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larris
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2004
Total Posts : 181
| Posted 5/30/2004 6:27 PM (GMT -6) |   |
As you may or may not know, the word of God is filled with what are called "figures of speech". One of those figures of speech is the "PUN".
Websters Dictionary defines the pun as A play on words of the same sound but different meanings, or a play on words of different meanings of the same word, always for the sake of a witty, humorous,
or ludicrous effect.
God knows all languages, therefore God's PUNS can go from one language to the next. Since God's vocabulary covers "ALL" languages and his forknowledge covers "ALL" time, he would know beforehand how these languages would change and where to place his puns for future generations. God created these languages and put these "PUNS" there for us to find as we delve into his Word. I believe the purpose of these "PUNS" is not only to show God's humor and witt but to reveal great truths and mysteries hidden in the word of God for for those who seek with their whole heart. They are hidden "TREASURES", not hidden from us but hidden for us.
Ezekiel contains a most ludicrous pun which translates from the Hebrew into the English. Ezekiel was sent to phophecy against the rebellious nation of Israel. God had him do a lot of strange things to show them what God was going to do to them for their rebellion and their idolitry.
In Chapter 20 God reproves them for building up the "high places" where they worshiped other Gods and sacrificed thier children to them.
Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your Fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there
they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called BAMAH unto this day.
(Ezekiel 20:27-29)
The "BAMAH" were the high places of pagan worship. Some scholars say that the basic meaning of this word is "rib cage," and it eventually developed to mean a "hillside". Then it came to mean what was done on the hillsides in the pagan worship when they built a cultic platform out of field stones. The word was then extended to
mean the alter on that platform and finally the entire sanctuary or house built for the practice.
The "BAMAH" contained a wooden pole symbolizing the goddess of fertility and at least one or more stone pillers symbolizing the male god. Then an alter built of stones, and room where the religious vessels and tools were stored and where the sacrifice was eaten. Six basic things were practiced there, burning incence, sacrificing, eating the sacrifice, praying, prostitution, and child sacrifice.
God told Israel to destroy all the high places or "BAMAH" of the pagans when they entered the promised land. But instead of continuing to obey God and destroy them they eventually became involved in the practice, and became worse than the pagan nations around them.
Israel worshiped the pagan Gods of the nations around them in the high places called a "BAMAH". And as if that was not bad enough, they more often than not combined the worship of the true God with these practices. God was horified at this and told them the
very thought of them sacrificing their children to him never even entered his mind.
Combining the worship and knowledge of the true God, with that of the pagan gods of the other nations not only made God look bad, but was an extreme insult to him. The "NATION" of Israel in combining the worship of God with corrupt detestable pagan practices made the true God look like those corrupt, evil pagan gods.
Eventually the practice came down from the hills to the cities and
towns, and the "NATION" of Israel started building a "BAMAH" to each of the pagan gods. Each "BAMAH" had it's own special priest on salery (2 Kings 17). Pretty soon the "NATION" had "BAMAH'S" all over the place. On every street corner there was a "BAMAH".
God was "NOT" pleased with all this "BAMAH" building going on in the "NATION" of Israel. The whole "NATION" of Israel was so full of "BAMAH'S" that it eventually became known as;
"A" "BOMAH" "NATION".
(Thus sayeth the Lord; "PUN INTENDED"!)
I think it is interesting to note that the word "BAMAH" which eventually came to mean a "HOUSE" built out of "STONE" for the worship of false gods, at one time meant "RIBCAGE" which
is what "HOUSES" the physical "HEART" of man.
"I" will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the "ABOMINATIONS" thereof from thence. And "I" will give them "ONE HEART", and "I" will put a "NEW SPIRIT" within you. And "I" will take the "STONY HEART" out of their flesh, and will give them "A HEART OF FLESH". That they may walk in "MY" statutes and keep "MY" ordinances, and do them: and they shall be "MY" PEOPLE AND "I" will be their GOD. "BUT" as for them whose "HEART" walketh after the "HEART" of their detestable things and their "A-BOMAH-NATIONS", "I" will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.
