Every now and then new things pop up in the most familiar places. Yesterday I met two new things. I'm sure I passed many more but didn't notice them, but here are the two I met:
One of my favorite chapters is Isaiah 40. That was one of the readings yesterday and I followed along in my French Bible because I am so familiar with it. Only -- when I got to verse 27 I was in for a big surprise. Up until that point, all the /you/s had been plural, "vous". All of a sudden verse 27 switches to the familiar, singular "tu". I was so surprised I nearly raised my hand to say, "What what? Why? What is going on here?" I'm still puzzling about it. Are there English translations other than King James that preserve singular and plural second person? And what do you think the switch means?
Then. While my head is still going on those tracks, we hit these verses in Romans 12 ~
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Well, again, a familiar memory verse chunk for me that I think I *ahem* know all about. When suddenly it (and by "it" I suspect I mean the Holy Spirit) strikes me with the thought that maybe, just maybe, the part in verse 21 is not what I have always thought, a recipe to defeat evil OUT THERE (as in vanquishing a foe) but maybe, just maybe, about overcoming the evil that continues to dwell in me. Well. Duh. Because that really is the evil that I am responsible to work on overcoming, isn't it?
One of my favorite chapters is Isaiah 40. That was one of the readings yesterday and I followed along in my French Bible because I am so familiar with it. Only -- when I got to verse 27 I was in for a big surprise. Up until that point, all the /you/s had been plural, "vous". All of a sudden verse 27 switches to the familiar, singular "tu". I was so surprised I nearly raised my hand to say, "What what? Why? What is going on here?" I'm still puzzling about it. Are there English translations other than King James that preserve singular and plural second person? And what do you think the switch means?
Then. While my head is still going on those tracks, we hit these verses in Romans 12 ~
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Well, again, a familiar memory verse chunk for me that I think I *ahem* know all about. When suddenly it (and by "it" I suspect I mean the Holy Spirit) strikes me with the thought that maybe, just maybe, the part in verse 21 is not what I have always thought, a recipe to defeat evil OUT THERE (as in vanquishing a foe) but maybe, just maybe, about overcoming the evil that continues to dwell in me. Well. Duh. Because that really is the evil that I am responsible to work on overcoming, isn't it?
