Tag Archives: the King James Version of the Bible

This Passage Requires Further Examination

Posted on September 6, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Since I recently used the title “What Just Happened,” I had to come up with another way to explain this passage in the Bible. Moses wasn’t instructed by God to be brief in certain portions of the book of Genesis. Subsequently, when Moses writes the Lord slew Er, no further details are unveiled. This is where reading the Bible turns into studying the Bible as today’s passage requires further examination.

At that time Judah withdrew from his brothers and went to [lodge with] a certain Adullamite named Hirah. 2 There Judah saw and met a daughter of Shuah, a Canaanite; he took her as wife and lived with her. 3 And she became pregnant and bore a son, and he called him Er. 4 And she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan. 5 Again she conceived and bore a son and named him Shelah. [They were living] at Chezib when she bore him, Genesis 38:1-5.

According to one statistical site, there are 250 angel encounters in the Bible. While death is mentioned in 1752 times in the Bible, only 7 of these accounts refer to angels of death. However, if God slew Er and Onan over a short period of time, their deaths might also be part of a curse. Since Moses is also the author of Deuteronomy 28, God could have simply allowed Er and Onan to die prematurely. Unfortunately, Moses just isn’t specific enough to know for sure.

Now Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him, Genesis 38:6-7.

After cross referencing these passages with the King James Version of the Bible, this translation also uses the phrase, “God slew him.” Upon further examination of a Bible commentary, I discovered that Moses was trying to say that Er and Onan both were cut off by God. Subsequently, each suffered an untimely death shortly after committing their wicked acts. If you want to know what really happened in the Bible. some passages require further examination.

by Jay Mankus

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Peniel

Posted on July 25, 2023 by expressyourself4him

The Old Testament is filled with words that if you’re reading too fast, you’ll miss what this term means. At the conclusion of his wrestling match with an angel of the Lord, Jacob receives a revelation from God. Jacob was so moved by outlasting God, he named this particular place Peniel. The context of this dedication is the realization that Jacob has seen the face of God and lived.

Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what [in contrast] is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And [b][the Angel of God declared] a blessing on [Jacob] there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [the face of God], saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is spared and not snatched away, Genesis 32:29-30.

 According to the scholars who completed the King James Version of the Bible, there are 783,137 words in this particular translation. Meanwhile, other theologians suggest that there are actually 790,676 totals words in the entire Bible. When I took a speed-reading course in my junior year of high school, this was designed to prevent me from daydreaming as I read. However, even when I daily study the Bible, I often glance over words like Peniel.

And as he passed Penuel [Peniel], the sun rose upon him, and he was limping because of his thigh. 32 That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the hollow of the thigh, because [the Angel of the Lord] touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh on the sinew of the hip, Genesis 32:31-32.

Dr. Temperance Brennan played by Emily Deschanel in the television series Bones would be fascinated by the above passage of the Bible. This is the type of knowledge that scientist’s geek out over. However, the more sentimental the individual, the place where this happened to Jacob will be more appealing. Subsequently, Peniel symbolizes the beginning of Israel, a new identity, and the end of Jacob. As modern Christians put into practice the apostle Paul’s advice in Colossians 3:5-14, you too can have a fresh start as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

by Jay Mankus

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Pleasant to the Sight

Posted on December 2, 2022 by expressyourself4him

The King James Version uses the word pleasant 57 times in the Bible. The context of this usage ranges from pleasant to the sight to delightful places on earth. Human nature tends to focus on the physical aspect of pleasant. According to Jesus’ earthly brother, anyone who fixates on physical features with a second glance opens the door for lust to enter your life, James 1:13-15. This is what happened to Eve in Genesis 3:6, turning what God meant for good into the rebellious act of sin.

And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired—good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing and calamity, Genesis 2:9.

Like any famous garden, there are certain centerpieces that attract visitors from across the country annually. According to Moses, the focal point of the Garden of Eden was the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Based upon the passage above, both were located in the center of Eden. The beauty of this garden inspired the name for this special place as the word Eden means delight when translated into English.

The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage, Psalm 16:5-6.

The apostle Paul explains the internal struggle that takes place within every human being, Galatians 5:16-18. While certain individuals and places have been blessed with attractive physical features, you have to make sure appreciation doesn’t turn into enticement. Jesus compares eyes to the lamp of human bodies, Matthew 6:22-23. If a lack of discipline causes your eyes to turn toward darkness, you’ll likely experience unwholesome lust, 1 John 2:16. May this blog urge you to center your attention on appreciation rather than lust.

by Jay Mankus

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A Little Bit of Kindness Can Go A Long Way

Posted on September 21, 2021 by expressyourself4him

In the King James Version of the Bible, the actual term for kindness is one word “lovingkindness.” Loving kindness is found 30 times in this translation of the Bible. The most famous passage where kindness is found is known as the Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. According to the apostle Paul, kindness is a reflection of the Holy Spirit living inside of a human being. When displayed, a little bit of kindness can go a long way.

But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors [z]so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but [aa]considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. 36 So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these], Luke 6:35-36.

Jesus has a different standard for his followers. Christians are expected to not only love their enemies, but to pray for them as well. When kindness is poured out upon the heart broken, poor and total strangers, souls are encouraged and uplifted. Unfortunately, in this age of social media, kindness is a lost art. Rather than share kind comments, posts and tweets, gossip, slander and trashing others has taken center stage.

 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). 32 And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you, Ephesians 4:31-32.

The apostle Paul reveals in the passage above how to overcome negativity. Instead of allowing yourself to be poisoned by the darkness in this world, Paul calls Christians to be compassionate, tenderhearted and understanding. Despite how other individuals may treat you, genuine kindness is learning how to forgive as Jesus forgave you. When this perspective becomes fully grasped, a little bit of kindness can go a long way in changing your spheres of influence for the better.

by Jay Mankus

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Comforted, Cheered, and Encouraged

Posted on May 27, 2021 by expressyourself4him

The term encourage(d) appears 9 times in the King James Version of the Bible. In an age where negative news steals most of the headlines, most Americans are searching for hope. Some sort of cheer, inspiration or uplifting story that rallies troubled souls to keep moving forward. Life is hard enough as it is without critics and condemnation from haters on social media.

[For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One). 3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden, Colossians 2:2-3.

While writing a letter to members of the Church at Colosse, Paul gets sentimental in the passage above. Just as King Solomon warned Old Testament readers to guard their hearts, Proverbs 4:23, Paul urges believers to brace human hearts with comfort, cheer and encouragement. If the heart is the wellspring of life, protecting it all cost is essential. This is Paul’s prayer for the church that he helped plant during one of his missionary journeys.

Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ’s appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life. 11 Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing, 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11.

In one of two letters to the Church at Thessalonica, Paul reminds Christians of the hope that is in Jesus. Instead of dwelling on the negative side of mankind’s fallen, sinful nature, Paul shifts to the positive. Verses like John 3:16-17 and Romans 5:8, reinforces that Jesus died while we were still sinners. This is the good news of the gospel, 1 John 5:13, providing a reason to celebrate. This is why modern Christians should be comforted, cheerful and encouraged.

by Jay Mankus

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