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Good Morning, Everyone! :hibye: Daily Scriptural Text for Wednesday, February 7, 2007:

5 No one is like [YHWH] our God, Who rules from heaven,

6 Who bends down to look at the skies and the earth.

7 [YHWH] lifts the poor from the dirt and takes the helpless from the ashes.
--Psalm 113:5-7, New Century Version. (I included verse five to complete the thought.)

Complementary Scriptures:

20 And then [Jesus] added, "It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you."
--Mark 7:22, 23, New Living Translation. (I included verses twenty and twenty-one to complete the thought.)
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A quotation from this morning's comments as found in Examining the Scriptures Daily:

"Some Bibles render Psalm 113:6 as saying that God Humbles Himself."

6 Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth.
--New American Standard Bible.

6 Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!--The Amplified Bible.

6 Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?--New King James Version.

5 Who [is] as Jehovah our God,
He is exalting [Himself] to sit?
6 He is humbling [Himself] to look
On the heavens and on the earth.--Verses five and six, Young's Literal Translation.

(Many, many more could be cited.)
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36 You protect me with Your saving shield.
You have stooped to make me great.--2 Samuel 22:36, New Century Version.
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My comment: This morning's Scriptural text raises a bit of an enigmatic question in my mind. Why did the NWT Translation Committee choose the word "condescending," -- rather than ... "humbles," ... "stoops," ... "bends down," ... or, ... "bends over," -- as all other English translations say? I could not find even one other translation that says, ... "condescending," ... or, anything remotely similar. Perhaps some of our Hebrew scholars can help us out here. The enigma (imo)  is the fact that this morning's comments, as found in Examining the Scriptures Daily, expend a good deal of effort to explain how that "humble" might be a better translation! Than that found in their own Bible. :confused:

My thought is that the word "condescending" puts the reader in a defensive, apologetic posture, as "Religion" is so often found attempting to do.

"Oh, I'm sorry, God. I didn't mean to disturb You. I didn't mean to make You 'condescend' to trouble Yourself with my concerns."

Rather than being an intimidating passage of Scripture, the one-hundred-thirteenth Psalm is a very tender, endearing, encouraging and hope-inspiring passage.

So, why would "Religion," -- any Religion, -- want to change one word and turn the entire thought upside down? That question is for each of us to ponder, and to answer for ourselves.

Just as a person might ... "bend down," ... "bend over," ... or, ... "stoop," ... to examine a delicate flower or some other tiny marvel of creation, ...

6 [YHWH, our God] stoops to look down [tenderly] on heaven and on earth.--New Living Translation.

Have A Wonderful Wednesday, Everybody! :giverose:
Praise YHWH And The Lamb For Their Tender Mercies! :birds:

Much LOVE to ALL! :love: isomam

Our Father has the desire to bend down and take notice of us helpless ones.  How comforting to know that he cares so deeply about us that he will stoop down, to see where we are at.

Once again...men messing with the Bible:rant:

Love
Lynn:grouphug: