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bailey-writes · 4 years ago

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So You Want Your OC to be Jewish

So you’re writing a story and you want to make a Jewish character—great! I’m here to help. I always want more Jewish representation but I want good Jewish representation, so this is my attempt to make a guide to making a Jewish character. What are my credentials? I’m Jewish and have been my whole life. Obligatory disclaimer that this is by no means comprehensive, I don’t know everything, all Jews are different, and this is based on my experiences as an American Jew so I have no idea, what, if any, of this applies to non-American Jews.

If there’s anything you want me to make a post going more into detail about or if there’s anything I didn’t mention but you want to know please ask me! I hope this is helpful :) Warning, this is long.

Jew PSA

If you are Jewish you can use the word Jew(s), e.g. “She’s dating a Jew.” If you are not Jewish you cannot use the word Jew(s). This is not up for debate. Non-Jews calling us Jews has a negative connotation at best. Don’t do it and don’t have your characters do it.

Basics, Plus My Random Thoughts that Didn’t Fit Anywhere Else

A confusing enduring issue is, what is Judaism? It’s a religion, but some Jews aren’t religious; is it a race? A nationality? A culture? A heritage? The only constant is that we are seen as “other.” There’s a lot of debate, which makes it confusing to be Jewish and as such it’s common for Jews to struggle with their Jewish Identity. However many people agree that Jews are an ethnoreligious group, aka Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

Temple/Synagogue/Shul = Jewish place of worship. Shul is usually used for Orthodox synagogues.

Keeping kosher = following Jewish dietary rules: meat and dairy can’t be eaten together and you can’t eat pork or shellfish. Fish and eggs are pareve (aka neutral) and can be eaten with meat or dairy (but again not both at the same time.) When eating meat it has to be kosher meat (e.g. kosher Jews are allowed to eat chicken, but not all chicken is kosher. I know it’s kinda confusing I’m sorry.) Kosher products in stores will have symbols on them to identify them as kosher. If someone is kosher they’ll probably have separate sets of utensils/plates/cookware/etc. for meat and dairy

Shabbat/Shabbos/Sabbath = holy day of the week, day of rest, lasts from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Depending on observance Jews might have Shabbat dinner, attend Shabbat services, or observe the day of rest in its entirety (making them shomer Shabbat)

Someone who is shomer Shabbat will refrain from any of the prohibited activities. These can easily be looked up but include: working, writing, handling money, cooking, and using technology.

Bat/Bar/B’nai Mitvzah = tradition where a Jewish boy/girl becomes a man/woman. Celebrated at 13-years-old for boys, 12- or 13-years-old for girls. Girls have Bat Mitzvahs (bat means daughter in Hebrew), boys have Bar Mitzvahs (bar means son in Hebrew) and twins or two or more people having one together have a B’nai Mitzvah. They will study for this for months and then help lead services and, depending on observance level, read from the Torah. The ceremony is often attended by family and friends and followed with a celebration of sorts (in America usually this means a brunch and/or party.)

Goy/gentile = non-Jew. These words are not slurs, they are literally just words. Plural of goy is goyim and is a Yiddish word, plural of gentile is gentiles.

Jewish holidays follow the Hebrew calendar, meaning that according to the current solar/Gregorian calendar the dates of our holidays are different each year.

Jewish law recognizes matrilineal inheritance. This means that Jewish law states your mother has to be Jewish for you to be Jewish. This is because of reasons from biblical times that I can explain if you wanna come ask, but as you can imagine is a bit outdated. While Orthodox Jews might embrace this idea and only consider someone Jewish if their mom is Jewish, many Jews are more flexible on the idea (and yes, this does cause tension between Orthodox Jews and other Jews at times.)

Judaism =/= Christianity

Some people think Judaism is just Christianity without Jesus (some people don’t even realize we don’t believe in/celebrate Jesus so newsflash, we don’t) and that’s just wrong. Yes both religions share the Old Testament, so they also share some history and beliefs, but the entire ideologies of the religions are different. In brief, they are similar in some ways but are not the same.

What seems to me to be the biggest difference is that Christianity (from what I understand) has a heavy focus on sins, more specifically repenting for/gaining forgiveness for your sins. In Christianity you are born tainted by original sin. In Judaism we believe everyone is born pure and free from sin and everyone is made in God’s image. Judaism has some concept of sin, but doesn’t focus on them and instead focuses on performing Mitzvot (plural, singular form is mitzvah. Direct translation is “commandment” but basically means good deed or act of kindness. It also relates to the commandments, so following the commandments is also performing mitzvot.) Examples of mitzvot include anything from saying a prayer or lighting Shabbat candles to helping a stranger or donating to charity (called tzedakah). One of the main tenets of Judaism is tikkun olam, which directly translates to “repair the world” and means exactly what it says on the tin. Instead of focusing on being forgiven for doing bad Judaism focuses on doing good. The only day we focus on past wrongdoings is Yom Kippur, one of our most holy holidays, discussed below.

Holidays

Rosh Hashanah – The Jewish New Year, occurs around September and lasts for two days, though Reform Jews often only celebrate the first day. Day of happiness and joy, celebrated by eating sweet things for a “sweet new year” (often apples dipped in honey) and circular challah to represent the end of one year and beginning of another. Also celebrated with services and blowing the shofar (rams horn.) Some spend the day in prayer and/or silent meditation. Possible greetings: chag sameach (happy holiday; can be said on almost any holiday), Shana Tovah, or happy new year (which is what Shana Tovah means, some people just say it in English.)

Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. Occurs ten days after the start of Rosh Hashanah. One of if not the most solemn day for Jews, but also the most holy. The day is spent reflecting on yourself and any past wrongdoings and atoning. The day (sundown the night before to sundown the day of) is spent fasting, a physical way of atoning. We do this in hopes of being “written in the Book of Life” and starting the year with a clean slate. The shofar is blown at the end of the holiday. Most Jews will end the fast with a grand meal with family and friends. Most common greeting is “have an easy fast,” but happy new year is still appropriate.

Sukkot – Celebrates the harvest, occurs on the fifth day after Yom Kippur and lasts seven days. Celebrated by building a temporary hut outdoors called a sukkah and having meals inside it, as well as shaking palm fronds tied together (called a lulav) and holding a citrus called an etrog. Very fun and festive holiday. Possible greetings include chag sameach or Happy Sukkot.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah – Some Jews (mostly Reform Jews and Jews living in Israel) combine both holidays into one day while some celebrate them as two separate days. Either way they occur immediately after Sukkot. Shemini Atzeret is similar but separate from Sukkot and features a prayer for rain; Sukkot is not mentioned in prayers and the lulav isn’t shaken but you do eat in the sukkah. Simchat Torah celebrates finishing reading the Torah, which we will then begin again the next day. It’s a festive holiday with dancing and fun. Some Temples will roll the entire Torah out and the children will run under it. Appropriate greeting for both would be chag sameach.

Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah are referred to as the High Holidays.

Chanukah – We all know about Chanukah, celebrating the reclaiming of the Second Temple and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. The most represented Jewish Holiday there is. Unfortunately it’s one of the least significant holidays for us. Occurs around November or December and lasts eight days and nights. Celebrated by lighting candles in the Menorah each night with a prayer and kids usually get gifts each night. Also celebrated with spinning tops called dreidels, fried foods like doughnuts (sufganiyot in Hebrew; usually the jelly filled ones) and potato pancakes called latkes. Greetings: happy Chanukah or chag sameach.

Tu B’Shevat – Birthday of the trees, basically Jewish Arbor Day. Minor but fun holiday, sometimes celebrated by planting trees. Occurs around January or February.

Purim – Celebrates how Queen Esther of Persia defeated Haman and saved her people, the Jews. Occurs in Spring. Festive holiday traditionally celebrated by dressing in costumes, eating sweets, and giving tzedakah (it’s also technically commanded you get drunk so woohoo!) Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned you make a lot of noise, booing and using noisemakers called groggers. Greetings: happy Purim, chag Purim, or chag sameach.

Passover/Pesach – Celebrates the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt. Occurs in Spring and lasts eight days. The first two nights (some only celebrate the first night) are celebrated with seder, a ritual meal with certain foods, practices, prayers, and readings from a book called the Haggadah and often attended by family and friends. Most famous prayer/song of the holiday is the four questions, which ask why that night is different from all other nights and is traditionally sung by the youngest child at the seder. The entire holiday is spent not eating certain foods, mostly grain or flour (the food restrictions are complicated and differ based on denomination so look it up or ask a Jew.) We eat a lot of matzah during Pesach, which is like a cracker kinda. I personally hate it but some people actually like it. Greetings: happy Passover, chag pesach, or chag sameach.

Tisha B’Av – Anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Occurs in Summer. Very sad, solemn day. Some celebrate by fasting from sunrise to sunset. Not the most widely celebrated holiday. Some also commemorate the Holocaust (also called the Shoah) on this day as it was the destruction of a figurative temple.

Denominations

There are a bunch of denominations in Judaism, we’ll go into it briefly.

Religious denominations:

Reform/Reformed: This is the least religiously observant level. Often Reform Jews don’t keep kosher or observe Shabbat, their services on Shabbat will use instruments. Reform Jews probably attend services for the high holidays at the very least and probably had a Bat/Bar Mitzvah. Might say they consider themselves more culturally Jewish. Their Temple/Synagogue will be the most “liberal”—aka have more female/diverse Rabbis and a more diverse congregation. I’m Reform and my Temple’s lead Rabbi is a woman and we used to have a Rabbi who’s a queer single mother.

Conservative: More religiously observant and more generally traditional. Might keep kosher or observe Shabbat, but not necessarily. Services likely won’t use instruments (not supposed to play instruments on Shabbat). Most likely had a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, but girls might not read from the Torah, though this depends on the congregation. They do allow female Rabbis, but in my experience it’s less common.

Modern Orthodox: Very religiously observant but also embrace modern society. Will keep kosher and observe Shabbat. Men will wear kippot (singular=kippah) and tzitzit under their shirts. Women will cover their hair (if they’re married), most likely with a wig, and wear modest clothing (only wear skirts that are at least past their knees and long sleeves). Emphasis on continued study of Torah/Talmud. Parents will likely have jobs. Might have larger families (aka more children) but might not. Services will be segregated by gender, girls won’t read from the Torah publicly, and female Rabbis are very rare. Children will most likely attend a religious school. Will attend shul services every Shabbat and for holidays.

note: there are some people who fall somewhere between modern Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox, or between any two denominations really. as you can imagine people don’t all practice the exact same way.

Ultra-Orthodox: Very religiously observant and not necessarily modern. Will keep kosher and observe Shabbat. Men will wear kippot or other head coverings and tzitzit under their shirts, and are also often seen wearing suits. Women will cover their hair (if they’re married) with a wig or scarf and wear modest clothing (only wear skirts that are at least past their knees and long sleeves). Emphasis on continued study of Torah/Talmud. Men might have jobs but might instead focus on Jewish studies, while women most often focus on housework and child-rearing. Don’t believe in contraception (but this is kinda nuanced and depends). Will often have very large families because having children is a commandment and helps continue the Jewish people. Might be shomer negiah which means not touching members of the opposite sex aside from their spouse and some close family members. Services will be segregated by gender, girls won’t read from the Torah publicly, and there won’t be female Rabbis. Children will attend a religious school. Will attend shul services every Shabbat and for holidays.

Ethnic denominations (the different denominations do have some differences in practices and such but tbh I don’t know much about that so this is just the basics):

Ashkenazi: Jews that originate from Central/Eastern Europe. Yiddish, a combination of Hebrew and German, originated from and was spoken by Ashkenazim and while it’s a dying language it’s spoken among many Orthodox Jews and many Jews of all levels know/speak some Yiddish words and phrases. Majority of Jews worldwide are Ashkenazi.

Sephardi/Sephardic: Jews that originate from the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and southeastern Europe. Ladino, a combination of Old Spanish and Hebrew, originated from and was spoken by Sephardim. It is also a dying language but is still spoken by some Sephardim. After Ashkenazi most of the world’s Jews are Sephardic.

Mizrahi: Jews that originate from the Middle East and North Africa.

Ethiopian Jews: Community of Jews that lived in Ethiopia for over 1,000 years, though most have immigrated to Israel by now.

Stereotypes/Tropes/Controversies/Etc.

There are so many Jewish stereotypes and shit and I ask you to please be mindful of them. Stereotypes do exist for a reason, so some people will fit stereotypes. This means your character might fit one or two; don’t make them fit all of them. Please. Stereotypes to keep in mind (and steer away from) include:

All Jews are rich.

All Jews are greedy.

All Jews are cheap/frugal.

All Jews are [insert job here]. We’ll go into this more below.

All Jews hate Christians/Muslims/etc.

All Jews are white.

First of all Ethiopian and Mizrahi Jews exist, many Sephardi are Hispanic, and today with intermarriage and everything this just isn’t true.

