Does Job 3:18-19 mean that that the prisoners are all dead and resting peacefully where they do not have to hear the voice of evil any more, and the rich and poor are together where they are free from their master?

Sincerely,
Say What?

Dear Say What,

Yes, Job 3:18-19 is a continuation of Job’s theme for that chapter.  Job is extolling how much he wishes he had never been born (Job 3:3).  He is in such complete physical agony that he welcomes the thought of death (Job 2:7-8).  Furthermore, Job has also lost his wealth and his children (Job 1:14-19).  In Job 3:17-19, he is explaining the comfort that is found in death.  Wicked people no longer can harm us once we die, and we have rest from the toil of this life (Job 3:17).  Slaves are no longer burdened by the commands of their earthly masters – they are free (Job 3:18).  All is equal in death; the rich and the poor, the small and the great, in death, are judged by who they are, not by how much they have.

Is the Leviathan in the book of Job a dragon?

Sincerely,
Dragons Are Cool!

Dear Dragons Are Cool,

We don’t know exactly what animal the Leviathan was, but we do know that it doesn’t match the description of any currently living animal.  The Leviathan is described as being very large (Job 41:12), tough-skinned (Job 41:15-17), wild and undomesticated (Job 41:1-5), and potentially sea-dwelling (Job 41:31-32).

Some think that the Leviathan may be the answer to all the many dragon stories that are found across countless cultures.  In Job 41:18-21, God describes the Leviathan as flashing light when it sneezes, smoking from its nostrils, starting fires with its breath, and shooting flames from its mouth.  Such descriptions do indeed sound quite a lot like the description of a dragon.  It may very well be that the Leviathan is one of the dragons illustrated in countless ancient drawings.

Hi, there.  I had a question about translation, specifically the KJV vs. NRSV and NIV.  Numbers 11:25 KJV: "They prophesied, and they did not cease."  Whereas the NRSV/ NIV: "They prophesied and did not do so again.”  Seems like a major difference.  What is up with that?  I am trying to make some decisions regarding which Bible to choose, and things like this make it difficult.

Sincerely,
Word Works

Dear Word Works,

You are right that the King James Version (KJV) translates that verse as “did not cease”, and others translate it as “did not repeat”.  However, the translators of other versions often put into the footnotes that the KJV’s rendering is also appropriate.  Num 11:25 is a case where the Hebrew word being translated can mean either “add to over and over again” or “to add so as to alter behavior” – context defines which way it is used.  Therefore, there is some debate over which translation is correct.  All good translations will recognize that difference and usually provide a footnote.

As for which translation to use, we ALWAYS recommend a strict, literal, word-for-word translation.  The King James, New King James, American Standard, and New American Standard versions are all word-for-word translations.  ‘Word-for-word’ means that the translators did everything they could to translate each word separately and accurately; they did everything possible to not take liberties with the original text.  The New International Version (NIV) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are a mix between word-for-word and thought-for-thought translation.  ‘Thought-for-thought’ translations allow the translators to change the words and simply convey the general idea of the sentence.  This allows the translators to instill their personal attitudes and theological perspectives into the text.  God gave us the Bible with precision.  The apostle Paul said that God conveyed the exact words that the apostles should speak and write (1 Cor 2:13).  Jesus said that not even the smallest stroke of the Bible would perish (Matt 5:18).  Translations need to be as precise as God was… word for word.  We recommend you read “New International Version” for a more specific breakdown on the flaws in that translation – we would put the NRSV in the same category.

Is it possible to be a Christian and not spank your children?  Doesn't the Bible tell us that if we spare the rod, we hate our children?

 

Sincerely,
A-Rod

Dear A-Rod,

The verse you are referring to is Pr 13:24.  It is true that parents must discipline their children.  It is also true that the Bible has absolutely no problem whatsoever with spanking (Pr 22:15).  Spanking won’t kill your child, nor will it hurt their little psyches, no matter what today’s current psychological theorists might say (Pr 23:13).  So if you spank your children, you are making a perfectly sound Biblical choice.

However, your question didn’t deal with those who spank their kids; it dealt with those who don’t.  We wouldn’t use any of the previously cited verses to say that you must spank your child to discipline them.  Proverbs teaches general principles, not specific techniques.  If we use those verses for specific techniques, then we would have to say spanking with anything but a rod was unbiblical.  The principle of Proverbs is that children need discipline – sometimes firm discipline.  It is a parent’s job to train their child for the way that they should live (Pr 22:6).  Each individual parent must decide on the specific techniques needed to reach the goal of properly disciplining and training their children up in the Lord.

When Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden, Adam was cursed with thorns and thistles in the ground while Eve was cursed with pain in childbirth.  Does that mean that my husband has to do all the yard work?

Sincerely,
Wishing I Wasn’t Weeding

Dear Wishing I Wasn’t Weeding,

Thankfully for us guys, that isn’t what that verse is talking about.  Adam was cursed with thorns and thistles as he grew and harvested food from the earth (Gen 3:17-18).  Adam was cursed with having to work hard and sweat to provide for his family (Gen 3:19).  It wasn’t about yard work, but about hard work.  Adam was cursed with having his work be difficult.  It had nothing to do with mowing the lawn and pruning the roses… you’ll have to find some other reason to get your hubby to do that!