Category Archives: logos

NASA vs MASSA

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I found these transliterations, nasa and massa, while reading/studying Isaiah (NIV, 1998 edition). The greatness of these words became such a burden to me, I had to be an oracle and sing their meanings. All of you Hebrew scholars, please lighten up as I have fun exploring these terms.

Massa, Strong’s H4853, has several ideas connected to it, but “a burden” is the major one. The KJV and other translations render the word “a burden”. The 1998 NIV says “oracle” and the 2011 NIV uses the word prophecy. That is why I found these two great words; Bible Gateway did not have enough oracles listed. They changed the translation, NIV does this frequently, and it really messes with search tools.

When it is used as “burden”, it means you are personally carrying the load. It also is used as a “weighty message” or a hard or dark saying. Isaiah 13:1 has massa and Isaiah “saw” it as actions against Babylon.

Okay, I thought it looked like masa, which is a corn mush used in cooking.

Nasa, Strong’s H5375, is the “parent word” for massa and it means burden. Strong’s says it is used in many different ways and it is. The definition that is given is very specific in that it is a burden carried for someone else; like the Messiah, Jesus, carrying our sin to the cross.

That is the term for the United States Space Agency, period. I truly believe God has a sense of humor.

Show some love to a translator. The job they do to bring an ancient language to modern man is astounding. There really is no dictionary the ancients left for your use. These men and women find the words in every passage and have to piece together meaning from the context the word is found in. Then they use modern words so it makes sense to us. That is why the Dead Sea Scrolls improved scholars’ understanding of the biblical text, they have more to work with and compare.

So, place yourself into the world of Isaiah. He saw a vision that was “dark” toward Babylon and it weighed him down, so he spoke it out as a prophecy.      

Now that the corny burden is lifted to the moon and beyond, I can continue studying Isaiah, and not be weighed down by massa and nasa.

Krypto in the Bible

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Krypto and its various forms are used in the Bible that was written in Greek (New Testament). This is a thought that makes translators work, hard. I am using the Mounce website as a reference. The simple transliteration is krypto, but it does take various forms and is used eighteen times. In the text we read it may be-hid/hide, hidden, secret, covered, or concealed. The Strong’s number is G 2928.  

Some of the verses that caught my attention are:

Matthew 13: 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (KJV)

Matthew 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (KJV) This is from the Sermon on the Two Mounts.

On the lighter side, Superman’s dog is named Krypto. That should come from kryptonite and not something hidden.

The Bible and Science-Erg and Dyne

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I have been using the Mounce Interlinear to help in my studies. While studying the works of God I came across the words: ergon (Strong’s G2041) and energeo (Strong’s G1754). The science word I recognized is erg. In science, it is a unit of energy and is associated with work. The Greek words not only deal with work but doing work and some translations will also say power in some passages.

A dyne comes from the Greek word dúnamis (Strong’s G1411) and is power or force in the New Testament. Ergs and dynes come together in the formula for a joule. Our word dynamite is derived from dunamis.

A Word to Live by-Salvation

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Logos is a new category of study that is starting with the word salvation.  Since this is a Bible study blog you will need to be ready with your Word, a concordance, or at least a Bible study site like biblegateway.com.    

This post started by doing a search on the term “salvation”, where I went to the New Testament.  First, I noticed that the word salvation is not used in Matthew or Mark. (You may notice that number counts don’t match! Gateway does a verse count while a concordance does a word count. Throw in titles and modern word replacements, counts will vary between websites and concordances.)

You can focus on one verse, book, or writer and have a meaningful study.  I noticed in looking at the uses of salvation in the New Testament an interesting pattern.  In Luke 1: 69, 71, and 77, these verses are part of the prophecy of Zechariah about Jesus and John.  Luke 2:30 and 3:6 are “seeing” salvation.  Luke 19:9 and John 4:22 (only use) is Jesus talking to people about salvation – Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, and the Samaritan woman at the well. 

Luke starts again in Acts 4:12 with salvation for mankind and his next three mentions (concordance please) have the Gentiles included in receiving salvation.  The Holy Spirit continues the inclusion of Gentiles in Romans 1:16 and 11:11. 

Romans 13:11 starts another facet of material that presents things and ideas associated with salvation.  Paul includes two different verses about salvation being our “helmets” – Ephesians 6:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Hebrews and Peter (1+2) include many verses about salvation.  The last verse about salvation is Revelations 19:1 where “salvation, glory, and power belong to God”.

Hebrews 2:10 I found interesting because it is about Jesus.  He is the pioneer of our salvation that was made perfect by what He suffered (most of that thought is from the NIV).  “Perfect” in the thinking of the Old Testament would be one who is complete.  That may cause a bump in our modern thoughts about the term perfect.

FYI – biblegateway.com has forty verses with salvation in the New Testament NIV.  I found the ordering of the word salvation in the Logos interesting because it makes a logical presentation on the topic starting in Luke and going to Revelations.

Fall 

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Recently, I read a devotion about grace that talked about those who “fall from grace”. The verse that I found was Galatians 5: 3+4. KJV- 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. The writer of the devotion, Joseph Prince, pointed out that the verse is not referring to when we sin. Verse three is needed for context- For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. The people referenced in the verses are about to leave the grace we received in Jesus, from the Father, and chose to put themselves under the knife edge of the Law. Okay, on a humorous note the “become of no effect” can and has been translated as “cut off” from grace. Circumcised, cut off, I thought it shows the “funny” side of Paul. 

Fall, here is ekpipto, Strong’s #1601 G, which means to lose or forfeit. I may have to pay an earthly price for sinning, but God’s grace because of Jesus’ sacrifice is always available. You may decide to walk away from His grace, but that does not change His grace toward you. Repent, the grace is still there for you! 

This led to a quick study of the word “fall”. It should not surprise anyone that there is more than one Greek word we translate into fall. My next fall is in Hebrews 12:15, where we are to help people not fall short of God’s grace and have no bitter root grow in us. The word for fall here is hystereo, Strong’s 5302 G, yes it does sound like hysterical. It means to be in lack or need or to fall short. It sounds like they need teaching about the grace you want when you mess up. 

Matthew 13:21 is the next “fall away” I want to look at. These are the people who have no roots and fall away because of trouble. Yes, they took the Word with joy, but they decided to walk away. The Greek word is skandalizo, Strong’s 4624 G. Yes, the word scandal has its root here. The meaning is focused on “an offense”. This parable of the sower came to my mind when I read “fall from grace”. I think it is more of a trip when they leave the Seed and look for the path. 

God bless translators. But be a Berean and study. That way you will not get offended because of a hard spot and fall, then walk away. 

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