{"podcast":{"title":"The Bible Bar","slug":"the-bible-bar-7710740","podcast_index_feed_id":7710740,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/10e77a470/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-bible-bar","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/45276892/45276892-1769693907112-24e53bfffb4e5.jpg","author":"Department of Bible, Bar-Ilan University","episode_count":18,"summary":"The Bible Bar – The Podcast of the Bible Department of Bar-Ilan University. Hosted by Dr. Joshua Berman, The Bible Bar offers a guided journey through the Bible, one chapter at a time, in conversation with leading scholars from Bar-Ilan University and across the globe. Drawing on the full spectrum of biblical studies, the podcast translates cutting-edge research into thoughtful, engaging discussions, helping listeners discover new depth and meaning in the text","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T00:20:08.324738+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-bar-7710740"},"episode":{"title":"Gen 18 : Praying Through Questions","slug":"gen-18-praying-through-questions","published_at":"2026-06-15T11:00:01+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-bar-7710740/gen-18-praying-through-questions","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-bar-7710740","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-bible-bar/episodes/Gen-18--Praying-Through-Questions-e3kq937","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/10e77a470/podcast/play/121496103/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-15%2F3dfdd382-9bca-f43a-1d9e-819561a9b33c.mp3","summary":"Guest: Dr. Steven Mann. In Genesis 18, Abraham stands before God and does something remarkable: he prays not by making requests, but by asking questions. As God reveals His intention to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham responds with a series of probing questions about justice, mercy, and the fate of the innocent. Is this the Bible’s first prayer of intercession? Is Abraham praying, arguing, or seeking justice? And what does this extraordinary encounter teach us about the role of questions in our own prayer lives? In this episode: Why questions play such a central role in Genesis 18 God’s opening question: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” How questions invite reflection and deepen relationships Whether Abraham is praying, bargaining, arguing, or interceding The connection between prayer and the pursuit of justice What Abraham’s boldness reveals about his relationship with God Why questioning God can be an expression of faith rather than doubt The surprising rarity of intercessory prayer in the Hebrew Bible What Genesis 18 teaches us about praying for others today The episode centers around Dr. Mann's study, "Ask and You Shall Intercede: The Peculiar Perlocutionary Power of Asking God Questions." Bulletin for Biblical Research 29.2 (2019): 208-224.","meta_description":"Guest: Dr. Steven Mann. In Genesis 18, Abraham stands before God and does something remarkable: he prays not by making requests, but by asking questions.…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2261,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-bible-bar-7710740/episodes/gen-18-praying-through-questions/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-bar-7710740/gen-18-praying-through-questions.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}