All Jews have the same physical features: large and/or hooked nose, beady eyes, droopy eyelids, red hair (this is an old stereotype I didn’t really know existed), curly hair.

Many Jews do have somewhat large noses and curly hair. I’m not saying you can’t give these features to your characters, but I am saying to be careful and don’t go overboard. And don’t give all of your Jewish characters these features. As a side note, it is common at least among American Jews that girls get nose jobs. Not all, but some.

Jews are secretly world elite/control the world/are lizard people/new world order/ any of this stuff.

STAY AWAY FROM. DO NOT DO THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THIS. If you have a character that’s part lizard, do not make them Jewish. If you have a character that’s part of a secret group that controls the entire world, do not make them Jewish.

Jews have horns. If you have characters with horns please don’t make them Jewish.

Jews killed Jesus.

The blood libel. Ew. No.

The blood libel is an antisemitic accusation/idea/concept that back in the day Jews would murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals and sometimes even for consumption (did I mention gross?) Not only did this just not happen, but it’s actually against Jewish law to murder, sacrifice, or consume blood. Yes these accusations really happened and it became a main reason for persecution of Jews. And some people still believe this shit.

Jews caused The Plague.

The reason this conspiracy exists is because many Jews didn’t get The Plague and the goyim thought that meant it was because the Jews caused it/cursed them. The real reason Jews didn’t get it is because ritual hand-washing and good hygiene kept them from getting it. Sorry that we bathe.

Jewish mother stereotype.

Ok, listen. I know stereotypes are mostly a bad thing but I have to admit the Jewish mother stereotype is not far off. Jewish moms do tend to be chatty and a little nagging, are often very involved in their children’s lives, and they are often trying to feed everyone (although they don’t all cook, my mom hates cooking.) They also tend to be big worriers, mostly worrying about their family/loved ones. They also tend to know everyone somehow. A twenty minute trip to the grocery store can turn into an hour or two long trip because she’ll chat with all the people she runs into.

Jewish-American Princess (JAP) ((I know calling Japanese people Japs is offensive. Jews will call girls JAPs, but with a completely different meaning. If that’s still offensive I am sorry, but just know it happens.))

This is the stereotype that portrays Jewish girls/women as spoiled brats basically. They will be pampered and materialistic. Do these girls exist? Definitely. I still recommend steering away from this stereotype.

Names

Listen. Listen. There are some names that Jews just won’t have. I won’t speak in definites because there are always exceptions but you’ll rarely find a Jew named Trinity or Grace or Faith or any form of Chris/Christopher/Christina etc. Biblical names from the Old Testament? Absolutely Jews will have those names they’re actually very common.

I’m in a Jewish Sorority. My pledge class of ~70 girls had five Rebeccas and four Sarahs. Surprisingly only one Rachel though.

When it comes to last names I have two thoughts that might seem contradictory but hear me out: a) give your Jewish OC’s Jewish surnames, b) don’t give your Jewish OC’s the most Jewish surname to ever exist.

By this I mean I would much rather see a character named Sarah Cohen or Aaron Levine than Rachel Smith. Just that little bit of recognition makes a happy exclamation point appear over my head, plus it can be a good way to hint to readers that your OC is Jewish.

On the other hand, please don’t use the most stereotypical Jewish names you’ve ever heard. If you have five Jewish OCs and one of them is Isaac Goldstein then fine. If Isaac Goldstein is your only Jewish OC I might get a little peeved. There are tons of common Jewish surnames that are recognizable and easy to look up, so don’t revert to the first three that come to mind. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it yucky, for lack of a better word.

Jobs

We all know there are certain jobs that are stereotypical for Jews to have. We’re talking lawyer, dentist, doctor, banker type stuff. To an extent these stereotypes exist for a reason, many Jews go into those careers. Do not make these the only careers your Jewish OCs have. Stereotypes might have reasoning behind them but it doesn’t mean they aren’t harmful. If you have multiple Jewish OCs some of them can have these careers, but not all of them. I do know a lot of Jewish lawyers, dentists, and doctors. I also know accountants, people involved in businesses (“mom, what does Brad do?” “he’s a businessman” sometimes there just aren’t more specific words), people involved in real estate. I don’t actually know any bankers personally, and with money and stuff being one of the most common and harmful Jewish stereotypes I would suggest steering away from that.

These are common fields for Jews, but Jews can have literally any job. Please feel free to get creative. And if you have more than one Jewish OC you can think about making one of them a Rabbi, but DON’T do this if they’re the only Jewish OC. Please.

Yiddish

So I mentioned Yiddish earlier. Like I already said, it’s not a very widely used language anymore but there are some words and phrases that are still used by a lot of Jews (in America at least.) Here’s a list that is absolutely not comprehensive:

Oy vey = oh no

Shvitzing = sweating (but not just a little bit. Shvitzing is like SWEATING)

Kvetch/kvetching = whine/whining or complain/complaining

Mazel tov = congratulations; this is the same in Yiddish and Hebrew

Chutzpah = nerve or gall (e.g. “He’s got a lot of chutzpah for breaking up over text like that”)

Kismet = fate; I just learned this is Yiddish

Bubbe and Zayde = grandma and grandpa

Schelp/schlepping = drag/dragging, can also mean carry or move (e.g. “I had to schlep the bag all around town” doesn’t mean they literally dragged it)

Schmutz = dirt or something dirty (e.g. “you have schmutz on your face”)

Schmatta = literally means rag but can be used to refer to ratty blankets or clothes

Plotz = collapse (usually used in the sense of “I’m so tired I might plotz” or “she’s gonna be so excited she’s gonna plotz”)

Schmuck/shmendrick = both mean more or less the same, a jerk or obnoxious person

Shtick = gimmick, routine, or act (can be used like (“I don’t like that comedian’s shtick” or “he always makes himself the center of attention it’s his shtick”)

Spiel = long speech, story, or rant

There’s so many more so look them up and think about using them, but don’t overdo it. A Jewish person isn’t gonna use a Yiddish word in every sentence (or even every day or every few days.)

Israel

In my community at least it’s very common that by the time your college-aged that you’ll have been to Israel at least once.

Israel is a controversial topic within the Jewish community and in the world. It’s sensitive and complex. I really, really suggest not getting into it. Just don’t bring it up because no matter what you say someone will be unhappy. Just don’t do it.

Ashkenazi Disorders

Ashkenazi Jews have some sucky genes (I’m Ashkenazi so I can say this, you cannot.) These sucky genes cause certain disorders to be more prevalent for us. Children only get the disorder if both parents are carriers of the disorder, so Jews usually get genetic testing done before having children. If both parents are carriers the risk of the child getting the disorder is high, so parents might reconsider or have some indecisiveness/fear. Some of these are:

Tay-Sachs

Cystic Fibrosis

Canavan Disease

Familial Dysautonomia

Gaucher Disease

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Fanconi Anemia

Mucolipidosis IV

Niemann-Pick Disease

Torsion Dystonia

Bloom Syndrome

Ashkenazi Jews also have a high prevalence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women and increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer in men.

Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Lactose Intolerance are also very prevalent

In a dorm of like 40 Jews, six of them had Crohn’s.

Ways to Show Your OC is Jewish

Wears Jewish jewelry, e.g. Star of David (also called Jewish Star and Magen David), Chai symbol (means life), jewelry with Sh’ma prayer, or hamsa (but beware this symbol is used outside of Judaism).

Mentions their temple, their Rabbi, having a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, going to Hebrew School, Shabbat, or a holiday coming up.

Have someone ask them a question about Judaism.

Have someone notice they have a mezuzah on their door.

Most Jews will have a mezuzah on the doorframe of the front door of their house/apartment, but they could even have one for their dorm room or whatever. It’s traditional to kiss your hand then touch the mezuzah when walking through the door, but most Jews don’t do this every time, at least not most Reform or Conservative Jews.

Have them call out antisemitism if you’re feeling spicy

The end! I hope this helped and if you have any questions my ask box is always open!

#writing advice #writing tips #writing help #jewish characters #judaism #writing resources #writeblr community #wtwcommunity #i said i would make this post literally months ago but i finally did it!

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samofnazareth · 3 years ago

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Want by sixtysixseals (me! read here on ao3!)

“For so long, since the beginning of time, my objectives were clear. Follow orders, receive revelation, pray to our father, look over my charge—” and here he spares a glance at Dean, who’s sitting across from him on one of Bobby’s rickety kitchen chairs, elbows on his knees, hands toying with his silver flask. His eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, perhaps, or consternation or concern—after a year in this body, Castiel still can’t decode the minutiae of human expression, even with Dean. Especially with Dean.

“—now all that is meaningless, moot. I don’t know why I should continue. Or how.”

“Well, buddy, I’m not very good at giving advice, and I’m even worse at following it,” Dean says, rubbing a hand over his cheek, “but it sounds like now you gotta make your own objectives. All your life, your fate has been decided for you by… different higher-ups. God. Archangels. Zachariah. Whatever. Now you got the chance to break free from all that. You can do whatever the hell you want.”

Castiel nods, but he still feels heavy, like a boulder at the bottom of a river.

“Let’s start here,” Dean says. “What do you need?”

This question is relatively simple. Castiel fights well in the arena of duty.

“I need to stop the Apocalypse. And to do that, I need to find my father.”

Even though Castiel knows every word in every human language, Castiel doesn’t know how to say: I’m scared shitless. Nor does he know how to say: even though I feel heavy as a stone, I also feel like an untethered raft in a storm. Nor does he know how to say: my entire existence I’ve flown towards this fate and I’m afraid I won’t know I’ve chased it off a cliff until I’m halfway to the ground.

“Well, then, we’ll help you,” Dean says, breaking his train of thought.

“What?”

“What, you thought we’d let you do this solo? You’re with the Winchesters, now, Cas. Can’t shake us easy.”

“Dean, no. I wouldn’t—I am not asking you and Sam to stray from your current obligations. This is something I can do alone.”

“Well, you’re not asking, but I’m telling. We’ll go with you.”

All at once, Castiel has been offered a reason to smile in the form of a man at his father’s kitchen table in the half-dark of dusk.

When Cas doesn’t respond, Dean continues. “Alright, we got duty out of the way. Now—what do you want, Castiel?”

And what a question that is, with Dean’s cheek muscles twitching against unfamiliar earnestness and the collar of his shirt rubbing at the juncture of his neck and his shoulder. What does Castiel want? What would an angel of the Lord ever want that he does not already have—the grace of God, the force to destroy evil, an all-encompassing and imperforate union with the Host? Castiel wanted those things before, even though he already had them. That want, too, was once a duty to fulfill. He still wants those things, but he also wants—God, he wants—

“I want a drink.”

Dean laughs, short and loud and slightly bitter. He passes the flask to Cas. “I hear ya, buddy.”

“Shit. What else do you want?” he asks once Castiel has emptied the flask. And what a question that still is, with Cas’s vessel going hot from the drink and Dean’s tan, freckled hands everywhere in his vision: around the neck of his silver flask, worrying his bottom lip, tapping out a soundless drum break on the table.

“I want to eat.”

“What else do you want?” Dean asks with his mouth full of the last bite of Cas’s sandwich. “What else do you want?” Dean grumbles after he’s tripped through a passage from one of Bobby’s few books in Enochian. “What else do you want?” Dean whispers as they lie close together on the hood of Dean’s car when the stars are bright in their thousands. Cas doesn’t answer this question, not directly; he merely allows his body to move to what it’s calling for.

“Wait—what the fuck?” Dean says against Cas’s lips after they’ve been pressed to his for a few seconds. He pushes Cas’s shoulders, hard, and scrambles off the car. “What the fuck?” he says again.

“Dean,” Castiel says, and the metal under his back feels cold, and the distance Dean’s put between their bodies feels like lightyears after Castiel’s aborted attempt at a kiss. Worse than Heaven’s torture chamber, this: a wild, merciless gaze punishing you for falling to the temptation of taking exactly what you want.

“Dean—”

“I’m just gonna forget that happened, okay, Cas?”

A second passes, and Castiel blinks out of the rust-lot behind Bobby’s with a rustle of feathers.

Once he’s gone, it takes all of Dean’s strength not to hurl on his car and instead fall to his knees to cough up the bile gathered in his throat. So that’s what Castiel’s wanted all along, he thinks: a quick piece of Dean’s human hide. Dean leans his back against the wheel of his car and grips his head in his hands, imagining he can rip thoughts out of his head from the roots of his hair. Why on God’s green earth would Dean ask Cas what he wants? He’s an angel, Dean, and you’ve forgotten what that means. It was only a kiss, Dean, and you didn’t even use tongue. You only wish you were disgusted, Dean. And finally, inevitably, a voice from his memories that slams through his skull like a foghorn: Think long and hard about what you really want, son.

