UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE

An Important Key To Remember

I’ve been a fan of the Bible for a very long time. I enjoy reading the Scriptures as well as taking the time to study God’s Word. If understanding the Bible is important to you, you’ll be happy to know I will soon be releasing a book that will help those who enjoy reading Bible understand it more.

An important key in understanding the Bible is recognizing the culture in which it was written. This book gives insight to the culture behind over 48 verses, which will help to make those verses more easily understood.

The title of the book will be, What Does It Mean? Bible Culture Revealed. It  provides wonderful insight regarding the culture of biblical times with respect to manners, customs, idioms, and other figures of speech.

For example, what was the intended meaning when the psalmist wrote, “I am become like a bottle in the smoke”? One might readily recognize the figure of speech employed in that verse, but what exactly was, “a bottle in the smoke”?

The same is true in reverse. Perhaps there are parts of the world that would not understand if they read something in a book that said, “He threw some hot dogs on the grill.” Here in the United States one would easily understand, but those in another part of the world may be a bit puzzled and wonder what kind of dogs, why were they thrown, and, what’s a “grill”? They lack understanding of our culture and idioms.

Final editing is underway. Cover design is in the works. Plans for both paperback and Kindle version are in motion. I will of course have a special post on this blog when it is released.

There Is A Reason It Has Been Overlooked

It’s great significance has been overlooked.

There Is a good reason.

This week I am posting some things here on the blog that I did last year at this time as we are mindful of the resurrection of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A key point that has been overlooked is that women found out first.  The reason it’s significance has been overlooked is because of not understanding the culture in which the Bible was written.

Here is a podcast I posted last year called,  The Women Found Out First.

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Bewailing Virginity

From the Category, “The Eastern Eye”

[The Bible is an “Eastern” book. It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

In understanding the Scriptures it is important for us to understand the culture, but it doesn’t mean that we should necessarily follow that culture. Rather, it is in the understanding of the Eastern culture that we gain light and understanding about many things in the Bible.

There is a section in the book of Judges where understanding the culture sheds light and understanding.  It is the record of Jepthtah making a vow unto the Lord.  He promised to give in service the first to come out of his house if God would help him win a battle.

The Ammonites and Israel were at war.  Before Jepthtah went to battle, he made a vow to God.  He said to God, “If you give me victory, when I come back victorious, the first who comes to meet me, I will give unto You as a burnt offering,” meaning give them to God for service to God for the rest of their life.

God granted Jepthtah the victory.  But it was his only child, his daughter, who came first, rejoicing to meet her dad, with instruments of music.  Seeing her, he immediately “rent his clothes.”

Rent His Clothes

This expression in the Bible means to tear one’s mantle. It doesn’t mean that they ripped or tore their other clothing. They ripped or tore their mantle, as an outward sign of either anger or sorrow.  In this case, it was to indicate sorrow. sorrow.

So, because it was his daughter who first met him, he rent his mantle.  He then told his daughter that he had opened his mouth unto God and could not go back on what he told God.  His daughter understood what he meant.  She asked him if she could first go and “bewail her virginity.”

Bewail Her Virginity

A woman who wants to give herself in service to God must be a virgin.  The expression “bewail her virginity” means that she would spend two months in preparation before joining herself to the Temple.  She would go with her close friends to see relatives and other acquaintances, and say her goodbyes.

She would also spend time with those close companions in prayer, sanctifying and consecrating herself in preparation for leaving that life behind, and coming to the Temple to give her life in service to God.  This she would do for two months.

The “bewailing of virginity” simply means preparing to be a servant in the Temple.

After two months her father takes her to the Temple.  At the door of the Temple her head is shaved, and she puts a veil on her head.  She then works and lives there in the Temple.  She never leaves.

A Burnt Offering

The record in the book of Judges mentions that Jepthtah told God that he would offer the person as a burnt offering.  One meaning of burnt offering is to kill at the altar. The other meaning is to give oneself to serve in the Temple, which is what it means in the record we are considering.

It is referred to as a burnt offering because a young woman given to service in the Temple suffers.  She can never marry which in that culture was a disgrace and humiliating.  That is part of the shame that she suffers.

She also cannot have children.  That is also very humiliating to a woman in that culture.  Those who chose to give their lives in service to the Temple endured that shame.  Thus, it is referred to as being a burnt offering.

Lamented Her?

This record in Judges ends by saying that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah.  This is a pretty poor translation.  Because of the word “lament” and a misunderstanding of the two types of burnt offerings, some have erroneously concluded that this means that Jephthah’s daughter was sacrificed, that she was brought to the Temple and killed.

The word “lament” does indicate that someone has died.  But the Hebrew word that is translated “lament” would be much more accurately translated “talk with,” not “lament.”  It means to talk with, to rehearse a matter.  The root word in Hebrew means to attribute honor.

Her friends came to see her for four days every year.  They would certainly have praised her for all she was doing in keeping her father’s promise to God.  They would have praised her for agreeing to suffer the shame of not being married or having children.

In that culture the children were trained to follow what their father says.  Their father’s word was to them God’s word.  That is their culture.  That is why she told her father, Jephthah, that whatever you told God, then that is what I will do.

And so her friends would come and talk to her, and praise her and make her feel glad.  It must have been a very special time of the year for her.

I Cannot Go Back

The most striking and inspiring thing to me in this record is that Jephthah says that he could not go back on his word, on the promise he made to God.  How many times have we made a promise to God and have gone back on our word?  In that culture, what you said, you must do, at all costs.

Jephthah was a king with only one child.  Everyone would know that his daughter was not married.  He would endure the disgrace to the throne that would bring. People would say that his throne was cursed because his only daughter was not married.

He did not go to God and ask for a compromise.  He did not try to explain to God that she was his only daughter and what all the ramifications would be not only to her, but to his throne.  There are a lot of things he could have said to God, but instead, he kept his word.  “I cannot go back!”

Are We Salted?

Perhaps we can begin fresh today and resolve that what we say unto God, we will keep our word.  We may need to stop and think before we speak, and when we do speak, we ought to remember that we are talking to the Almighty.

And perhaps we could even carry it over to those we come in contact with.  We can resolve to say what we mean and mean what we say.  Biblically, that means that your words are salted.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians, that our speech should be seasoned with salt.  In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say.

Again, with a little understanding of the times and culture in which the scriptures were written, the Bible becomes clear, and its richness shines brightly.

Judges 11:30 – 40:
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.

Mike Verdicchio

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Do you have some thoughts about this?  We’d love to hear what you think.  To leave a comment if you are receiving this post via email or RSS, just click the title above and scroll to the bottom of the post and type in your comment.  If not, just scroll to the bottom of this post and type in your comment.

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Resources
There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to many recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

More Eastern Eye Articles

On The Housetop

[The Bible is an “Eastern” book. It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

In reading the Bible we have to watch that we do not read our modern western culture into the Scriptures.  We many times read words or phrases that instantly paint a picture in our minds of what we are used to seeing or hearing.  Not understanding the culture in which the Bible was written can cause us to scratch our heads and wonder what we just read.

Like most roofs in the United States, mine is pitched. I climb up on my roof about once or twice a year to remove the pine needles that fall from my pine tree.  Other than that, I hardly ever go up on my roof.

Flat Roofs

But in the lands and times of the Bible, the roofs were flat.  It was common for people to go up on the roof, or the housetop, for various reasons. It was generally a quiet place away from other people. It served as a great place to teach children in the evening, or to have a private conversation with someone.  It was also very common to go up on the housetop to pray.

flat-roof (Small)

Housetops would be accessible by a side ladder or stairs from the courtyard, as well as from the inside, where a hatch could open and close.  Such was the case when they took the man up on the housetop, and then lowered him into the house so he could get to Jesus.

