HEBREWS

Biblical Allusions

The Majesty of Heaven

Patrick Henry concludes the opening to his most famous speech by asking, “Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly […]

Redemption of a Battered Heart

This sonnet is among Donne’s best known works. The praying speaker invites God to “batter” his heart. This seems an odd request, but the speaker acknowledges that in order to be made “new” God must “break, blow, burn” him, a reference to MALACHI 3 : 2-3, where God is a refiner of precious metals, in control of the fire that shapes the lives of believers.