Sammy had been at Bobby’s for the weekend. John had returned from a hunt earlier than expected. Dean had thought about what he really wanted, then, lying flushed with shame and deliriously awake on a hard motel bed. He’d thought about it the next day, when he’d spotted the trucker at the gas pump and driven out of there so fast John had joked about whiplash. He’d thought about it with Cassie and Lisa, with Ben Braeden and Adam. He’d thought about it when he met Jimmy Novak’s family. He thinks about it now.

In his desperation, he almost calls out to Castiel again. Because Dean knows exactly why he asked Cas what he did when Cas had turned his face towards his, when Dean’s heart had leapt up and his fingers had itched to touch: it’s because he’d hoped beyond conceivable hope that Cas wanted the same thing.

He breathes through another bout of nausea. By the height of the evening Dean feels steady enough to drag himself back to Bobby’s kitchen. Bobby is reading in his study—good thing, too, or else Dean might’ve yakked into the sink. Instead, he grabs a near-empty bottle of jack from under it.

“’Night, Bobby.”

“’Night, boy.” Dean is halfway up the stairs when Bobby adds, “Say, wasn’t that Castiel with you earlier? I’m usually great with Biblical Hebrew but this inscription’s giving me a headache. Guy must’a had too much Manichewitz…”

Dean falters on the steps, but only for a second.

“He left.”

And if that sounds as pathetic to Bobby’s ears as it does to Dean’s, Bobby doesn’t respond.

That Dean can make it upstairs to a real bed is a small miracle. Despite the now-empty bottle of jack at the foot of his bed, Dean still falls asleep thinking about exactly who he wants.

#deancas #deancas fanfic #deancas fic #destiel #destiel fic #spn #mine #writing #my writing

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kxowledge · 4 years ago

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What do you like to do for fun? Are there any hobbies you'd like to try?

I long for a time where my life will be more in order and I’ll be able to dedicate more time to my hobbies – however, right now I’m struggling with far more essential elements of my life that have precedence over these hobbies. They are still there (always evolving, yet some always present), but not as frequent as I would ideally like them to be. Having said all of this, here are some of my current hobbies + some hobbies I am not actively involved right now but that are rather ‘parked aside’ + hobbies I’d like to cultivate.

Current hobbies:

Baking: a long-time favourite (often neglected since I didn’t live in a place with an oven) and an excellent way to deal with stress; baking is about love and will always be – the making, the waiting, the eating, the sharing. I have a good amount of excellent cake recipes, but I want to venture more into pastries.

Language learning: I had a life-long affair with foreign languages and I am passionate about all things related; currently brushing up on Spanish and teaching Italian, flirting with Latvian (not actually learning it! don’t have the time right now! and German has priority over it! also it seems an insurmountable task!) + Biblical Hebrew and Ancient Greek. You know, for fun.

Theology: more accurately I’m interested in gaining knowledge and right now theology is what has caught my interest (I say right now, but I’ve been thinking about studying it for the past three years, so it’s not a fleeting interest). Eventually I want to focus solely on Ancient Greek lit. Then who knows.

Reading: it goes without saying, even though lately I haven’t been very excited at the prospect of reading & as a result haven’t read much

Tumblr: only social media I have (except for Linkedin, which I very much hate) and I enjoy my time here! sometimes it’s fun! i get exposure to interesting quotes! I look at pretty pictures! Sometimes it’s also informative! Given a curated feed and great followers, I have liked my experience here so far.

Currently ‘on pause’ hobbies:

Translation: not something I’m currently engaged in on a regular basis, though it’s always in the back of my mind and I look longingly at the doc file I was working on before

Gardening: something I’ve always been interested and I always had something, but I want to have a full blown vegetable garden; however, the place I’m living in right now is only a temporary location and I can only do the above if I’m rending one apartment for a longer period of time. Hopefully next year? For now, I planted garlic (and more to come?).

Travel: not currently seeing any new place for obvious reasons right now; I’m wary of making plans for the future, but it is damn exciting

Hiking: again for obvious reasons this isn’t happening right now, but I get to take long walks in the forest around the house – hopefully I don’t get to rusty and can go hiking again once things return to normal

Embroidery / sewing: one of the perks of going to catholic school is that I have several years of experience with traditional embroidery, which I’m still very drawn to as a pastime, but I can’t wrap my head around what exactly I could make (it has to be somewhat useful or my mind will not acknowledge it as an option); correlated is sewing, which I used to love as an early-teen but which I fell out of later on – however I’ve been thinking about making my own clothes since I can never find good quality ones that fit me (and are affordable), so perhaps I should start again?

Not current hobbies, due to various impediments (mostly monetary ones), but things I want to pick up in the near future: rock climbing (specifically sport climbing and bouldering, though I’ll do trad with my boyfriend as well), beekeeping (not sure if the logistics for this one can work out anytime soon, but I’d like to volunteer somewhere perhaps), ceramics (I dream of making mugs, bowls, vases, plates for my house).

#replies #maybe in a year things will have settled down?#i can only hope #feeling very mediocre right now because I don't excel at any of these #except perhaps theology? ok maybe also language learning?#i wanted time off from uni also in order to cultivate all of these things #2020 made it hard to do so #p #about me #Anonymous

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lutrain2020 · 4 years ago

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Meet the Creator!

Introducing: Seeking7 or Seeking!

Commission: I don't offer writing commissions at the moment, mostly because I'm not sure how to conduct or present myself in the market. If anyone would like to request a certain fic or short story from me, however, I'd be glad to work out details with them. :)

Social Media: A03: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seeking7 FFnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13334645/

Tell us a little bit about you!

Hiya! I'm Seeking7, or Seeking. I was born in Alabama and raised in California to a pair of the most hardworking Egyptian immigrants you've ever met, and the mixture of Arabic and American influence over the course of my life has had a profound influence on the way I look at the world. My favorite subjects are biology and english, and I aspire to become either an EMT or military medic after I graduate. In regards to hobbies (aside from playing copious amounts of Zelda), I love studying American and Ancient Israelite history, and I hope to one day learn ancient Hebrew and Greek so I can read the original biblical manuscripts for myself!

Is there someone who inspires you and your writing?

While my own brain can usually come up with a certain scene or idea that would inspire me to put paper to pen, it's the people I have around me that encourage me to keep writing. The people on FFN and AO3 who comment and leave kudos on my work mean the world to me (shout out to JoSeBach on FFN and MyWritingisMeh on Ao3 for leaving comments/reviews on each chapter of my fic "Mephibosheth"). The LU fans who come to my livewrites on the discord are so ridiculously encouraging and always let me know that my writing can actually be interesting to some people -- a fact that never ceases to astound me. But most credit goes to my younger sister. Even when I don't show her a work because it might be a little bit extreme or intense for her age, she always lets me know that she's sure it's good regardless. Her unconditional, unreasonable support inspires me to be that kind of person to other fic writers!

What got you into writing?

Three books in particular encouraged me to take writing seriously. "Crime and Punishment" was the first in this process, showcasing just how intense, beautiful, and profound a book with actually very little plot can be. The entire book takes place more or less in the head of a man wracked to pieces by guilt, and Dostoevsky's decision to focus on internal instead of external conflict changed the way I looked at literature. "East of Eden" was next. It wasn't just the book's allegorical nature or the Cain and Abel motif that astounded me - Steinbeck's vivid descriptions of everything from the human mind to sunrise in Salinas has had a profound impact on my own writing. I still reference the first few pages when I write! (actually, if you look at my fic "The Most Sincere Kind of Lie," the opening paragraph is heavily inspired by the first page of East of Eden!) Finally, the biblical Book of Job changed the way I look at dialogue and interactions between flawed characters. The whole book is almost written like an ancient screenplay and deals with heavy questions like the meaning of pain and the meaning of meaninglessness without offering direct answers - which inspired me to try and include those questions in my own writing and handle them in a similar, vague, interperative way.

What's your favorite part of the writing process?

After outlining a fic, I usually start out by writing them like a screenplay with all dialogue tags and action notes written off to the side. When sarcastic banter, silly, lighthearted interactions, or intense conversations with a deeper meaning behind them start to come together, I can't help but smile. That usually gives the the extra inspirational boost I need to go back and flesh everything out so it becomes a story! (if you struggle with writing dialogue, message me on the discord and I'll be glad to tell you everything I know and send you the multitude of resources I have on the subject)

What's your least favorite part of the writing process?

Vetting works for grammatical mistakes turns writing fics into homework! I can't stand posting something and later reading just to find out that I forgot to capitalize a character's name, or that a comma is missing, or that Ao3 or FFN messed up the page breaks and I have to go back in and fix it. I'm not a perfectionist most of the time, but when I come to writing, I absolutely am.

Whats your favorite type of scene to write?

Intense philosophical debates and serious heart-to-heart conversations are by far my favorite kind of scenes to write, and that's because they're my favorite kind of scenes to observe and read! I always leave them feeling like I've gained something intellectually and emotionally, and it's my constant hope and dream to be able to impart the same kind of introspective thoughtfulness on the reader.

What's the hardest for you to write?

Allowing or even plotting for a character to go off the deep end is always such a hard thing to write. Not for them to die, necessarily, but for them to completely lose their morals, priorities, and relationships in search for something selfish or temporary. Writing them making the same mistakes over and over not because they're stupid but because they don't care about the consequences is always hard -- it's like killing off a character and replacing them with the darkest, nastiest version of themselves. Basically, writing the opposite of character development is the opposite of fun. :(

What's your favorite genre to write?

Whatever the hybrid child of angst and fluff is called, that's my baby. I find that a combination of the two can make for a really interesting experience and give me more space to explore different faucets of each character's personality. It's also the perfect breeding ground for some intense, sincere conversations.

What fandoms do you enjoy writing for?

I don't write for a lot of fandoms, just Linked Universe, Undertale, and occasionally LoZ stuff not tied directly to our nine precious boys.

What's the work you are most proud of?

I've only gotten into LU very recently, so at the time of writing this I don't have anything from the fandom that's ready to showcase. I do have some cool Undertale stuff though, at least in my opinion! If you're interested in that, there are two fics I've poured (and am currently pouring) my heart and soul into that I'm extremely proud of. The first one is 'The Reason,' which is just a quick oneshot focused on Grillby being an amazing, hardworking dad, (https://archiveofourown.org/works/24354130) and the second is Mephibosheth,' my multi-chapter pre-canon fic about the lives of Asriel and Chara. '(https://archiveofourown.org/works/23804797)

Is there a specific scene you are particularly proud of?

Going again off the works I referenced earlier, a particular scene in the ninth chapter of 'Mephibosheth' had me patting myself on the back. I can't tell you what it is, though, because it's a massive spoiler. ;)

Is there something you had to work through that forced you to grow as a writer?

At the beginning of my junior year of high school I submitted two works into a competition I was confident I would win. No, not just win, I was sure I would get first place nationally. The competition never had many submissions and I knew that the works I submitted were pretty darn good. As you can probably guess, I didn't win anything. No medal or mention, nothing. I was in shock for a good few days and considering giving up writing completely. Then I realized how stupid I was being for assuming I was entitled to an award, for writing something only for recognition, and for thinking that I should give up on something I love so much just because it didn't supply me with the endorphin rush I thought it would. I made it a goal to improve as much as humanly possible afterwards, and I'm happy to say that I think I'm making progress towards that!

Do you have any fics inspired by real life stories?

Every gremlin-like thing the boys do in my WIP LU fic "The Most Sincere Kind of Lie" (by the time this is up, it'll probably be on Ao3) is based off something I've seen my brother and sister do. They're the embodiment of utter chaos and the manifestation of the primal urge to destroy, so they're great inspiration for Link shenanigans. Also, almost all of the banter in 'Mephibosheth' has taken inspiration from one of three places; conversations I've had with my grandparents, conversations I've had with my siblings, or interviews I've watched online. Inspiration for thought-provoking dialogue has to come somewhere that's not my own brain - there aren't enough brain cells to bear the brunt of that creative burden!

Where do you post your finished works?

I post on FFN and Ao3, both under the alias Seeking7. What's that, you say? You want a link to my profile? Well, who am I to refuse?? (AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seeking7) (FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13334645/)

#Meet The Creator #lutrain2020 #linkeduniverse #lu

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scottyallenw · 5 years ago

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𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙉 𝙄𝙎 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝙐𝙍𝘾𝙃 𝙂𝙊𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙏𝙊 𝙂𝙍𝙊𝙒 𝘼 𝙋𝘼𝙄𝙍

(2,219 words)

Not long ago a female member of my extended family posted on social media the claim that President Trump fits the definition of a demagogue perfectly. I know that God has anointed Trump to shake up the Washington establishment, remove trade barriers, ignite political firestorms and prosecute widespread corruption. So I reacted angrily to the post. Fired up, I immediately typed the following comment on her post:

“Yes, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) fits the definition perfectly. He went out of his way to piss off a large portion of the populace, sorry ass religious leaders, lawyers and politicians. Yeshua knew what he was doing; he knew what his enemies would do. The rest is history: the Roman proconsul, afraid of a large angry mob, turned Yeshua over to his soldiers for execution. Then he washed his hands of the whole thing. Today we have a President who like Yeshua is taking a wrecking ball to the political establishment, hurting people’s feelings and with his Twitter feed exposing hypocrisy. In my opinion we need more people like Yeshua and Trump, turning the world upside down.”