Well thank goodness that we Christians today do not build a "BAMAH" in every town and on every street corner like those rebellious Israelites, where the worship of the one true God is combined with that of false pagan practices and beliefs. I mean can you just imagine if the christians built "BAMAH's" all over this "NATION"? Then the christians would be living in "A" BOMAH" "NATION".
Perhaps you have a comment on this, or even another example of a figgure of speech used in the bible, that would be interesting to hear.
In the love of Christ,
larris
"If you continue (abide and live) in my word, then you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Jesus Christ. (John 8:31) | | Back to Top | | |
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Tom
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353
| Posted 5/31/2004 1:51 AM (GMT -6) | | Larris: God was "NOT" pleased with all this "BAMAH" building going on in the "NATION" of Israel. The whole "NATION" of Israel was so full of "BAMAH'S" that it eventually became known as; "A" "BOMAH" "NATION". (Thus sayeth the Lord; "PUN INTENDED"!)
Tom: Too funny Larris! This was a joke right? Please tell me it was a joke.
Tom | | Back to Top | | |
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larris
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2004
Total Posts : 181
| Posted 5/31/2004 10:39 AM (GMT -6) | | Albert: I don't get it. Wouldn't it be abamanation?
YOU BET IT WOULD, especially if you were down SOUTH, like maybe "Ala-bamah", where a different dialect of English is spoken, because many times the only difference in "dialect" is how words sound, and are spelled.
Albert: By the way, Larris, the plural is bamot. I thought you might be able to make something out of that. This all reminds me of Gail Riplinger's infamous argument against the NIV and NASB. She called the latter NASV instead of NASB, and then somehow re-arranged the letters NASV and NIV and subtracted letters and stuff according to some logic and got "SIN". This somehow proved the NASB and NIV were evil. Has anyone else come across this?
UT OH Albert I hope I'm mistaken in how your words made me feel, as if your "high nosed, uppitty" side was coming out at me again. But it's not your fault, since I jest assummed that y'all 'id know whut figurs a speech are. Silly ol me! Bud tats OK jez BAMOT on me, I'ma giltee. (Aaaa git ovr et.)
Figures of Speech are a genuine science on the manner in which words are used. The explanation and examples given below are from Figures of Speech Used in the Bible by E.W. Bullinger
Intro. pg.1
All language is governed by law; but, in order to increase the power of a word, or the force of an expression, these laws are designedly departed from, and words and sentences are thrown into and used in, new forms, or figures.
The ancient Greeks reduced these new and peculair forms to science, and gave names to more than two hundred of them. The Romans carried forward ths science: but with the decline of learning in the Middle Ages, it practically died out. A few writers have since then occasionally touched upon it briefly, and have given a few trivial examples: but the knowledge of this ancient science is so completely forgotten, that its very name to-day is used in a different sense and with almost an opposite meaning.
Applied to words, a figure denotes some form which a word or sentence takes, different from its ordinary and natural form. This is always for the purpose of giving additional force, more life, intensified feeling, and greater emphasis.
The three great Divisions into which figures of speech usually fall are:
1. Rigures of Etymology: which are departures from the ordinary spelling of words. These consist of some 18 figures, such as
Apher’esis, meaning front-cut, “ghast for aghast”, ‘fore or before,’ etc.
Syn’cope, meaning mid-cut, e’er for ever, o’er for over.
Apo’cope meaning end-cut, Lucrece for Lucretia, etc., etc.
That is a way of speaking which comes out in the spelling, and both are called “figures of speech”.
2. Figures of Syntax or Grammar: which are alterations of the ordinary meaning of words.
3. Figures of Rhetoric: which are deviations from the ordinary application of words.
Regarding no. 3 Jesus used this when he used the term “hypocrite” for the first time in regards to the Pharisees. The word meant “actor” and until Jesus used it in the sense that we have it today, it only referred to those who perform the Greek plays. Now we see the effect his use had in the word coming down to us and having it’s current meaning.
