Today we begin 1st Samuel Chapter 20.
For the Complete Jewish Bible, click HERE.
For the King James version, click HERE.
So I was chewed out yesterday for using expressions like “What the hell!” in my writings.
The reader said…
“I think you don’t need to say things like “what the hell”. Father hates profanity.”
My reply was…
“Just writing naturally here Cheryl. Believe me, Yeshua said much worse when speaking about his enemies. It just doesn’t come across that way in our English Bibles. If I feel a certain expression captures the emotional intensity of a thought I want to express, I’m going to use it. Ya feel me? Be blessed.”
I’m actually glad I received this criticism because it fits in nicely with the start of our study of 1st Samuel Chapter 20.
So in verse 1, we’re told David returned to Gibeah from Ramah to meet Jonathan.
Confused and scared, David asks Jonathan “Why does your father (Saul) want to kill me? What have I done?”
The ever naïve Jonathan responds by saying…
“Heaven forbid!
You’re not going to die!”
The Hebrew word that Jonathan responded with was CHALILAH or חָלִילָה.
Literally, it means “Far be it”.
It is a Hebrew idiom used to express strong disapproval or rejection of a suggested idea or statement
Notice, I said this is an IDIOM.
Idioms are CONVERSATIONAL, and they overlap with slang in some instances.
Both idioms and slang add expressiveness, and cultural nuance to language.
Now getting back to the expression CHALILAH, the truth is the idea of God or the sacredness of Heaven is NOT being referred to here.
Nowhere is God or the spiritual domain being called upon here.
It’s translated into other clean idioms like “Heaven forbid” or “God forbid” in our Bibles because that’s what the translators felt most appropriate.
CHALILAH is simply the strongest possible expression of shock and surprise one could utter.
So if we were to translate that into modern conversational English…
And when I say “modern conversational English”, I mean the way humans REALLY speak…
I betcha we could render CHALILAH as “Hell no!”.
Sure, we could make it softer by saying “Heck no!”
But that doesn’t quite capture the emotional intensity of what we’re going for, does it?
And seriously, when was the last time you said “Heaven forbid” or “God forbid” in a real conversation?
We’re not living in some 18th-century Victorian or Shakespearean culture, are we now?
Take a look at this verse…
“You snakes!
You brood of vipers!
How will you escape
being condemned to hell?!”
-Matthew 23:33
Now, a modern-day CONVERSATIONAL rewrite would probably say something like this:
“You conniving bas$#ds!
You sons of bit$%es!
You’re all going to
straight to hell!”
See what I mean?
Or how about this verse?
“Not only that, but I consider everything a disadvantage in comparison with the supreme value of knowing the Messiah Yeshua as my Lord. It was because of him that I gave up everything and regard it all as garbage, in order to gain the Messiah.”-Philippians 3:8
Paul is using some pretty strong language there folks.
Some translations will say “dung” or “rubbish” in place of garbage.
But another modern conversational way to express it is to say that compared to Messiah, Paul is saying everything else is a bunch of “crap” that ought to be thrown straight into the trash can.
Ya feel me here homies?
See, here’s what you got to understand.
The actual Hebrew Bible in the original language often records what people said EXACTLY HOW THEY SAID IT.
Do you seriously think hardened warriors like Gideon never used so-called rough or foul language?
I can only imagine what Samson said when he was out getting drunk and wasted with the Philistines.
And by the way, this is kind of a separate topic, but the Bible also contains verses that are full-blown pornography.
Ya feel me?
Check out these verses from the book of Ezekiel:
“The word of Adonai came to me: ‘Human being! There were two women, daughters of the same mother, who were whores in Egypt — even as young girls they were whores. There they let their breasts be caressed, and there their virgin nipples were fondled.'”-Ezekiel 23:1-3
Or how about this verse?
“She remembered her lover with the penis like a donkey and a flood of semen like a horse.”
This is the holy word of God folks.
Let me say that again.
This is the HOLY. WORD. OF. GOD.
Got it?
It’s only us, with our unscriptural puritanical notions that cherry-pick what we want to emphasize or ignore in the Scriptures.