Shortly after this, the woman deleted my comment. I was saddened, and asked myself if I was too brutal. But no, it is the truth that is brutal. Having thought it over, I had no remorse.

But does Scripture reveal Yeshua's true character? Absolutely. Yet Yeshua is widely misunderstood to be simply an easygoing advocate of love and peace, making no demands of His followers. My reading of the gospels recognizes a Yeshua not only with a prickly side, but a Messiah with a fighting spirit. His actions and remarks often cut into the hearts of His adversaries. He was and still is a soldier in a war against hypocrisy. Some day Mashiach will return and put the wicked out of business. But I'm sure the Master would prefer His people finish the job first.

To properly appraise Yeshua's character one must study the man in action. Consider the following account in Luke 6 where Yeshua encounters on the Sabbath a man whose hand is withered. He wants to heal the man, but He also notices scholars and Pharisees nearby hoping to accuse Him of working on Shabbat.

Yeshua defiantly leads the man to a place where everyone, but especially His potential accusers, can get a good look. Yeshua asks the man a question that He really intends for the ears of the religious leaders:

“What is correct on Shabbat: to cause good or to cause harm? To rescue life, or to harm?” Yeshua “looked around intently at all of them,” before healing the man.

The scholars and Pharisees “were wild with rage...” It is exactly the reaction Yeshua intended to incite. Perhaps Yeshua even relished the anger directed at Him. He knew they would plot His crucifixion. With the Shabbat healing He had handed them as it were the hammer and nails to do the job. But He also knew His time had not yet come, and so He slipped away through the crowd.

John 6 relates an episode that epitomizes the notion that Yeshua, like Trump, was born to offend. It involves a vast crowd which has grown about Yeshua during a series of the Master’s signs and miraculous healings. Yeshua understands that most of the new followers are fake. The masses care only about the spectacle of signs and wonders. They also want to declare Yeshua King. They lack any interest whatsoever in obeying His commands or hearing His interpretation of the Torah.

Yeshua conceives a shrewd plan to thin the crowds. He recognizes that Jewish familiarity with Torah is widespread, particularly its prohibition against consuming blood and human flesh. This is abhorrent to all Judeans. So Yeshua turns to the crowd and makes this startling declaration:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you.”

The people are stunned by HaMashiach’s words and begin to murmur. Yeshua’s assertion strikes many as repugnant, and even the Master’s close followers are confused. The crowd begins to disperse. As Yeshua fully expected, little more than the core group of 12 disciples are left. Unlike many 21st century mega church pastors, Yeshua is less interested in numbers than in devotion. By deliberately offending the masses, Yeshua is left only with the loyal few.

Matthew 23 describes another public demonstration of Yeshua's remarkable choice of words: it involves the Messiah’s fiery confrontation in the Holy City with His favorite target audience—hypocritical religious leaders. The passage is popularly known as the Eight Woes. Most Christian translations quote Yeshua’s string of rebukes with these words: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you...”

The original language of the New Testament is widely understood to be Greek. However scholars now believe the book of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew, and early manuscripts are being studied. The original language of Luke is also believed to be Hebrew and some scholars believe the entire New Testament was originally written in Hebrew.

A few years ago I was seated among a Grand Rapids, MI, congregation whose senior pastor had a background in Hebrew studies. The pastor explained what he regarded as a more accurate rendering of the Eight Woes passage. Yeshua's words are commonly translated from the Greek, “Woe to you...” Properly translated from Hebrew, Yeshua actually said, “GOD DAMN YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites...,” (emphasis added). The pastor’s congregation was stunned by the language, as was I. The fighting words Yeshua used permanently altered my perception of the risen Savior.

Now imagine if you will a society in which ancient truths and assumptions once thought to be self-evident, are questioned and finally tossed aside. This of course is not hard to imagine; it is the current state of American society. Its citizens are told a man can be a wife, a woman can be a husband. and a man can bear a child.. Americans are even told an OB-GYN can treat a person with male genitalia—assertions which only decades ago would be thought absurd.. Such reckless claims are now accepted by a majority as fact!

The United States Declaration of Independence states: We hold these truths to be self-evident... Will these once-cherished convictions be among the next batch of truths to come under attack, and finally discarded?

The following few paragraphs will hopefully add clarity to what is at stake. High school geometry students are taught they must accept certain common sense assumptions on which to build a mathematical framework of theorems. Each of these are proved by a chain of reasoning. For example, students will readily accept the claim that two parallel lines will never intersect, even if the lines extend towards infinity. Widespread rejection of this common sense assumption would make the teaching of traditional geometry impossible.

College mathematics offers students a different perspective of not only geometry, but the nature of truth. A course called abstract geometry is built on a set of counterintuitive assumptions. To pass this course students must for several hours each week discard all notions of common sense. One proposition in this mathematical model is that two parallel lines will always intersect as they extend to infinity. If this is assumed along with other absurd truths, an entire universe of theorems can be proven. It works beautifully. I enjoyed the course. But after final exams we students set aside this nonsense and rejoined the real world. We realized abstract geometry is just mental acrobatics. It can't work in a functioning society. Could the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan have been built using this kind of math?

Abstract geometry is a type of an Orwellian world. It is similar to what our own society is becoming. Highly educated and experienced jurists have in recent decades rejected the bedrock truths of Mount Sinai in favor of new ideas that now enjoy widespread public acceptance. From the legalization of sodomy, these judges concluded by a chain of reasoning that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right. From the assumption that a human fetus is not a person, jurists rule abortion is a constitutional right. It's all perfect logic, but the proofs are based on false assumptions. Consider the following scripture:

“You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set...” (Deuteronomy 19:14)

Jewish sages explained long ago that this admonition has a metaphorical meaning in addition to its literal interpretation. It is a warning to elders and jurists: never overturn principles that have been widely accepted and have governed society for centuries, let alone millennia. One by one the courts have within less than an average human lifespan, torn down many of America's boundary markers.

Local school boards in California are already mandating indoctrination of children in Islamic and LGBT ideologies. Boys of believing parents possibly will be taught using artificial body parts how to sodomize another male. Officials are also talking about forcing believing parents who homeschool their children to do the same.

It's time for the Church to flex spiritual muscle. Our model is the biblical accounts of the Master Himself. Yeshua never allowed adversaries to force Him into a defensive posture. He stayed on offense. When accused, Yeshua responded with on-target scripture, a clever parable or pointed questions. He was unafraid to follow up with accusations of His own.

We live in an age when the ACLU regularly sues conservatives, Christian cake makers and flower arrangers for supposed anti-LGBT bias or religious expression in the public square. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for the same reason puts churches and other religious organizations on its well-circulated list of hate groups. Both of these organizations want the public to believe they stand for justice, civil rights and goodness. In reality these are wicked people who are relentless, full of hate and attempting to oppose the Church's every positive move in America.

Why is it the ACLU and SPLC rarely get sued? It's time for the Church to fight back. Let's force the enemy onto the defensive for a change. For that we need generous believers who have money, lots of it. It's time for wealthy believers in Yeshua to step up. The Church needs its own version of George Soros.

“No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well,” Margaret Thatcher (the Iron Lady) said years ago.

While big money is needed, the most important battles will involve our own interactions with others, especially on social media. Many of our best soldiers regularly get kicked off these platforms. Others suffer more serious consequences for standing on God's Word.

Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) will give us just the right words to powerfully respond to enemy attacks. I was seated once again years ago with that Grand Rapids congregation listening to the same pastor. This time he read the English translation of an ancient Roman court transcript from the time of the early Church. This was a time when the Roman Empire clamped down ruthlessly on the Church, putting many believers to death.

The case involved one of the believers in Yeshua whom the Romans placed on trial for his faith. The man knew the Romans were about to sentence him to death. He addressed the judge and prosecutor with chilling words that brought his modern listeners back nearly two millennia. It was like we were in that courtroom with him. The brave man’s statement, as recorded on the transcript, went something like this:

“A time will come when you will be sorry for what you have done here today. Both of you will stand in a courtroom much like this one. You will be on trial for your lives before a prosecutor and judge, just as I am today. And standing off to the side you will see me, quite alive and well. I will be there to testify against the both of you.”

In his six-volume memoir of the Second World War, the former British prime minister Winston Churchill recalls the dark days of Germany’s relentless bombing campaign against London and other large cities. For an extended period early in the war the cities were all but defenseless, there being no anti-aircraft weaponry available. But eventually large numbers of anti-aircraft

guns were placed throughout the populated areas. War-weary British citizens huddling in bomb shelters heard not only the explosions of German bombs—they were exhilarated by the overpowering blasts of countless heavy guns firing back at the German bombers. The knowledge they were finally fighting back against their merciless enemy did wonders for British moral, and contributed to bringing about eventual victory.

Is the Church up to the task of confronting the forces of evil in America? Will the job require a leader in the mold of Churchill? My choice rather would be a great spiritual leader in the mold of Yeshua Himself. We must view the conflict as Churchill early on wanted his people to view the Nazi threat looming just across the English Channel: “regard the menace of invasion with a steady gaze.” ##

* 𝙔𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙙

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nvmlindseyallan · 7 years ago

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@JulliardSchool true artists will RT this, pls! Thanks. Yours, #GodsTinyDancer

