Bible Questions?

Amos

2:9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

What does the highlighted passage actually intend to describe?

 

That, my friend is what is known as a simile. It was "like" the height of a cedar. They were tall, but they weren't the exact height of a cedar.

 

How do you know it was intended to be a simile, with the miraculous occurrences throughout the bible why should a passage directly siting the height of a race to be that of trees need to be taken as non literal?

It seems almost as if people simply pick and choose what is to be taken at face value and what is not.

 

You are pointing to the assimilation by the Hebrew culture of a more ancient accounting. The first story is in fact an earlier, not later account.

Actually Genesis 2 is every bit as chronological as 1. 2 goes in linear fashion from action to action, from cause to effect. We needn't make exceptions to "establish" the truth.

 

I quote In the Beginning: Two Stories of Creation by Doug Linder (2004).

Genesis 2 was written much before Genesis 1.

 

Because I assume it is a simile. That is how a simile is written in the English language. Why should it be any different here? Besides, a good amount of the Bible is supposed to be taken metaphorically. Jesus' parables were all metaphorical for example.

 

My point exactly

 

Perhaps, but there is a certain level of assumption you have to make with Bible interpretation.

 

The quote you provide states that the impersonal creator story arose perhaps in coordination with one of his contemporaries. Exactly what I stated, the Hebrews assimilated parts of the culture that they were living in. The point of emergence is always now. The impersonal God version is more ancient arising with the original agricultural societies of the region, which predate the nomadic iterations.

 

But where are you getting it from that the impersonal God version is more ancient when it was actually written much later? I'm not sure what you're getting at with that.

 

Because the story, while thoroughly modern to Hebrew history was already ancient in the history of Mesopotamia.

 

Even though the motifs and structure were similar, the theology of each were radically different.

The other "gods" created men and women to serve the sun and moon and other celestial objects.

The Hebrew God created the sun and moon and stars to serve humankind.

 

Several kinds of mustard plants are found growing wild in Palestine, black mustard (Brassica nigra) being the variety commonly cultivated. In rich soil the seed, after a few months, may become treelike, a plant measuring as much as 4.5 m (15 ft) in height, with a central stalk having the thickness of a man’s arm. The flowers of mustard plants are yellow and the leaves rather irregularly edged and dark green in color. The pods that develop contain a row of seeds, those of the black mustard being dark brown. In the fall the stems and branches of the plants harden and become rigid, strong enough to support birds such as linnets and finches that feed on the seeds.

While some may argue that a mustard grain is not “the tiniest” of all seeds, orchid seeds being smaller, and that it does not actually become “a tree,” it must be borne in mind that Jesus was speaking in terms familiar to his audience. As far as Jesus’ listeners were concerned, the mustard grain was indeed among the tiniest seeds planted, and it is noteworthy that the Arabs designate as “trees” plants smaller than the mustard.

 

We are not talking about giants 100 feet tall. Someone 6'8" to 8' can be considered to be a "giant".

 

The use of the word "like" is a good clue, whereas if only the word "is" is used, more than likely it should be taken at face value.

Thus, whose height was like the height of the cedars, is a simile; whereas whose height is the height of the cedars, would taken at face value.

 

And your point is that you never learned how to identify a simile when you see one?

 

I think that's his point in a nutshell.

 

How are these verses to be interpreted?


Leviticus


20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

20:11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

20:12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

 

By your reasoning the entire bible could be looked at as a simile with no more knowledge to be obtained from it than any of the other "monotheisms" that originate from the same area.

Also why would a simile be required when the miraculous seemed to be common place throughout the bible?

 

You should note the word "like". It's a simile.

Editted to add: no-one claimed the entire Bible was a simile. But that passage clearly isn't literal.