Tiny Devotional for Monday, 07-03-2023

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the big dog doesn’t bite.



My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
Proverbs 3:11, NASB

Sigh. Any time I have to go to the Hebrew, I get a bit grumpy. It’s really because I feel presumptuous; I had one year of koine Greek, and ZERO years of Hebrew, whereas the translation team for the NASB all had at least one doctorate in Biblical languages. Still, this IS a devotional, and not a scholarly paper, so: I must dissent. A bit.

My peeve this morning is over the word ‘discipline.’ Now, the NASB does point out that ‘instruction’ is an alternate meaning; but when I look at how מוּסָר (mûsār) is translated in other places, it’s pretty clear to me that ‘instruction’ is the best choice.

Why does it make a difference?

For most of us, ‘discipline’ is most commonly associated with some aversive form of correction, and is functionally equivalent to, or greater than, ‘reproof.’  It can also apply to an entire field of knowledge, but that’s not applicable here.

I prefer ‘instruction,’ in part because it eliminates the ‘yuck’ factor of memories of the principal’s office, but mostly because it is consistent with the progression of the verse. ‘Reject’ is milder than ‘loathe,’ and ‘reproof’ only happens after ‘instruction’ is not followed.

Final note: We all start as learners; we ALL become teachers. Remember: the message is ALWAYS closely associated with the messenger! If you have ever had to re-learn a good message taught by a bad messenger, you understand that. 

Which is why you say to me: “Don’t write like a jerk, Papa Pat!”

 Peace be on your household.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 3, 2023 at 6:36 AM

    Messengers who come with bullet points are the worse Messengers. I think.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BobDJuly 3, 2023 at 7:04 AM

    As someone who is completely ignorant of Greek and Hebrew, I appreciate the insights! Over the centuries, many words have changed in their meaning or connotation. Going back to the original source and language, especially when paired with how the words are used in other places at the same time is a glimpse into the mind of the original authors (and perhaps the "original scribes" as well).
    Dissent away! And Thank You!
    BobD

    ReplyDelete
  3. On Christ the Solid Rock I StandJuly 4, 2023 at 4:01 AM

    Before discipline, instruction must be clear and precise my Brother Pat. Praise God!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tiny Devotional for Wednesday, 06-21-2023

Image
A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the Fairmount Pattersons are Papa-sitting this morning! It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. Proverbs 21:9, NASB Today is the 21st of the month; so, Proverbs 21. I have written about verses 1-8;  it’s verse 9’s turn. Thus, my selection of this verse has NOTHING to do with my wife, mother, sisters, or daughters! All of them are intelligent, confident, and assertive; they are NOT contentious. ‘Contentious’ does NOT mean ‘has a different opinion’!  A man who has lived with a contentious woman gives the definition by example: I was 20 years old, and stupid (those might be the same thing).  I thought our marriage would work because she was beautiful, and I was, too. It didn’t take long before I realized I was wrong about that. Most of the time, it didn’t matter what I did; I couldn’t please her. We were married for 3 years,
Read more

Tiny Devotional for Sunday, 08-20-2023

Image
A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Piper doesn’t like her food. Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the Lord. Proverbs 20:10, NASB If this verse weren’t so important, I’d skip it, because I discovered it in a painful time. Others were involved, and their stories are not mine to tell. So, you get a parable: Stockman Bubba ran a cattle station, in partnership with his horse, Nancy. They worked hard together, and although they were not rich, they had achieved a degree of success. One day, a platypus stung Bubba, incapacitating him. Bubba tried to continue running the station, but after two years had passed, he realized it was time to retire. Nancy couldn’t adjust to this, and she left for life on her own. Three years later, Bubba realized Nancy was never coming back, and considered getting another horse. However, he was concerned that the other station owners would think bad
Read more

Tiny Devotional for Sunday, 07-23-2023

Image
 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, reach for the sky. Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always. Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:17-18, NASB Today’s verse is 18, but I included 17, because I THINK they are a couplet. I wrote about verse 17 last month, and will try not to repeat myself. Our senses describe the present, our memory describes the past; the future is described by our hopes and our fears. In this little verse, we are given one of the strongest foundations for peace: yes, you DO have a future, and it’s a good one. Under most circumstances, we take the future for granted. If you have ever been forced to doubt that a future exists, you know how chilling that is. ‘No future’ is MUCH worse than ‘bad future.’ This verse draws us back away from the abyss of nothingness, and back into reality: yes, you DO have a future.  (If that
Read more