TO ALL YOKEBEARERS: A STUDY OF THE 7TH BOWL OF REVELATION AND AN INVITATION TO THE PLACES OF SAFETY Most beloved fellow yokebearers in the Godhead. I most humbly and sincerely (1 Corinthians 1-2) write unto all of thee now fearing that all my labors of you would be lost (1 Thessalonians 3, Philippians 2, Hebrews 5-6, 2 Corinthians 13, 1 Corinthians 15) and that you may be overtaken by anyone who attempts (Romans 16, 2 Peter) to trouble your great faith and goodwill (Galatians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians 4,7,11,14) so as for their ultimate desire that all your labors be lost too in turn (2 John 1, 2 Samuel 17). I beseech you most humbly to suffer (Matthew 18, Acts 14, Hebrews 10, Romans 12) these words (Hebrews 13, 1 Peter 5, Psalm 17, Psalm 138-141, Isaiah 37) inasmuch as these comes from a self-trained dancer who fuses contemporary ballet with burlesque and cabaret (Jonah 4, Isaiah 18-19) and hence because I'm your fellow (Revelation 1), I decided to dedicate these words solely to you and all your loved ones and friends (Psalm 122,137,129) because it is my pure desire that you be honored with nothing else but all the right in the world to know as you deserve it, you say. You should know, really (2 Corinthians 1,8), because deep from my heart (Romans 9-11) I feel the national shame of disowning Godhead at least the present of our national disasters. Dull reasoning, vain speculations, and outright ignorance (Ephesians 4,2, 1 Peter 4, Ecclesiastes, 1 Timothy 1, 1 Thessalonians 4) was what this Empire, who currently holds you in arrest (Micah 4, Jeremiah 25,28-29), offered you with their take of the recently concluded great solar eclipse last August 21. Surely that their minds are blackened (Jeremiah 12-13, 1 Corinthians 1-2) and darkened (Revelation 6,8-9,16) due to their hypocrisy and arrogance (2 Corinthians 12, Acts 5,26, Matthew 17, Mark 4) in their avowed purported stewardship unto your souls, they had dismissed this as mere plaything and not as a prophetic call relevant to our times, because they don’t want you to get the full story about us and about them. Surely you don't need anyone of these people to lead you to salvation (Jeremiah 30-33) because they refuse to honor you with biblical truth (Job 34, 1 Corinthians 10, 1 Peter 2, Isaiah 8,66). You should know hence, that this eclipse that you saw only preludes bigger things to happen next, as the Empire, who does not want you to get to reach us and belong to us, your most wretched slaves for your sake, is getting pumped up for forthcoming actions against you to escalate in the next month to be precise. We here at your Commondominion of Christ exists to always inform you in full of any action the Empire is doing against you and all your loved ones, and you should never think (Isaiah 40, Lamentations 3) that we are not after your sakes, in fact we pursue t deliver everything that you need, even those which you think that you don’t need yet in fact are the very things that you are missing (Mark 10, James 2,4,1, 2 Samuel 23, Luke 12), particularly biblical knowledge (Proverbs, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach). It is for this reason that we decided here to offer this lesson up for your sake, and that we wholeheartedly invite you to always call upon us (Psalm 50) when you need anything on everything, most especially if you need to know something that confuses you (Zechariah, Haggai, Daniel 7,12, Matthew 13). First you must understand that we need to honor you with the truth. (Romans 12, 1 Timothy 5). We love you so much because of your being yokebearers, that #asyoulikeit or even not, we have gladly reserved a place for you here with us (1 Kings 11-12, Matthew 25) with the hope that you would seize and not squander this act of grace that the Empire will not honor you in the first place (2 Kings 5, Titus 3, Ephesians 2, Romans 6, Isaiah 50, Revelation 2-3,22, Isaiah 11,57,65,35,52, Ezekiel 40-48, Joshua 24, Exodus 20). We could safely say hence that you cannot be said to be yokebearers in every sense of the word if you do not belong to us (2 Corinthians 6-7, Luke 19,21, 2 Chronicles, Philippians 2, Hebrews 5-6). These most recent weeks we have graciously included here on our rooster (Matthew 26, John 11,20, 1 Corinthians 8) people who are ready to serve you with the truth here yet disagree with me over things (Deuteronomy 32-33). We did these things (Isaiah 48,47,57) in fervent, full faith (Acts 10, Isaiah 63) that you will choose to stay with us (Isaiah 22) as the Empire now prepares their fullest efforts yet to harshly harm you and separate you from us (Romans 8, Song of Solomon 8, 1 Corinthians 3, Acts 20, John 15, 2 Thessalonians). We could say that Godhead in Their supreme foreknowledge has prepared these things for your sake (1 Corinthians 15), and we could glean just like that in prophecy, which the Empire will of course refuse to honor you with. For our study hence we will peruse the 7th Bowl written in the 16th chapter of the Book of Revelation and in course we will introduce you for a bit with who we are, what we believe and what we do here, which we hope that you would fully avail at once (Deuteronomy 19, Nehemiah 3, Matthew 24,1-2, 1 Corinthians 7, James 5). We must understand, most beloved fellow comrades and colleagues, that as backgrounder (Hebrews 5-6, 1 Corinthians 3,14, Isaiah 28-29) biblical prophecies continually fulfill itself from time to time. In order to lead us into better and full understanding and honest living-out (Mark 4, Luke 8) of these prophecies, Godhead continually sends messengers from time to time (Isaiah 8, Hebrews 1-4, Romans 15-16, Ephesians 3) to facilitate our conduct of the spiritual life and help us be closer to Godhead (Job 22, 2 Corinthians 5,8-9). Such is what you could see here in your Commondominion of Christ. Your leaders here just like me are always (1 Peter 2, Romans 13) prepared to honor you (Luke 15, Psalm 37, Malachi, Psalm 50) with biblical truth and spiritual advice on everything you need (Luke 22,6,10, Colossians 1, 2 Timothy 3, Matthew 16,19-23, 2 Peter 1, Isaiah 9,46,62, Romans 11, 1 Peter 2). In order to keep the spiritual truth unadulterated for your sake (Galatians 2) we continually make sure that in spite of the disagreement of our theologies all of us here would continually subject ourselves to constant fiscalizing check and balance (1 Corinthians 9, Ecclesiastes 9, Galatians 5-6, John 15, Romans 11, Matthew 13,15) so that unlike what the Empire did to you, you may continually stay (Jude Thaddeus 1) unharmed by apostasy (1 John 5, Revelation 6-7, John 20, Psalm 92-109, 2 Thessalonians 1). With that we will proceed with our study. Your leaders here had been expounding and in turn (Luke 4) fulfilling prophecies such as those in Revelation ever since way back then (Ephesians 1, Acts 13, 1 Corinthians 3). For example in the 19th century, your Edward Elliot aimed on the Vatican in the 5th Bowl and declared the 6th Bowl to be the repatriation of Jews into their homeland (Revelation 14). In the 20th century your Erano Manalo both repatriated our congregations in Israel and also aimed on the Vatican with the 6th Bowl (Daniel 9). Knowing that prophecies were made by Godhead in Scriptures against the Empire's yokebearer malpractice, this Empire continually both parodied and discredited at the same time our expounding and fulfilling of prophecy (Isaiah 37) in order to make you stay spiritually ignorant and misled (Galatians 3-4) just like what they did against us these most recent years, upon seeing (Isaiah 6,60) the surge of the Godhead electing us, messengers to your sake (Acts 26, Titus 1, 1 Timothy 2, Colossians 1) one by one, they challenged our goodwill for yokebearers and they continually to attempt taking you away from us like never before in all history (Revelation 12,20), because they know that our presence ensures that the Empire could not contempt with the Scriptures through (Daniel 12) them wooing you. Let's peruse first the 5th and 6th Bowls. Empire has parodied the 5th Bowl last February 17, 2017 in account of Elliot and those I have lately included here in our family team. Most recent revelations of our comrades here days ago related the 5th Bowl to Revelation 12, where the Empire claims that they were purportedly the child taken from the women to the Godhead. This most recent revelation told us that the child referred here in Revelation 12 was in fact not only taken to Godhead, but is also taken to the throne of the Devil, referred in Revelation 16's 5th Bowl (Micah 4), but because Revelation 12 denotes that the child too was taken to Godhead (Matthew 5), this also denotes that we could snatch the child out of the Devil. Isaiah 43:13 of the 1611 King James Version declares that nobody can snatch anything that is on Godhead's grip and that no one can undo what Godhead does (John 10). With this passage we could say that the Empire could no longer claim being the fulfillment of the Ravenous Bird of Prey in Isaiah 46:11-13 (which is in fact fulfilled in us) and that the Empire could no longer claim too that they're the unhindered work of the Godhead in our time (Acts 5,9,23) because Godhead said through another divine revelation that they just sent to us that this rendering does not only imply that no one can stop or hinder nor reverse what Godhead does, but because Empire bred contempt on this verse as they would with all passages (2Corinthians 10), Godhead told us that we could also understand this verse now as follows: 'what Godhead does, Their men could do also, there is nothing Godhead does that Their men could not do also.' (Joshua 2, 1 Timothy 4, Matthew 10, John 5) This though is reserved only for us here (Ecclesiastes, Sirach) in the Commondominion and not in the Empire because Empire has already over-mis-dis-abused the Scriptures to your disadvantage (2 Thessalonians 2, 2 Corinthians, Matthew 23-24, Zechariah 11, Isaiah 10,13-14,19). This new rendering implies that you and us here shares divine election here with the Godhead because as you would see later on in this study, we belong to each other in one Commondominion of Christ, and to deny that means you already disown your being yokebearers. Here we your leaders empower you to know the Scriptures (Mark 4, Matthew 11,18, Daniel 8,12), and more than that we enable you to tell people what you learned from us (2 Timothy 2) and in turn receive more constant countenance and revelation from Godhead (Psalm 16), hence be leaders like us (Luke 18,22). So you could see, unlike what the Empire claims us to be, we're not selfish, (1 Corinthians 13, Matthew 12, 1 Kings 18, James 1, Ephesians 4, Colossians 2), most especially when it comes to you (Acts 4) because in fact we are bequeathing you (Proverbs 8) spiritual things far more better than anything else (1 John 2). Now who is this child referred to in the Scriptures who was taken to the devil and the afterwards to Godhead or to the Commondominion (Colossians 1, 1 Peter 2)? It is no other than those whom we have included here lately for your sake (Matthew 10,18,25, Hebrews 5, Acts 19) as we earlier mentioned. Why we have to include them here and in what manner? This takes us to the 6th Bowl. On the 6th Bowl we have mentioned weeks ago on my previous posts that yours truly, fulfilled it in the manner that we (Luke 10) included here comrades I have disagreed with earlier in my ministry. Godhead allowed us to refulfill it because Empire had lately bred contempt too on these as of November 2015 (in account of both Empire and Commondominion leaders) and August 5-6, 2016 (in account of our fellow yokebearers [1 Peter 5]). Notice the word used: 'to pave the way for the kings from the East.' How they would be paved way for? According to the selfsame passage, it will be through the drying up of the Euphrates River, which symbolizes the Empire. And because of our they are hit by this, Empire began to discredit you over this. How Empire is hit on this? Who are the kings referred to here? These kings are no other than the Commondominion of Christ- we your leaders, you our fellow yokebearers, who was given divine revelation in the sure word of prophecy as the Empire itself admits (Matthew 12, Luke 11, Proverbs 25, Revelation 5,20,1). How Empire bred contempt on Revelation 16:12? They began attacking yokebearers specifically in account of them being named after the rivers Cherith and Jordan, which in Scriptures symbolizes us, the Commondominion of Christ. Hence by divine revelation we received (John 9,3) days ago that if Empire is bent to hack our drying up of their Euphrates, they we could at least strike back by paving the way for you in another yet identical way: we would be clearing out the way for you in an already dried up way- taking away the rocks and stones which is this Empire (Zechariah 11, Psalm 15,24,40,115,135-136, Exodus 12). How these symbolic rocks and stones are identified with the Empire? Last February 24, 2017, to mark their first year of hacking the 5th and 6th Seals against us (Acts 16, Isaiah 7-9,12), Empire began invoking Godhead as their purported (Daniel 11) 'Rock' or 'protector' (Psalm 95 Today's English Version 1992), something that would be repeated in their later lectures (July 30, 2016 [citing 1 Corinthians 6], June 10,17-18, 2017 [citing Psalm 29], June 30, July 15-16, 2017 [citing Psalm 62], and June 23, July 1-2, 2017 [citing Jude Thaddeus 1]). Hence in other words (Deuteronomy 19-20) we are going to shatter (Isaiah 35,54-66,40, Joshua 6) any Empire claim on any yokebearer and on any Scripture passage (Luke 21, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 12), including the endtime prophecies about the Far East (Isaiah 41-43,24,51,49,62) as stated in Revelation 16:20 (Revelation 6-12,20-22). In this respect we are now going to peruse what really the 7th Bowl is in our time. First, the 7th Bowl declared: 'It is finished!' This denotes your leaders and our comrades here (2 Corinthians 10-13). Almost 2 years ago, October 17, 2015, 3 years (Ezekiel 4, Numbers 14, 2 Peter 3, Revelation 20) after they first apportioned the 6th Bowl for themselves as they began staging the Great Religious Recession as a false flag to dramatically promote their breadwinners against us (Revelation 13,17), Empire literally dried up once more (2 Samuel 17, 1 Samuel 30) when they stopped (Daniel 9) publicly relaying their lessons in full to public, which they are so notorious of hoarding it up away from you as part of their thrust to keep you spiritually ignorant (2 Corinthians 2, Matthew 23, Hosea 4,14, Amos 4,8-9, Obadiah 1, Ezekiel 37, Revelation 20). In fury though and in return, they discredited us on that day one year later, in 2016, when they began discrediting one of our very own, Nathan Sykes (whose name means 'river' and whose slogan is 'Unfinished Business' [John 18-19]), in order to discredit our leader here, Nathaniel Manalo, insomuch as Empire knows (Mark 1) that Sykes is our leader's namesake (Revelation 11). Also we could denote that this 7th Bowl being refulfilled again for your sake (Hebrews 9, 1 Peter 1, Psalm 118, Isaiah 52) in these times (Esther 4) because figurative speech across Revelation is related to each other just like the rains and quakes of Revelation 6,8-9,11 and 16, and the angels all across Revelation, denoting too as we earlier said (1 Chronicles), how Godhead continually sent us all here these past years for your sake to expound these things (Psalm 31, Lamentations 3, Ephesians 1) to keep you (Psalm 37, Jeremiah 8-9) along Godhead (Jeremiah 29, Job 38, 2 Corinthians 10, 2 Peter 1). Second, on the 7th Bowl, 'the great city was divided into three, the other cities of the nations also fell, and Godhead remembered to make Empire drink the wine of Their fury.' 'The great city was divided into three.' This denotes the first 3 branches of the Empire before the Diocletianites later on this year joined them (2 Chronicles 20) to strengthen the Empire's anti-yokebearer agenda, as denoted by 'the other cities of the nations.' To better understand this we would be referring to Revelation 21, where it is stated that the Holy City has 4 sides and 3 doors on each of those sides. Notice that the City was called Holy. Empire who of course besieges your eternal inheritance with us (Revelation 12,20, Psalm 16, Genesis 50, Joshua 24) calls themselves the 'Holy Roman Empire', while we here, Common as we are, were sinners saved by Godhead (Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 40-48), separated graphically from the Empire (Isaiah 52-53,62, Hebrews, Psalm 4,8,22, 1 Samuel 1-3,7,12, 2 Samuel 24, Judges 2,6,16, Luke 2, Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1). There are 4 rivers at Eden, where the Empire besieged you (Ezekiel 1-3,33,18,33), including the Euphrates (Revelation 9,16), hence each of these Empire branch is going to dry up (Zechariah 10, Isaiah 5-6,11, 1 Timothy 1,4, Matthew 21). On the Holy City, or the new Eden, there are 4 sides and 3 doors each. This (1 Corinthians 15) denotes that Empire could no longer claim to be our only path, or our door, nor our gate, or even a way or a road to Godhead (Psalm 25,31,86,143, Isaiah 35,52, 1 Corinthians 10, Romans 11) as they would use John 10:9 and 14:6 and Matthew 7:14 with, because not only that we are called as yokebearers to get out and away of the Empire (Titus 3, Revelation 18, John 10-12, Matthew 22) but also because the very doors itself to the Holy City (Ezekiel 12,21-23, Psalm 80) are not only one but in Empire word, many (Revelation 4, Matthew 27), denoting (Revelation 7,14) the many preachers and churches included here in your Commondominion (Luke 11, Mark 10, Matthew 19-20). The term used in this divine revelation (Luke 17, 1 Timothy 5, James 1) are the four cardinal directions (Revelation 6-7, Ezekiel 7, Isaiah 54,43 [Note: Empire preached on July 3, 2010 in Cardona, a town in my homeprovince on the same day as my namesake, the national hero, established a branch church of the Commondominion in 1892. I mention this because Cardona sounds like Cardinal.]). To better understand this we must refer to the other earlier fulfillments of the clause that the 'great city', or the Empire (Revelation 14,18), was divided into 3. In ecclesiastical history, or in the course of human events between us and the Empire across the ages, we could see that we here, with all your preachers, branch churches and countries, had sought that we better profess and express our faith in the biblical way necessarily that we have to get away from the Empire re-peat-edly (John 15, Colossians 1, Song of Solomon 2,6, Acts 20, Matthew 7) so that we (Galatians 2) may keep the Gospel for you in time that you read this as unadulterated as it must. We only exist here to keep the Gospel unadulterated for you (1 Peter 1, Psalm 27,119, Isaiah 50,61-62,62,49, Ezekiel 16,19). We could see this as such in the light of the 7th Bowl (Luke 18,22, Colossians 1): The apostasy introduced by the Empire had sent the Commondominion which stemmed out of Jerusalem (Acts 7, Revelation 11-12,6, Hebrews 11), originally divided into three: the Southern rite (1 Kings 11-12) north of Africa and south of mainland Europe, the Western rite in western and southern mainland Europe, southern western hemisphere and the Asian continent (Revelation 1-3,13), and the Eastern rite in central and eastern Europe (Revelation 8-9). The Southern and Eastern rites remained in the Commondominion while the Western rite became the nucleus of the modern Roman Empire. Later on Commondominion members in northern mainland Europe and northern western hemisphere had separated from the Western rite and became the Northern rite. When the Northern rite began to revert again to the Empire in the west due to apostasy and in turn created the Empire's Antiochian branch, many of its members in the northern western hemisphere had separated to continue administering the Commondominion in their time. Later on these members rejoined the Empire and became the Neronians, its second original branch, which prompted Asian members of the Neronians to form a new Commondominion later on, which is now apostatized as well and is now better known as the Constantinians. When the Constantinians were formed some of its members broke off and rejoined the Commondominion and even became the nucleus of what is now the Commondominion serving you now. These members received the divine election which was continually stewarded up till now by the Southern and Eastern rites who distributes this to the people who would break away from churches who would be Empire branches in time (Colossians 1, 1 Peter 4, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12). In turn many more from the other 2 original Empire branches broke off from the Empire and joined the Commondominion (2 Kings 18, 2 Chronicles 34). But unfortunately these dissidents later on broke apart from us and rejoined the Empire again and is now better known in the Empire as Diocletianites. In order to stop further apostasy and in fulfillment of prophecy I had just snatched (Philippians 4, Isaiah 46,43) many Empire branches who are not intending to break away from the Empire so that their deportment of divine election would be not as easily swayed away by the Empire (Isaiah 42-43, Colossians 1, Hosea 9) as those 4 branches who broke away from us (1 John 1,4, 2 John 1, Jacob 5-7). You could imagine by this instance, guys and girls of one selfsame heavenly calling (Acts 2,15), how we through years continually filtered ourselves and refined (Luke 17, Psalm 12-15) as with entering many doors in all directions (2 Corinthians 1,6-7) so that we may be sure that you'll get the whole truth when (Romans 5) you come across us now, even so as this every moment, when just in time for all that the Empire would be doing against you, we have just prepared all for you to see of us (Hebrews) and read here (Revelation 10). Which takes us to: 'Godhead remembered the Empire to make her drink…' How it precisely came through was when i had deliberate, gruesome, considerable time mediating whether to include some Empire preachers and churches here, something that we never did in the past. I fear we might be infiltrated by Empire and be apostatized again (Acts 2-3), but in the same time I feared that these people would just end up being devoured (Isaiah 1) by the Empire if I do nothing (Proverbs 24) to rescue them (1 Peter 2-4). This is nothing less short of a cup of delusion that Godhead (Matthew 5,10) had made as a promise both (Matthew 12) to Empire (Revelation 14,17-18, Psalm 75-76, Jeremiah 8-9,50-52) and Commondominion (Isaiah 62,66,7-8, Zechariah 1-2,12-13, Hosea 11). And then it struck me that this is no short too also of a marriage: you in fact and instead tend, out of everlasting love (Matthew 19, 1 Samuel 10-11,14, Jeremiah) to reach out to somebody not of your same (Hebrews 12, Ephesians 5, John 15, Ezekiel 16,19,31) kind (1 Corinthians 5-6, 1 Timothy 1, Hosea 1-3, 1 Peter 2,4, Mark 7, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians 4). And by this including of new brethren I in fact and in turn (Genesis 49,25-32) make Empire further fall sooner than I expect (Isaiah 55, Psalm 103, Matthew 24) because in turn (Romans 11) these new brethren would later in fact (1 Corinthians 1-2,7) agree with me later and no more with the Empire (Isaiah 11,37), thus in turn effecting the Empire's downfall (Ephesians 4, 1 John 5,Matthew 18). We could glean this further with the following: due to Revelation 9:14, Revelation 16:12 is related to Revelation 7 where we are given with the vision of a two-fold ministry (Revelation 10-11,18,22): the sealing of a nucleus 144,000, and the gathering of a crowd unnumbered (Isaiah 22,43, Hebrews, 2 Thessalonians 2, Luke 17, Jeremiah 16). This two fold ministry denotes: first, we need to reappraisal ourselves most recently because of the breakaway of the Diocletianites through our decision this month to fully give ourselves in service to some Empire people (Matthew 15-20). Second, this denotes also the joint ministry that I and our leader Nathaniel is doing in leading and sorting things out (Matthew 13,24) here. I had just written a post where we were by Godhead able to show how one of the Empire people which we surrendered to here, which turns out to be Nathaniel's very own brother Edward (which was prophesied by our comrades here precisely as per the child snatched out in Revelation 12), had been able to show through the tours that he make in service of the Empire my divine election here (Judges 7-8, 1 Samuel 3,15-16) as helper both to him and to his brother Nathaniel (Revelation 11,14,16,22, Daniel 12, 1 Timothy 2, Colossians 1, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Philippians 2, 2 Timothy 2, Malachi). We mentioned there that Empire sent Edward to their service in Orlando to prepare the Empire's operations there later on in June of last year. When Edward and his family were doing the rounds back home on that weekend of June 10-11, 2016, we could say to you that those rounds Edward did back in our country while Empire is busy with Orlando even more confirmed our divine election here, both me and Nathaniel. Notice this: Edward and his son Angelo were in locales named Mapalad and Bitas, respectively. Mapalad, of course, denotes Nathaniel's name. Bitas, denotes a cleft in the rock. There's a place in Pasig (River- Sykes [October 8, 2016]) named near these places: 'Malapad na Bato' or 'Wide Rock' but of course we would denote 'wide' as per the Empire (Job 14, Luke 6, Revelation 14,18, Matthew 7,Ezekiel). We would mention clefts in the rock and angels (Psalm 106,78, Exodus 15-25,35,40) because Revelation 6-7 denotes about the Empire hiding in their usages of 'rock' and 'path', which of course we are clearing out by the way (Isaiah, Luke 21,23) by means that we are rising up to strike them as what Empire inflicted to itself (Daniel 8, 2 Samuel 17, Acts 1) in Orlando (Exodus 12). We are rising up in view of the Empire now turning into 4 branches (Revelation 6-9). As per Exodus 12, Empire martyred one of our comrades, Christina Grimmie, on that weekend too in Orlando as per the sacrificial female lamb bearing the Name of Christ (John 18-19, 1 Corinthians 5-6, Joshua 2, Psalm 148,79), not to mention Empire describing the Philippines, where I, Edward and Nathaniel are (Revelation 10-12), to be named 'after that GRIM ruler, Philip'. As per Revelation 12 before Revelation 13, Mapalad and Bitas are located in the Neronian territory of Pampanga, which in Tagalog denotes the 'seashore' (Exodus 15). And not to mention when Empire sent Edward to the Neronian territory of Mountain View in California on January 15, 2017 (my first surname denotes mountains by the way [Isaiah 41,51]), Empire had made it relayed on January 21, 2017, my alma mater's anniversary, hence furthermore denoting me, just like when Edward went by California last year on his way to Florida (Luke 9,19). You must put faith in these revelations I had just gave you (John 6, Ephesians 3) lest you be overtaken by the Empire because you must recall that the Empire is only up after nothing else but to devour you, and that we have no intention of doing it but rather solving things for you from the core up (Isaiah, Romans 5-6, 1 Corinthians 15, Mark 1-4, 1 Samuel 7,12, Joshua 24). And why? Because all that we do here are no else but for and around you. As you could see in the last verse of Revelation 16 as the 6th Bowl closes, and as related to the rise of your leaders here in Revelation 4-12,19, Godhead rained granite and ice against the Empire (me and my mother's respective hometowns are well-known to be granite producers [1 Corinthians 1-2]) 'as heavy as one talent' (Old Tagalog Former Version 1982 Edition) or equivalent to your yokebearing (Matthew). Guys, you are so enormously blessed that Godhead does all these things only by, for, in, through and to each and every one of you out of Their everlasting love for you, hence Empire is so jealous of you that they want to kill you and all your loved ones in order to stop you from reaching us. Please never give in to them even for a moment. I and all your leaders everywhere, especially our Nathaniel, with all the undeserving grace that Godhead has given me to be a yokebearer just like you, will not allow this Empire over our dead bodies to stop anyone of you in any mean or way from reaching Godhead, truth and salvation. Yes, we offer you nothing more but the very best we could: our own bodies and bloods, to prove that we love you over and above anything that has been or is nor will ever be. September 23 is fast approaching, and we long so much for you to join us in the places of safety that we had just prepared for you and for everyone whom you know that has travailed so much in this life (3 Nephi 3-4). Please don't agree to fail reaching these places. We're so dying to bring you to these places and give you the honor and rest (Hebrews 3-4) you so fully deserve (Revelation 14,21-22,7). As your fellow yokebearer who is most wretched of all, let me tell you personally that my love for you is better than love itself. My love for you and all your loved ones is evident in my death for your resurrection. You deserve, yea, nothing else than me. Let me die hence, latching you inside me, and you within the Godhead, latching Their Name. As for all those who trouble you and try to undermine your divine election and harm you at the same time, i most solemnly tell them to not worry, because once these troublers get hold onto us to kill us, as they ask, and as we so long desire (Hosea 6), we here will be able to serve all these yokebearers the justice they so wrightefully deserve for being so unjustly wronged and and manipulatively misled by this Empire. Thank you very, very much guys. Most humbly and sincerely, evermore your #GodsTinyDancer, JOSEPH STIRLING STEINFELD SYKES (Blogger in Chief of the Commondominion of Christ)