There are both figures of speech that effect words and ones that effect thought. E.W. Bullinger cataloged 200 distinct figures of speech with several of them having from 30 to 40 varieties. He also stated that many figures have duplicate names which brins up the total number of names to more than 500. An example of some of the more recognizable figures of speech are
Idioma, Idiom
Oxymoron: or Wise -folly. A wise saying that seems foolish (in Latin called Acutifatuum)
Eironeia: or Irony. The expression of thought in a form that conveys its opposite.
Several kinds of Eironeia or “Irony” are:
a. Antiphrasis, when it consists of one word.
b. Permutatio, when it consists of a phrase or
c. Sarcasmos, when it is Sarcasm.
And then under that you have:
I. Divine Irony. Where the speaker is Divine.
Gen 3:22 And the Lord God said: Behold the man is become as oneof us, to know good and evil.”
Man had not become “as oneof us.” He had become a wreck and a ruin, even as man. These words call our attention to verse 5, and show how false was the Serpent’s promise.
Judges 10:14 “Go and cry unto the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. “ THis was Divine Sarcasm, for those gods could neither hear nor deliver.
Job 38 is full of Divine Sarcasm.
Isa 2:10 “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty.” This is irony: to show that neither rocks nor any other shelter can save man from the judgments in “the day of the Lord.”
II. Human Irony. Where the speaker is a human being.
1 Kings 18:27 The words of Elijah to the prophets of Baal were sarcasm of the severest kind.
2 Kings 22:15 The word of the prophet Micaiah to Ahab and Jehoshaphat: “God, and prosper”; to show by Irony the false prophecies of Ahab’s own prophets.
2 Kings 8:10 The words of Elisha to Hazael: “Go, say unto him (the King of Syria), Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die.”
Job 12:2, “No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.” This pweorful Irony is meant to emphasize the fact that Job’s friend had not more knowledge than he: and may be used with great truth of many who arrogate to themselves the right ot sit in judgment on their sinful fellow servants.
There is also
III. Peirastic Irony. Where the words arenot spoken ironically[.i] in the ordinary sense, but peirastically: i.e. by way of trying or testing .
IV. Simulated Irony. Wehre the words are used by man in dissimulation or hypocracy.
V. Deceptive Irony. Where the wrods arenot only hypocritical, but false and deceptive.
Another form is called ANTHROPOPATHEIA or CONDESCENSION, and is the ascribing of Human attributes , etc. to God.
And yet another deals with the case of a noun and is called ANTIPTOSIS; or Exchange of Cases. an-tip-to-sis, from anti, against or instead of: and ptosis, a falling; in grammar an inflection or a case of a noun in declension; from poptein, to fall.
The figure is so called, becasue one case is put instead of another case. Especailly when the absolute is put for the sonstruct: i.e., where the governing noun is changed for the noun in regimen.
(And you just thought these were mistakes.)
Now I think that "bamah" makes a pretty good godly PUN, and dose not take away from the truth of what is said at all, but really drives the whole thing home. Especially when it comes to the fact, that the modern CHURCH STEEPLE is believed by many to be a left over from those old bamah days, in that it is a PHALIC SYMBOL. (next comment edited out, cause it wasn't all that nice.)
As to E.W. Bullinger he wrote his book on Figures of Speech in the 1800's, and I have the book, but I thought maybe it was somewhere on line on the public domain and I found it if you want to take a look.
http://www.godstruthfortoday.org/Library/bullinger/FiguresOfSpeech.html
http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/figures/Groupings/by%20Author/Bullinger.htm
NO ammount of systemized education will ever replace the education one gets from being around and living with many kinds of people in many places who oft times speak in many ways.
larris
"If you continue (abide and live) in my word, then you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Jesus Christ. (John 8:31) | | Back to Top | | |
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