

The Letter to the Romans emerges from a complicated social world shaped by Roman imperial politics, shifting relationships between Jews and Gentiles, and the trauma of Jewish diaspora being expelled and later readmitted to Rome. Behind Paul’s letter, which teaches deep spiritual principles that stimulate abundant theological reflection, lies

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Your PSHIR.COM and Gmail

If you are a GMAIL user, keep in mind that updates and emails from PSHIR.COM will likely end up in the "Promotions" tab and sometimes even in spam. Unfortunately, the Google server sees them as institutional emails sent to multiple users and tags them as "marketing,

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>Seminars

Misunderstood Foundations: Part One (Romans 1-4 ~4h)

This series of lectures addresses key passages and themes in Paul’s Letter to the Romans, a pivotal book for Christian theological understanding. They were delivered live to a mixed audience at a Messianic Synagogue. As such, they express a unique perspective, a presupposition of Paul as a traditional Jew