I say take the Word of God for what it is, warts and all, and accept that it is the most realistic depiction you will ever come across of how sick the sin-stained human race really is…
Fortunately, Scripture doesn’t leave us hanging.
It also provides the divine solution to our sin and fallen nature.
Alright, this is getting long, so lemme just close with this.
Yes, I have used the word “hell” more times than I can count in this blog…
But that’s pretty much where I draw the line…
I’ve decided I won’t use harsher swear words like the S-word or the F-word.
Why?
Because I know just how inflammatory those words are in our culture.
So yes, for practical cultural sensitivity purposes, I’ve decided not to use them.
But don’t think Biblical characters didn’t use the equivalent of the F-word or the S-word in their times.
Of course, they did.
They were after all human like we all are.
Ya, feel me?
Done.
Great Topic and explanation! Thanks, I enjoyed the heck out of it! Ya feel me 🙂
I feel ya Jill! Glad you resonated with this…and thanks for reading. Be blessed!
I get what you mean on this, Rich Oka, but I don’t agree that what they used on “old days” was equivalent to some of the words used today. Yes, they definitely expressed themselves while describing something ; but they didn’t use the unbelievably filthy “F-bomb” every two seconds, like many are doing today.
EXAMPLE: “So, today, I was talkin’ to this f–ing dude who was like trying to f– with me by telling me that my girlfriend was f–ing around behind my back. I felt kickin’ the livin’ sh– out of that f–ing f–er because I KNOW my f–ing woman would never dare do that!”
You WON’T find that kind of trash talk in the Bible. Period!
I personally was on the receiving end of that hideous F-bomb just yesterday, used on me by some loud-mouthed and opinionated “armchair expert” who didn’t like the fact that I am a female Bible teacher. Not only did he have a habit of writing run-on sentences that lacked punctuation and proper grammar, but he was also guilty of allowing FILTH to come out of the same mouth with which he spoke the Names of YHWH and Yeshua, thus REVEALING his ignorance to the entire reading audience.
That is NOT the same as those “descriptive” events used in Scripture! (It just so happens, I recently wrote a blog on my website about this very issue: https://blog.therefinersfire.org/…/lets-talk-about-f…)
There is a difference between filthy gutter language, and simply being descriptive by using “what the hell?” when one is truly upset or baffled by some situation. Yet, usually, when approached about it, most will argue, fight and justify until they’re blue in the face, even to the point of being downright rude and abusive to the person is is offended by “that type” of language.
Not to mention, these “intellects” seem to forget that the “F-word” that so many love to use refers to, and degrades, the sex act that YHWH gave us to procreate in produce baby humans “in His Image.” I’m positive He is NOT pleased by that…
We need to remember, YHWH is busy separating the sheep from the goats – and unless we are found blameless and CLEAN in word, thought and deed, we are going to be “left behind” when Yeshua returns to rule and reign for a thousand years.
Great points Carmen. And I don’t think I would disagree with you. I also read your article, and like what you wrote there too.
I certainly don’t believe in cussing for cussing’s sake…
Or doing it to be cute or cool…
You said that how folks spoke in the old days is not how we speak today.
Well, of course not, that was kind of my point.
My point is I’m sure they had their own strong words that may have been equivalent to some of the curse words we use today and evoked just as strong a reaction.
I hope you also left this comment on my blog for others to see…
As I said, you’re never going find me using the f-word or other obscene profanity in my blog. But I do have a colorful, conversational way of writing that I employ.
I’m also a trained direct-response copywriter…and also employ elements from that craft as well.
This is definitely an “iron sharpening iron” discussion.
Be blessed!
Following from the distant land of Kenya.
Hard words drain the Set Apart Spirit from any believer especially when they are intended to annoy the other party. I don’t think the Scriptures entertain jokes too. As one @Carmen has pointed out, the f – word is sacred in a way that it’s through it that me and you are here. It shouldn’t be ‘abused’ every two seconds with any normal person.
Hi George,
Feedback well taken.
As I said, I myself will never use the F-word in my posts…no matter how culturally relevant.
Using the word “hell” every once in a while will be the extent of usage of so-called “bad language” in this blog.
Be blessed!