Seek the Bible’s Zen Inspired Spiritual Insight
This Hebrew Bible blog seeks hidden, unbiased meanings in the text of the Bible, unrelated to any formal religion. I used the term Zen because we need to learn to read the text with empty mind, without prejudice or preconceptions. Only then can we really hear what the Bible is telling us, leading us along our personal spiritual path.
For the side-by-side Hebrew and English text we use https://mechon-mamre.org/
Dear Ran:
I have a question: WHY is the Kingdom of Israel always referred as a adulterous “WIFE”, but then all over the book of Jeremiah is referred as “SONS” and not more as a repentant wife?
Let me know, thanks!
Thank you Jaime for a challenging question. 🙂 I am not sure I have a perfect answer, but let me share with you one of my favourite passages of the Bible, from Jeremiah 31:
Thus said the LORD:
A cry is heard Ramah-e—
Wailing, bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted
For her children, who are gone.
Thus said the LORD:
Restrain your voice from weeping,
Your eyes from shedding tears;
For there is a reward for your labor
—declares the LORD:
They shall return from the enemy’s land.
And there is hope for your future
—declares the LORD:
Your children shall return to their country.
The people of Israel are sinful, the people of Israel will get the punishment . They will be sent away from the land, from their homes. They deserve this punishment, but punishment without showing love, showing care will create hatred, resentment, lack of hope. Being years if the diaspora they would feel that God does not love them any more.
So by punishing them while referring to them as CHILDREN god tells them. You deserve your punishment. But even if it will take a long time, I still love you, you are still my children. Do not despair. Think about the bad you have done, think about how you will be after the punishment, but never forget that you are my children.
I would love to hear your opinion about it.
BTW, I used JPS (Jewish Publication Society 1985) for this translation. I find that unlike other translations that focus on the accuracy of the words. This one focuses on conveying the feeling of mourning, the feeling of the poem, which in this particular passage, I think is much more important