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christianpublishinghouse-blog · 7 years ago

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The debate as to where one should be in the spectrum of literal versus dynamic equivalent, i.e., their translation philosophy has been going on since the first translation of the Hebrew (Aramaic) into Greek, i.e., the Septuagint (280-150 B.C.E.). However, if we were to look to the first printed English translation of 1526 by William Tyndale, we would find a literal translation philosophy that ran for almost four-hundred-years. It was not until the 20th century that we find the wholesale overthrow of the literal translation philosophy. For every literal English translation that we have today, there are dozens of dynamic equivalent translations. Just to name a few, we have the Contemporary Version, the Good News Translation, the Easy to Read Version, the New Life Version, the New Living Translation, God’s Word, the New Century Version, the New International Reader’s Version, and the like. Below, we will offer a deeper discussion of these translation philosophies than we had in the previous chapter, which had simply served as an introduction to the subject.

Interlinear Study Tool

The interlinear Bible page is set up with the left column where you will find the original language text, with the English word-for-word lexical gloss beneath each original language word; generally, the right column contains an English translation like the ESV, NASB, or the NIV. The interlinear translation in the left column and the modern-day English translation in the right column are parallel to each other. This allows the student to make immediate comparisons between the translation and the interlinear, helping one to determine the accuracy of the translation.

