So, guess what? Daniah Greenberg, the amazing founder of the Tree of Life Bible (TLV) Society, was recently a guest on Tim Ross's podcast, "The Basement". If you've been following Tim, you might already know he's been using and loving the TLV Bible lately, and a lot of people have been asking about it.
This episode was a really special conversation, diving into the heart of what makes the TLV Bible unique and why understanding God's Word is so incredibly important today. Daniah shared the incredible journey of how the Tree of Life Version came to be. Believe it or not, it started with a simple idea for a children's Bible because she wanted kids to see Jesus (Yeshua) accurately. When publishers weren't on board with using the name Yeshua, the journey unexpectedly led to translating the entire Bible from scratch! This massive undertaking took 17 years and involved 32 PhDs and a dedicated team – definitely a God-directed project.
One of the coolest things about the TLV Bible is how it brings back the original Jewish context of the Scriptures. This means things like putting the Old Testament books in their traditional Jewish order and using transliterated Hebrew words that unlock deeper layers of meaning. Daniah even showed Tim a piece of a Torah scroll, explaining why sacrifices were made – because the words were written on animal skins that lasted for generations. Holding it even helped Tim understand Yeshua being Emmanuel in a new way!
The chat covered some really powerful stuff that's super relevant for navigating faith:
They talked about the importance of Bible literacy and why you have to read the Bible for yourself. With literacy declining everywhere, reading God's Word is key to developing a biblical worldview and hearing God's voice.
Understanding biblical patterns and the Bible's concept of "time" can bring so much peace and understanding. Everything from seasons to choices often comes down to a binary pattern – like heat and cold, or choosing God's way (A) or our way (B).
Daniah shared about Yeshua coming as Emmanuel, showing up "inside time and space" for you exactly when and where you need Him.
There was a beautiful focus on the essential voice of women and mothers in faith and family discipleship. Daniah emphasized that a woman's highest eternal title is "daughter of the Most High God" and that temporary seasons like pain or loss aren't our identity. She also touched on her upcoming book, Biblical Feminism, which explores the value of a mother's voice in faith.
The conversation also delved into heavy topics like the true meaning of spiritual warfare (focus on life-giving, not fighting evil) and navigating tricky scripture interpretations by staying grounded in the text itself and its original context.
It sounds like it was a deeply moving and insightful conversation that really highlights how the Bible, like the Tree of Life, is meant to bring peace, freedom, and understanding to our lives.
The TLV Bible Society is all about helping people connect with God's Word and build a strong biblical worldview. If this sounds interesting to you, you HAVE to check out this episode!
