Free course · King James Version

100 Roots in Scripture

A hundred verses you already know, each taken back to the language it was written in — one word at a time. Twenty-five lessons, four roots in each, free to watch and free to read here. Every word is printed in its own script, transliterated so you can say it, and explained in plain English: no Greek or Hebrew required.

4 of 25 lessons published. Each one takes four verses back to the word underneath, puts them back in the paragraph they came from, and keeps the part that usually gets skipped.

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The lessons so far

  1. 1 The mind pulled apart Roots 1, 2, 3, 77 · Philippians 4:6 · Proverbs 3:5 · Romans 8:28 · 2 Corinthians 5:7 · 14:58 Four roots on anxiety and trust. "Be careful for nothing" is not an instruction to be cautious — the Greek is merimnao, to be pulled apart, and the King James "careful" meant full of care. Then the Hebrew for trust, the verse that says all things work together, and what walking by faith actually asks.
  2. 2 Anger, and the sun going down Roots 4, 7, 5, 25 · Ephesians 4:26 · Proverbs 15:1 · Matthew 6:14 · Matthew 18:22 · 15:12 Four roots on anger and forgiveness. Be angry, and sin not — the sentence begins with a command most people never notice. A soft answer and the Hebrew behind wrath. And seventy times seven, which is not a ceiling to count up to but the point at which counting stops.
  3. 3 Judging, and the beam in your own eye Roots 6, 24, 8, 9 · Matthew 7:1 · Matthew 7:5 · Leviticus 19:18 · Deuteronomy 6:5 · 14:50 Four roots on judging and love. "Judge not" ends four verses later with an instruction to go and remove the speck, once your own beam is out. Then the beam itself, and the two commandments the Law and the Prophets hang on — one in Hebrew from Leviticus, one from Deuteronomy.
  4. 4 The golden rule, and your enemies Roots 10-13 · Matthew 7:12 · Matthew 5:44 · Matthew 6:24 · 1 Timothy 6:10 · 16:04 Four roots on the golden rule, your enemies and money. Every ancient version of the golden rule was negative — Jesus inverts it, and a positive rule has no ceiling. "Hate thine enemy" is not in the Old Testament. Mammon is not a word for currency: its root idea is confidence, the thing you rely on. And in 1 Timothy 6:10 there is no definite article.

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Still to come

The rest of the hundred

Every one of the hundred roots appears in exactly one lesson. These are the 21 lessons still to be published, in order.

  1. Courage, and the spirit you were not given First things, and where treasure survivesRoots 14, 28, 15, 39
  2. Pride, and the lower seat Swift to hear — the tongue and the fireRoots 16, 61, 17, 63
  3. Joy on the far side of the night Training a child, and not provoking oneRoots 18, 44, 19, 58
  4. The borrower is servant — debt and what you owe Giving, and what comes backRoots 20, 92, 21, 71
  5. James on the faith that shows Ask, seek, knock — and shut the doorRoots 22, 84, 23, 75
  6. Being sharpened, and being corrected Not conformed — the daily deathRoots 26, 81, 27, 43
  7. Perfect love, and the fear of man Ruling the temper, keeping the confidenceRoots 29, 30, 31, 95
  8. Contentment learned, coveting refused What you owe your father, mother and householdRoots 32, 33, 34, 36
  9. Ephesians on the people closest to you — kindness, and self-surrender Work, and the ant with no overseerRoots 35, 57, 37, 38
  10. Where wisdom actually comes from First things — the fear of the LORD, no other godsRoots 40, 41, 42, 100
  11. Confession, and a clean heart Go privately — conflict and burdensRoots 45, 46, 47, 48
  12. Never repay evil — vengeance left to God As much as depends on you — your life in publicRoots 49, 50, 51, 52
  13. The body as temple — flee, do not fight The look before the act — marriage held in honourRoots 53, 54, 55, 56
  14. Humble yourself, count others better Ephesians on speech that buildsRoots 59, 60, 62, 93
  15. Thanks in everything, delight in the LORD Number your days, redeem the timeRoots 64, 65, 66, 70
  16. A season for everything, and one day in seven Count the cost, do not boast about tomorrowRoots 67, 89, 68, 69
  17. Good done where no one is watching Pray without ceasing — the prayer that availsRoots 72, 73, 74, 76
  18. What faith actually is Tribulation, patience, and enduring to the endRoots 78, 79, 80, 82
  19. Do justly — and show no partiality The poor have a legal claimRoots 83, 86, 85, 87
  20. The stranger and the day-labourer Honest weights — let your yes be yesRoots 88, 91, 90, 94
  21. Not drunk — the body kept under Lead by serving, obey God rather than menRoots 96, 97, 98, 99
Read it instead

All one hundred roots are in the book, one chapter each.

100 Roots in Scripture — Every verse in its own language, in its own place. 240 pages, King James Version.

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100 Roots in Scripture — paperback cover

New lessons are added as they are published. The whole hundred are in the book, one chapter each.