Nothing to intrepret, Pacer. It is to be taken as it is written. Literally.
Jeremiah, we have a translation of a translation of a translation, and so on. None of the versions of Bible is a "direct translation" from the Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek Bible. A lot has been lost in the translation.
Do not attempt to go down that road with me, Pacer. Because it will avail you nothing.
The bible is the most intact book of antiquity in existence in the world today. I will quote for you what one Professor said although I could quote fifty or more yet this one is sufficent.
From the book Evidence that Demands a Verdict - Chapter 1 The Uniqueness of the Bible
Professor M. Montiero-Williams, former Boden professor of Sanskrit, spent 42 years studying Eastern books and said in comparing them with the Bible:
Pile them, if you will, on the left side of your study table, but place your own Holy Bible on the right side - all by itself, all alone - and with a wide gap between them, For, . . . there is a gulf between it and the so-called sacred books of the East which severs the one from the other utterly, hopelessly and forever . . . a veritable gulf which cannot be bridged over by any science of religious thought.
And now I am typing out the words of Josh McDowell, author of the book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict:
The bible is unique. It is a Book "different from all others" in the following ways ( plus a multitude more ) :
UNIQUE IN ITS CONTINUITY. Here is a book:
1. Written over 1,500 year span.
2. Written over 40 generations.
3. Written by over 40 authors from every walk of life including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.:
Moses, a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt.
Peter, a fisherman
Amos, a herdsman
Joshua, a military general
Nehemiah, a cupbearer
Daniel, a prime minister
Luke, a doctor
Solomon, a king
Matthew, a tax collector
Paul, a rabbi
4. Written in different places:
Moses in the wilderness
Jeremiah in a dungeon
Daniel on a hillside and in a palace
Paul inside prison walls
Luke while traveling
John on the isle of Patmos
Others in the rigors of a military campaign
5. Written at different times:
David in times of war
Solomon in times of peace
6 Written in different moods:
Some writing during different moods:
Some writing from heights of joy and others writing from the depths of sorrow and despair.
7. Written on three continents
Asia, Africa, and Europe
8. Written in three languages:
Hebrew: Was the Language of the Old Testament.
In II Kings 18: 26 - 28 called "the language of Judah."
In Isaiah 19:18 called "the language of Canaan."
Aramaic: Was the "common language" of the Near East until the time of Alexander the Great ( 6th Century B.C. - 4th Century B.C. )
Greek: New testament language. Was the international language at the time of Christ.
9. It's subject matter includes hundreds of contraversial subjects. A contraversial subject is one which would create opposing opinions mentioned or discussed.
Biblical authors spoke on hundreds of contraversial subjects with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. There is one unfolding story: "Gods redemption of man. "
From page 16 Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.. the 9 power points written by Josh McDowell -
let me conclude with his 10th.. here it is : Conclusion of continuity:
A representative of the Great Books of the Western World came to my house recruiting salesmen for their series. He spread out the chart of the Great Books of the Western World series.
He spent five minutes talking to us about the Great Books of the Western World series, and we spent an hour and a half talking to him about the Greatest Book.
I challenged him to take just 10 of the authors, all from one walk of life, one generation, one place, one time, one mood, one continent, one language, and just one contraversial subject ( the Bible speaks on hundreds with harmony and agreement )
then I asked him: Would they ( the authors ) agree? He paused and then replied, No! What would you have I retorted? Immediately he said, " A conglomeration".
Two days later he commited his life to Jesus Christ. ( the theme of the Bible )
Why all this? Very simple! Any person sincerely seeking truth would at least consider a book with the above unique qualifications!!
Quoted from Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict - I have no link - I typed this all out by hand from the following pages ---->page 15, 16, 17
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Let's stop here and I will tell you this, Pacer. You are not going to start trying to discredit the authenticity of the bible with me. I won't have it.
You are going to listen to me or I am going to have to leave you to yourself. This is not burger king here. You do not get it your way.
You get it Gods way or no way at all.
If you want the truth I will give you all of my time to deliver it to you but if you are going to use discussions such as this to achieve your own agenda then there shall be no discussions. My time belongs to the LORD and you are not going to waste "His Time" like that.
Think it over and let me know. In the meantime I am going to dinner. See you later, God willing. - Jeri