Everyone On The Housetops?

There is even a record in Isaiah where there was something that was ailing the entire population.  So much so that it talks about “wholly going up on the housetops.”  This means that everyone went up on their housetops to pray.

That kind of situation would generally be a response to something affecting everyone, a sort of national emergency, like an approaching plague or even the expectation of the enemy.   Everyone would be on their housetop praying to God and asking for His deliverance from the impending calamity.

Remember When You Read

So, the next time you are reading the Bible and you see the word “housetop,” remember that their roofs were different than our modern pitched roofs. They were flat, and it was common for them to go up on the housetop.

I Samuel 9:25
And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.

Isaiah 22:1
What ails you now, that you are wholly gone up to the housetops?

Acts 10:9
On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

Mike Verdicchio

For more “Eastern Eye” articles, Click Here, or click The Eastern Eye tab above.
______________

There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon.
The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)

Buy Without Money?

[The Bible is an “Eastern” book.  It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.”  As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]

Growing up I can remember on a number occasions my dad saying, “No one gives you something for nothing.”  He understood that even if someone “gave” you something, someone paid the price for it somewhere along the line.

In Isaiah there is a verse that talks about buying water, milk, and wine without money.  Understanding the Eastern culture gives great insight not only into this verse, but also what the verse implies.

It Is A Figure Of Speech

Buying without money and without price is an Eastern figure of speech.  It pertains to a merchant in the marketplace who sells his goods.  Those merchants would call out the price of their goods.  Shoppers would then stop and pay the price for the things they wished to purchase.

There are places like that today in some parts of the world. A few years ago, Kathy and I experienced The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, which is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with over 1,200 shops.  I can tell you they are not shy about calling out to you!

grand-bazarBut there were occasions in the Bible times when the merchant would cry out, “Come and buy without money and without price.” When people heard a merchant crying out, “Come and buy without money and without price,” they knew it meant someone was grateful to God for reaching a milestone in their life.

Showing Gratitude To God

When someone in that culture reached a birthday, they celebrated it by doing something nice for other people.  They did this to show God their gratitude for being alive, for living another year.  Since you cannot see God, bestowing kindness or gifts to others was considered giving a gift to God.

It is really the opposite of our culture.  Today when someone reaches a milestone, say an anniversary or a birthday, they expect to receive gifts in honor of the event.  But the Eastern culture of the Bible was much different.  They celebrated by doing something good for others.

The Price Was Paid

One of the ways someone would do this was to go to a merchant in the marketplace.  He would then pay the merchant for all of his water, or wine, or milk. Once he made his purchase, the merchant in turn began to cry out, “Come and buy without money and without price,”

Those that hear the merchant crying out, and especially those who are needy, can come and “buy without money.”  It is free to them, but the price has been paid.  The benefactor would stay at the merchant stand as people came to “buy without money,” so that they could express their thanks to the one who paid the price.

A Deeper Meaning

In the days of Isaiah, everyone understood this Eastern figure of speech.  But it goes much deeper than selling water, wine, or milk.  Isaiah prophesied much about the coming redeemer.

Mankind could never pay the price necessary for redemption.  So, God gave His Son as payment for all of mankind.  The price was paid and all legal claims were satisfied.

Because of the completed work of Jesus Christ we can have salvation at no cost to us.  That’s why the Bible says that we are saved by grace.  Eternal life is a free gift to us.

My dad was right; someone always pays the price.  And just as those who “bought milk without price” expressed their thanks to the benefactor who paid the price for them, we too can express our thanks to God Who paid the price for us.

Isaiah 55:1:
Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that has no money; come you, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Feel free to leave a comment, even if it’s a fishing story of your own. I have a few of those and maybe you do too.  We’d love to hear what you have to say.

For more “Eastern Eye” articles, Click Here, or click The Eastern Eye tab above.

Mike Verdicchio
_____________

There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written.  The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai.  I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.

He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced.  But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window

Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)