The New Greek-English Interlinear NT by Tyndale Publishing

The interlinear and the English equivalent in the left column are not generated by taking the English word(s) from the translation on the right and then placing them under the original language text. Whether we are dealing with Hebrew or Greek as our original language text, each word will have two or more English equivalents. What factors go into the choice of which word will go under the original language word? One factor is the period in which the book was written. As the New Testament was penned in the first century, during the era of Koine Greek, as opposed to classical Greek of centuries past, and then there is the context of what comes before and after the word under consideration.

Therefore, the translator will use his training in the original language, or a lexicon to determine if he is working with a noun, verb, the definite article, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, participle, and the like. Further, say he is looking at the verb, it must be determined what mood it is in (indicative, subjunctive, imperative, etc.), what tense (present, future, aorist, etc.), what voice (active, middle, passive, etc.), and so forth. In addition, the English words under the original language text are generated from grammatical form, the alterations to the root, which affect its role within the sentence, for which he will look to the Hebrew or Greek grammar reference.

The best lexicon is the 3rd edition Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (BDAG) ten years in the making, this extensive revision of Bauer, the standard authority worldwide, features new entries, 15,000 additional references from ancient literature, clearer type, and extended definitions rather than one-word synonyms. Providing a more panoramic view of the world and language of the New Testament, it becomes the new indispensable guide for translators. The second best lexicon is the Greek-English Lexicon: With a Revised Supplement, 1996: Ninth Revised Edition – Edited By H.G. Liddell, R. Scott by H.G. Liddell & R. Scott. Each word is given in root form along with important variations, and an excellent representation of examples from classical, Koine and Attic Greek sources follows. This lexicon is appropriate for all classical Greek and general biblical studies. By far the best traditional Hebrew lexicon currently available is The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) (vols. 1-5; trans. M. E. J. Richardson; Brill, 1994-2000). However, the price is beyond most students and scholars. A more affordable edition, which I highly recommend, is available, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Unabridged 2-Volume Study Edition) (2 vols. trans. M. E. J. Richardson; Brill, 2002).

There are numerous lexicons on the market, which would be fine tools for the Bible student. Many scholars would concur that Biblical lexicons have four main weaknesses:

They are geared toward the translations of the 20th century, as opposed to new translations.

They primarily contain only information from the Bible itself, as opposed to possessing information from Greek literature overall.

They are too narrow as to the words of say the New Testament, attempting to harmonize a word and its meaning. The problem with this agenda is that a word can have numerous meanings, some being quite different, depending on its context, even by the same author.

Most Biblical lexicons have not escaped the etymological fallacy, determining the meaning of a word based on its origin and past meaning(s). Another aspect being that the meaning of a word is based on the internal structure of the word. A common English example of the latter is “butterfly.” The separate part of “butter” and “fly” do not define “butterfly.” Another example is “ladybird.”

[1]

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you to be born again.’[2]

As you can see the interlinear translation reads very rough, as it is following the Greek sentence structure. The Updated American Standard Version rearranges the words according to English grammar and syntax. Do not be surprised that at times words may need to be left out of the English translation, as they are unnecessary. For example, The Greek language sometimes likes to put the definite article “the” before personal name, so in the Greek, you may have “the Jesus said.” In the English, it would be appropriate to drop the definite article. At other times, it may be appropriate to add words to complete the sense in the English translation. For example, at John 4:26, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.” *The word “he” is not in the Greek text but is implied, so it is added to complete the sense. Please see the image on the next page.

The Greek New Testament, (Interlinear)

Here in John chapter 4, you have Jesus being spoken to by a Samaritan woman. She is inquiring about the coming Messiah, and Jesus does something with the Samaritan woman that he has not done even with his disciples, He discloses who he really is, “I am the one [i.e., the Messiah]. The ESV, like the other translations that we have considered, is aware that there is an implied predicate pronoun in the sentence “I am [he] the one speaking to you.”

Literal Translation

Once the interlinear level has taken place, it is now time to adjust our English lexical glosses into sentences. Each word will possess its own grammatical indicator. As the translator begins to construct his English sentence, he will adjust according to the context of the words surrounding his focus. As you will see shortly, in the examples below, the translator must transition the words from the Greek order, to correct English grammar and syntax. This is a delicate balance faced by the literal translation team. As they must determine how close they will cling to the Hebrew or Greek word order in their English translation. The reader will find that the KJV, ASV, NASB, ESV and the UASV will allow a little roughness for the reader, for them an acceptable sacrifice as they believe that meaning is conveyed by the word order at times. An overly simplified example might be Christ Jesus as opposed to Jesus Christ, with the former focusing on the office (“Christ” anointed one), while the latter focuses on the person.

Even though it is impossible to follow the word order of the original in an English translation, the translator will attempt to stay as close as possible to the effective and persuasive use that the style of the original language permits. In other words, what is stated in the original language is rendered into the English, as well as the way that it is said, as far as possible? This is why the literal translation is known as a “formal equivalence.” As a literal translation, it “is designed so as to reveal as much of the original form as possible. (Ray 1982, p. 47)

It should be noted that this writer favors the literal translation over the dynamic equivalent, and especially the paraphrase. The literal translation gives us what God said, there is no concealing this by going beyond into the realms of what a translator interprets these words as saying. It should be understood that God’s Word to man is not meant to be read like a John Grisham novel. It is meant to be meditated on, pondered over, and absorbed quite slowly; using many tools and helps along the way. There is a reason for this, it being that the Bible is a sifter of hearts. It separates out those who really want to know and understand God’s Word (based on their evident demonstration of buying out the opportune time for study and research), from those who have no real motivation, no interest, just going through life. Even though, literal translation method needs to be done in a balanced manner, and should not be taken too far.

There are times when a literal word-for-word translation is not in the best interest of the reader and could convey a meaning contrary to the original.

As we have established throughout this book, but have not stated directly, no two languages are exactly equivalent in grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

Ephesians 4:14 Updated American Standard Version (UASV

14 So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery [lit., dice playing] of men, by craftiness with regard to the scheming of deceit;

The Greek word kybeia that is usually rendered “craftiness” or “trickery,” is literally “dice-playing,” which refers to the practice of cheating others when playing dice. If it was rendered literally, “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery dice-playing of men,” the meaning would be lost. Therefore, the meaning of what the original author meant by his use of the Greek word kybeia, must be the translator’s choice.

Romans 12:11 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

11 Do not be slothful in zeal,[3] be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

When Paul wrote the Romans, he used the Greek word zeontes, which literally means, “boil,” “seethe,” or “fiery hot.” Some serious Bible students may notice the thought of “boiling in spirit,” as being “fervent in spirit or better “aglow with the spirit,” or “keep your spiritual fervor.” Therefore, for the sake of making sense, it is best to take the literal “boiling in spirit,” determine what is meant by the author’s use of the Greek word zeontes, “keep your spiritual fervor”, and render it thus.

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

3“Blessed are those who [are poor in spirit] recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

This one is a tough call. The phrase “poor in spirit” carries so much history, and has been written as to what it means, for almost 2,000 years that, even the dynamic equivalent translations are unwilling to translate its meaning, not its words. Personally, this writer is in favor of the literal translation of “poor in spirit.” Those who claim to be literal translators should not back away because “poor in spirit” is ambiguous, and there is a variety of interpretations. The above dynamic equivalent translation, God’s Word, has come closest to what was meant. Actually, “poor” is even somewhat of an interpretation, because the Greek word ptochos means “beggar.” Therefore, “poor in spirit” is an interpretation of “beggar in spirit.” The extended interpretation is that the “beggar/poor in spirit” is aware of his or her spiritual needs as if a beggar or the poor would be aware of their physical needs.

As we have also established in this chapter a word’s meaning can be different, depending on the context that it was used.

2 Samuel 8:3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

3 Then David struck down Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his authority [lit. hand] at the River.

1 Kings 10:13 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to his royal bounty [li. hand]. Then she turned and went to her own land, she together with her servants.

Proverbs 18:21 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

21 Death and life are in the power [lit. hand] of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

The English word “hand” has no meaning outside of its context. It could mean, “end of the arm,” “pointer on a clock,” “card players,” “round in a card game,” “part in doing something,” “round of applause,” “member of a ship’s crew,” or “worker.” The Hebrew word “yad,” which means “hand,” has many meanings as well, depending on the context, as it can mean “control,” “bounty,” or “power.” This one word is translated in more than forty different ways in some translations. Let us look at some English sentences, to see the literal way of using “hand,” and then add what it means, as a new sentence.

Please give a big hand to our next contestant. Please give a big applause for our next contestant.

Your future is in your own hands. Your future is in your own power. Your future is in your own possession.

Attention, all hands! Attention, all ship’s crew!

She has a good hand for gardening. She has a good ability or skill for gardening.

Please give me a hand, I need some help.

The copperplate writing was beautifully written; she has a nice hand.

At times, even a literal translation committee will not render a word the same every time it occurs, because the sense is not the same every time. The only problem we have is that the reader must now be dependent on the judgment of the translator to select the right word(s) that reflect the meaning of the original language word accurately and understandably. Let us look at the above texts from the Hebrew Old Testament again, this time doing what we did with the English word “hand” in the above. It is debatable if any of these verses really needed to be more explicit, by giving the meaning in the translation, as opposed to the word itself.

2 Samuel 8:3: who went to restore his hand at the Euphrates River – who went to restore his control at the Euphrates River

1 Kings 10:13: she asked besides what was given her by the hand of King Solomon – she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon

Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the hand of the tongue – Death and life are in the power of the tongue

We can look to one example translation, who touts the fact that it is a literal translation, i.e., the English Standard Version (ESV). In fact, it waters that concept down by qualifying its literalness, saying that it is an essentially literal translation. Essentially means being the most basic element or feature of something. In this case, the ESV is the most basic element or feature of a literal translation. In the course of 13 years of using the ESV, this author has discovered that it unnecessarily abandons its literal translation philosophy quite regularly. Dr. William Mounce was the head of the translation committee that produced the ESV, and he leans toward or favors the dynamic equivalent translation philosophy. He has since left the ESV committee and has become the head of the New International Version committee, which is being more and more of a dynamic equivalent, with each new edition. This is not to say that the ESV is not a splendid translation because it is.

Dynamic Equivalent Translation

Translators who produce what are frequently referred to as free translations, take liberties with the text as presented in the original languages. How so? They either insert their opinion of what the original text could mean or omit some of the information contained in the original text. Dynamic equivalent translations may be appealing because they are easy to read. However, their very freeness at times obscures or changes the meaning of the original text.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (NLT)

8 Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (CEV)

8 Dress up, comb your hair, and look your best.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (GNT)

8 Always look happy and cheerful.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (NCV)

8 Put on nice clothes and make yourself look good.

First, the above dynamic equivalents do not even agree with each other. What does Ecclesiastes 9:8 really say.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (NASB)

8Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (ESV)

8 Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (UASV)

8 Let your garments be always white, and let not your head lack oil.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (HCSB) 8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head.

What does the metaphorical language of “white garments” and “oil on your head” symbolize? Does “white garments” mean to “wear fine clothes,” “dress up,” “look happy,” or “put on nice clothes”? In addition, does “oil on your head” mean “a splash of cologne,” “comb your hair” or “make yourself look good”? Duane Garrett says, “Wearing white clothes and anointing the hair (v. 8) symbolize joy and contrast with the familiar use of sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning or repentance.”[4] Let us also look at an exegetical commentary as well as a book on Bible backgrounds.

John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Ecclesiastes

White garments are the expression of festive joy and pure, calm feelings in the soul, comp. Rev. 3:4 f.; 7:9 ff. Koheleth could hardly have meant a literal observance of this precept, so that the conduct of Sisinnius, Novatian bishop of Constantinople, who, with reference to this passage, always went in white garments, was very properly censured by Chrysostom as Pharisaical and proud. Hengstenberg’s view is arbitrary, and in other respects scarcely corresponds to the sense of the author: “White garments are here to be put on as an expression of the confident hope of the future glory of the people of God, as Spener had himself buried in a white coffin as a sign of his hope in a better future of the Church.”

And let thy head lack no ointment. As in 2 Sam. 12:20; 14:2; Isa. 61:3; Amos 6:6; Prov. 27:9; Ps. 45:8, so here appears the anointing oil, which keeps the hair smooth and makes the face to shine, as a symbol of festive joy, and a contrast to a sorrowing disposition. There is no reason here for supposing fragrant spikenard (Mark 14:2), because the question is mainly about producing a good appearance by means of the ointment, comp. Ps. 133:2. Ver. 9.[5]

James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible

In any area with strong sunlight, white clothing is preferred because white reflects the sunlight and so decreases the heating effect of it. In addition, white garments in the East were symbols of purity, and so were worn on certain special occasions. The symbols and custom were adopted by the West and is reflected especially in the wedding ceremony. The oil was symbolic of joy. Together they signified purity and the joy of festive occasions.

