My Favorite Bible Verse

[rodgertutt]

MY FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE

“Cast all your care upon Him (Jesus), for He cares for you. 1Peter 5:7

MY FAVORITE QUOTE OUTSIDE OF THE BIBLE

“God’s purposes are so vast and glorious, beyond all guessing now, that when they are achieved and consummated, all our sufferings and sorrows of today, even the agonies that nearly break our faith, the disasters that well nigh overwhelm us, shall, seen from that fair country where God’s age long dreams come true, bulk as little as bulk now the pieces of a broken toy upon a nursery floor, over which, thinking that all our little world was in ruins, we cried ourselves to sleep.”

Dr. Leslie Weatherhead

MY WEBSITE

http://greater-emmanuel.org/Hope4You/

A website for those who suffer unbearable emotional distress over the idea that God lets anyone suffer forever. It contains my testimony, my son’s tribute, many links, many writings, two forums, a guest book, a chart, and a web ring.

[Fawzo]

I have many favorite Bible Verses but if I had to pick just one it would be:

If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (ESV)

My favorite qoute of any type was the saying written on the outside of the Temple of the Oracle at Delphi:

"KNOW THYSELF"

[RabbiO]

I'm kind of partial to this utterance of Jacob (Genesis 28:16)-

אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְהוָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה; וְאָנֹכִי, לֹא יָדָעְתִּי

"For sure YHVH was in this place and I, I did not know it."

The use of the double "I" speaks volumes regarding the relationship between G-d and ourselves and where it is that

G-d is found.

[Fawzo]

I'm kind of partial to this utterance of Jacob (Genesis 28:16)-

אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְהוָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה; וְאָנֹכִי, לֹא יָדָעְתִּי

"For sure YHVH was in this place and I, I did not know it."

The use of the double "I" speaks volumes regarding the relationship between G-d and ourselves and where it is that

G-d is found.

Could you expound on that a little if you are feeling up to it? I'm missing something even after reading it with your information. I had thought it was a typo at first.

[RabbiO]

Could you expound on that a little if you are feeling up to it? I'm missing something even after reading it with your information. I had thought it was a typo at first.

Fawzo,

Most usually the above section of Genesis is translated simply as "G-d was in this place and I did not know it." I can only recall seeing my translation twice - once in the 1917 JPS translation - not the 1985 translation - and once somewhere else that I do not recall. The translation I have provided is more accurate.

The question is how is one to read it? There are two possible ways. "G-d was in this place. And I, I did not know it." This expresses the sudden realization by Jacob of G-d in a place that he did not expect, more or less accords with an understanding that makes the second "I" somewhat superfluous and thus the conventional translation.

But the passage can also be read, "G-d was in this place and I [ie. within me]. I did not know it." Again, it expresses Jacob's surprise in finding G-d where he did not expect, but it deepens where G-d can be found and expresses a different realization as to the relationship between humanity and the divine.

In a similar manner, Deuteronomy 4:39 reads -

וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם, וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל-לְבָבֶךָ, כִּי יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל-הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת: אֵין, עוֹד

The end of that passage is usually translated as "there is none else" or translated for so-called meaning purposes, "there is no other god." "There is none else" is a possible translation, but the phrase that ends the verse - "ayn od" - literally means "nothing more." Within the context of what is written, I submit it is just as possible, as held by those of a mystic bent, to understand the words to mean

that G-d is in the heavens, G-d is below, there is nothing except G-d.

Just some points for you to play with.

Edited January 19, 2010 by RabbiO

[Fawzo]

Fawzo,

Most usually the above section of Genesis is translated simply as "G-d was in this place and I did not know it." I can only recall seeing my translation twice - once in the 1917 JPS translation - not the 1985 translation - and once somewhere else that I do not recall. The translation I have provided is more accurate.

The question is how is one to read it? There are two possible ways. "G-d was in this place. And I, I did not know it." This expresses the sudden realization by Jacob of G-d in a place that he did not expect, more or less accords with an understanding that makes the second "I" somewhat superfluous and thus the conventional translation.

But the passage can also be read, "G-d was in this place and I [ie. within me]. I did not know it." Again, it expresses Jacob's surprise in finding G-d where he did not expect, but it deepens where G-d can be found and expresses a different realization as to the relationship between humanity and the divine.

In a similar manner, Deuteronomy 4:39 reads -

וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם, וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל-לְבָבֶךָ, כִּי יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל-הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת: אֵין, עוֹד

The end of that passage is usually translated as "there is none else" or translated for so-called meaning purposes, "there is no other god." "There is none else" is a possible translation, but the phrase that ends the verse - "ayn od" - literally means "nothing more." Within the context of what is written, I submit it is just as possible, as held by those of a mystic bent, to understand the words to mean

that G-d is in the heavens, G-d is below, there is nothing except G-d.

Just some points for you to play with.

Thank you so much for the wonderful explanation.

[Br. Josef]

Fawzo,

But the passage can also be read, "G-d was in this place and I [ie. within me]. I did not know it." Again, it expresses Jacob's surprise in finding G-d where he did not expect, but it deepens where G-d can be found and expresses a different realization as to the relationship between humanity and the divine.

Another way I have heard that translated took into account that English is the most word ordered language and if you take that into account ... `~ God was with me in this place, and I did not know it.~' still the rather grand realization that he had failed to realize something important. ('... & I hadn't realized')

Edited January 20, 2010 by Br. Josef