I remember the first time I saw an empty soda bottle in a campfire. Someone had tossed it in to see what the hot coals would do to it. We watched over time the shape of that glass bottle change.

The memory of that campfire event was the first thing that came to mind when I read a verse in the Bible that talks about a bottle in the smoke. But then, of course I quickly realized in Bible times they didn’t have glass soda bottles. So then I was a bit puzzled by what a bottle in the smoke could possibly mean in that culture.

Figures of Speech

In addition to understanding idioms relating to the culture of the Bible, understanding figures of speech is also helpful. There are three figures of comparison that are not only quite common in the Bible, but used often by people today.

The first is simile, which is a comparison by resemblance, usually using “like” or “as.” If a person is a really good swimmer, someone might say, “He swims like a fish.” Psalm 1:3 says a righteous person is, “like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”

Adding more emphasis to a stated comparison, the second is a metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison by representation, where one noun (or pronoun) represents another. In the fish example above, a metaphor would be, “He is a fish.” In the Gospel of John, Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches…”

Adding still more emphasis and intensity is the figure hypocatastasis, which is a comparison by implication. In the fish example, instead of comparing the swimmer with a fish by saying he is like a fish, or even that he is a fish, in hypocatastasis the comparison is just implied. “Look at that fish!” Although the comparison is implied, the meaning is effectively communicated.

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, Jesus did not say the devil is like a thief; he did not say the devil is a thief; he said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.“ He put some very serious emphasis on his statement.

Whether it’s hypocatastasis, metaphor, or simile, these figures are used throughout the Bible. When we recognize them, and understand the Bible culture as well, the meaning of many verses are understood. A great resource for understanding figures of speech is Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, by E. W. Bullinger.

A Bottle in the Smoke

In Psalm 119, the psalmist wrote, “For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.” As I mentioned, initially, my only mental picture was that soda bottle melting in the coals of a campfire. I did not understand this Eastern idiom.

In Bible times, poor people who didn’t have a well of their own for water would keep a supply of water in a goatskin. Once skinned and cleaned, they would tie the 4 legs with rope, pour fresh water in and tie the neck with rope. They would then hang it on a pole.

Many lived in a small, one room dwelling. This is where they would sleep, cook and eat. As a result from cooking, the bottle (goatskin) would hang there, subject to smoke and heat. Over time it would crack and then leak, becoming useless. In that culture, if you were to tell someone you were like a bottle in the smoke, they would easily understand.

The bottle in the smoke cannot control the unpleasant circumstances that surrounds it; it is alone and helpless. At times in life we may feel this way, like the psalmist did, but he went on to say, “Yet do I not forget thy statutes.” He knew his deliverance came from God and without Him, he was helpless.

When we face times of discouragement or crisis, with seemingly no help, we can remember where our help comes from. We can look to God, rely on God, and trust in our ever delivering, and ever powerful God!

Psalm 119:83
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

[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.]

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)

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