In the Bible there are several references to white garments symbolizing purity, righteousness, or holiness. In Daniel 7:9, the clothing worn by the “Ancient of Days … was as white as snow.” When Jesus was transfigured, “his clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). The angels appeared in white robes when they appeared to the soldiers guarding Jesus’ tomb and when the women went to the tomb after He had risen (Matthew 28:3, Mark 16:5, Luke 24:4, and John 20:12), and also when Christ ascended into heaven (Acts 1:10). In the ages to come, the redeemed will be clothed in white (Revelation 7:13 and 19:14).[6]

We can see that the three sources interpret the metaphorical language of “white garments” and “oil on your head” as purity and joy. Would we get this by way of the four dynamic equivalents in the above? Would “Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne” (NLT) get us to the correct meaning? We should not replace metaphorical language because we feel it is too difficult for the reader to understand. They should buy out the time, just as this writer has done, by going to commentaries, word study books, and Bible background books. Let us look at one more informative Bible background book,

9:8. clothed in white. Scholars have understood the color white to symbolize purity, festivity or elevated social status. In both Egypt Story of Sinuhe) and Mesopotamia (Epic of Gilgamesh) clean or bright garments conveyed a sense of well-being. Moreover, the hot Middle-Eastern climate favors the wearing of white clothes to reflect the heat.

9.8. anointed head. Oil preserved the complexion in the hot Middle Eastern climate. Both the Egyptian Song of the Harper and the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh described individuals clothed in fine linen and with myrrh on their head. (Walton, Matthews and Chavalas 2000, p. 574)

As we are about to take up the subject of the paraphrase, let us consider the above Ecclesiastes 9:8 and the surrounding verses in a paraphrase.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 (The Message)

7-10 Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, Drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes, God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don’t skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love Each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange For the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.

Paraphrase Translation

A paraphrase is “a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form.”[7] The highest priority and characteristic is the rephrasing and simplification. Whatever has been said in the above about the dynamic equivalent can be magnified a thousand fold herein. The best way to express the level this translation will be to go to a paraphrase and set it side-by-side with the dynamic equivalent and literal translations. Below we have done that, i.e., Isaiah 1:1-17. It is recommended that we read verses 1-4 in the Message Bible, then in the New Living Translation, and then in the English Standard Version. Thereafter, read verses 5-9 in the same manner, followed by verses 10-12, and 13-17. This way we will taste the flavor of each with just a small bit at a time, so you do not lose the sense of the previous one by too much reading.

Isaiah 1:1-17 The Message (MSG)

1The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the times of the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. 2-4Heaven and earth, you’re the jury. Listen to God’s case: “I had children and raised them well, and they turned on me. The ox knows who’s boss, the mule knows the hand that feeds him, But not Israel. My people don’t know up from down. Shame! Misguided God-dropouts, staggering under their guilt-baggage, Gang of miscreants, band of vandals— My people have walked out on me, their God, turned their backs on The Holy of Israel, walked off and never looked back.

5-9“Why bother even trying to do anything with you when you just keep to your bullheaded ways? You keep beating your heads against brick walls. Everything within you protests against you. From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, nothing’s working right. Wounds and bruises and running sores— untended, unwashed, unbandaged. Your country is laid waste, your cities burned down. Your land is destroyed by outsiders while you watch, reduced to rubble by barbarians. Daughter Zion is deserted— like a tumbledown shack on a dead-end street, Like a tarpaper shanty on the wrong side of the tracks, like a sinking ship abandoned by the rats. If God-of-the-Angel-Armies hadn’t left us a few survivors, we’d be as desolate as Sodom, doomed just like Gomorrah.

10“Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God’s revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people.

11-12“Why this frenzy of sacrifices?” God’s asking. “Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? When you come before me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that— all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?

13-17“Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.

Isaiah 1:1-17 New Living Translation (NLT)

1 These are the visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.

2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the Lord says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. 3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see. 8 Beautiful Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a cucumber field after the harvest, like a helpless city under siege. 9 If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.

10 Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” 11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? 13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. 14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! 15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:1-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah has spoken: “Sons I have brought up and raised, but they have revolted against me. 3 An ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”

4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people weighed down with error, brood of wicked men, sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned Jehovah, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned their backs on him.

5 Where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion?? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.

7 Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. 8 And the daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.

9 Unless Jehovah of armies had left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of Jehovah, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the law[1] of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 “What are your many sacrifices to me? says Jehovah; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed animals; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.

12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity[2] and solemn assembly. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; yes, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full[3] of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct the oppresor; bring justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.

[1] Or teaching or instruction

[2] Isaiah’s use of (ʾāwen) may designate magic or idolatrous ritual, or evil caused by the misuse of power.

[3] Or covered with

Literal Contrasted With Dynamic Equivalent

In short, the dynamic equivalent translator seeks to render the biblical meaning of the original language text as accurately as possible into an English informal (conversational) equivalent. Alternatively, the literal translation seeks to render the original language words and style into a corresponding English word and style.

Again, there are two major divisions in translation philosophy. We have the word-for-word and the thought-for-thought. A literal translation is one-step removed from the original, and something is always lost or gained, because there will never be 100 percent equivalent transference from one language to the next. A thought-for-thought translation is one more step removed than the literal translation in many cases and can block the sense of the original entirely. A thought-for-thought translation slants the text in a particular direction, cutting off other options and nuances.

A literal word-for-word translation makes every effort to represent accurately the authority, power, vitality and directness of the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures and to transfer these characteristics in modern English. The literal translations have the goal of producing as literal a translation as possible where the modern-English idiom permits and where a literal rendering does not conceal the thought. Again, there are times when the literal rendering would be unintelligible, and so one must interpret what the author meant by the words that he used.

Literal Translation Dynamic Equivalent Focuses on form Focuses on meaning Emphasizes source language Emphasizes receptor language Translates what was said Translates what was meant Presumes original context Presumes contemporary context Retains ambiguities Removes ambiguities Minimizes interpretative bias Enhances interpretative bias Valuable for serious Bible study Valuable for commentary use Awkward receptor language style Natural receptor language style

The alteration of one word can remove an enormous amount of meaning from the Word of God. Let us consider 1 Kings 2:10 as an example.

Literal Translation Dynamic Equivalent 1 Kings 2:10 (ESV)

10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (GNT)

10 David died and was buried in David’s City.

1 Kings 2:10 (ASV)

10 And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (NLT)

10 Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (NASB)

10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (GW)

10 David lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (UASV)

10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (NIRV)

10 David joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (RSV)

10 Then David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

1 Kings 2:10 (NCV)

10 Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem.

One could conclude that the (dynamic equivalent) thought-for-thought translations are conveying the idea in a more clear and immediate way, but is this really the case? There are three points that are missing from the thought-for-thought translation:

In the scriptures, “sleep” is used metaphorically as death, also inferring a temporary state where one will wake again, or be resurrected. That idea is lost in the thought-for-thought translation. (Ps 13:3; John 11:11-14; Ac 7:60; 1Co 7:39; 15:51; 1Th 4:13)

Sleeping with or lying down with his father also conveys the idea of having closed his life and having found favor in God’s eyes as did his forefathers.

When we leave out some of the words from the original, we also leave out the possibility of more meaning being drawn from the text. Missing is the word shakab (“to lie down” or “to sleep”), ’im (“with”) and ‘ab in the plural (“forefathers”). Below are verses that enhance our understanding of death, by way of sleep, as being temporary for those who will be awakened by a resurrection.

Psalm 13:3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

3 Consider and answer me, Jehovah my God; give light to my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death,

John 11:11-14 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,

Acts 7:60 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.[8]

1 Corinthians 7:39 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

39 A wife is bound for so long time as her husband is alive. But if her husband should fall asleep (koimethe) [in death], she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.[9]

1 Corinthians 15:51 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

1 Thessalonians 4:13 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

13 But we do not want you to be ignorant,[10] brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

Those who argue for a though-for-thought translation will say the literal translation “slept” or “lay down” is no longer a way of expressing death in the modern English-speaking world. While this may be true to some extent, the context of chapter two, verse 1: “when David was about to die” and the latter half of 2:10: “was buried in the city of David” resolves that issue. Moreover, while the reader may have to meditate a little longer, or indulge him/herself in the culture of different Biblical times, they will not be deprived of the full potential that a verse has to convey. (Grudem, et al. 2005, pp. 20-21)

A Word of Caution

The dynamic equivalent and paraphrase can and does obscure things from the reader by overreaching in their translations. This can be demonstrated on the moral standards found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 The Message

9-10 Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men of passive homosexual acts, nor men of active homosexual acts,[11] 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

If you compare the MSG with the UASV, you will notice that the MSG does not even list the specifics defined by the apostle Paul on precisely what kind of conduct we should shun.

Matthew 7:13 Today’s English Version (TEV)

13“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it.

Matthew 7:13 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

The Greek word apōleian means “destruction,” “waste,” “annihilation,” “ruin.” Therefore, one has to ask, ‘why did the TEV translation committee render it “hell”? It has all the earmarks of theological bias. The translation committee is looking to promote the doctrine of eternal torment, not destruction. The objective of the translator is to render it the way that it should be rendered. If it supports a certain doctrine, this should be accepted, if not, then this should be accepted as well. The policy is that God does not need an overzealous translator to convey his doctrinal message.

Literal Dynamic Equivalent Dynamic Equivalent 1 Corinthians 11:10 (UASV)

10 This is why the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

1 Corinthians 11:10 (GNT)

10 On account of the angels, then, a woman should have a covering over her head to show that she is under her husband’s authority.

1 Corinthians 11:10 (CEV)

10 And so, because of this, and also because of the angels, a woman ought to wear something on her head, as a sign of her authority.

As we can see, the English lexical glosses of the interlinear are literally carried over into the Source Language word for word, keeping the exact form. This is called a gloss in the world of the Bible translator. While this does not convey much meaning to the average English reader, it does to one who has studied Biblical Greek. However, the Bible student would have a literal translation as a study Bible. The literal translation, as you can see, will keep the form as far as is possible, as well as the wording. The Dynamic Equivalent advocates will argue that this does not sound natural. Well, for those that want the Word of God in its undiluted form, as accurately as possible, we will accept a little unnatural sounding at times. Soon, we will see the danger of going beyond translation into interpretation.

Our literal translation contains ambiguity. Is the writer talking about women or wives? Is the woman to have her own authority, or is something or someone else to have authority over her? This is just fine, because it ambiguity has many benefits, as you will see. First, as a quick aside, the work of interpretation will weed out those pseudo-Christians, who do not want to put any effort into their relationship with God, who do not want to buy out the time to understand. Now, the reader has the right to determine for himself or herself which is the correct interpretation. The translator should not steal this right from them, for the translator or the translation committee, could be wrong, and life or death may be uncertain.

Seeing two dynamic equivalents side-by-side helps you to see that they have arrived at two different conclusions and both cannot be right. The Today’s English Version believes that the “woman” here is really the “wife,” as it refers to the “husband.” It also believes that the wife is to be under the husband’s authority. On the other hand, the Contemporary English Version does not commit to the argument of “woman” versus “wife,” but does understand the verse to mean the woman has her own authority. She has the authority to act as she feels she should, as long as she wears something as a sign of this.

A good translation will do the following:

Accurately render the original language words and style into the corresponding English word and style that were inspired by God.

Translate the meaning of words literally, when the wording and construction of the original text allow for such a rendering in the target language.

Transfer the correct meaning (sense) of a word or a phrase when a literal rendering of the original-language word or a phrase would garble or obscure the meaning.

After considering, the objectives of the first three points, as far as possible, use natural, easy-to-understand language that inspires reading.

Are there such translations available on the market? Yes, the author recommends that you use the NASB Zondervan Study Bible by Kenneth L. Barker, Donald W. Burdick, John H. Stek and Walter W. Wessel (Jan 6, 2000), as your primary study Bible. Of course, you should consider other literal translations as time permits. In addition, use the dynamic equivalents as mini-commentaries, as that is what they are.

[1] Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (Interlinear with Morphology) (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993; 2006), Jn 3:7.

[2] Edward Andrews et al., The Updated American Standard Version (Christian Publishing House, 2014; 2018), Jn 3:7.

[3] Or diligent

[4] Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 14, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 331.

[5] John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Ecclesiastes (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 126.

[6] James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible (North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998), 338.

[7] Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary., Eleventh ed. (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).

[8] I.e. died

[9] The ASV, ESV, NASB, and other literal translation do not hold true to their literal translation philosophy here. This does not bode well in their claim that literal is the best policy. We are speaking primarily to the ESV translators, who make this claim in numerous books.

[10] Or uninformed

[11] The two Greek terms refer to passive men partners and active men partners in consensual homosexual acts

Bible Translation Philosophy The debate as to where one should be in the spectrum of literal versus dynamic equivalent, i.e., their translation philosophy has been going on since the first translation of the Hebrew (Aramaic) into Greek, i.e., the Septuagint (280-150 B.C.E.).

#Bible Translation Philosophy #Bible Translation Process #Dynamic Equivalent #Functional Equivalent #Interlinear #Literal Translation

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