The Bible and Science – Sour and Bitter

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I will make a simple introduction into the science part of sour and bitter before going to the Bible material. Our “modern” knowledge of sour and bitter can transfer some metaphorical ideas associated with these two taste sensations.

In early-years studies of acids you were told they have a sour taste. Lemon juice, soft drinks, and certain types of candy may have been given as examples of things that are sour or acidic. Hydrogen ions (H+), their pH numbers between 0 and 6.9, and their ability to turn pH paper to a red color would have soon been added to define an acid. The strength of an acid is related to the hydrogen ion concentration and its reactivity. You will not find acid in the Bible but sour is used several times and is connected to grapes, wine, or vinegar.

Bitter tasting is how we describe a base or OH- or hydroxide ions. Their pH goes from 7.1 to 14 or higher; they turn pH paper blue. The best descriptor for bitter was a spoon of powered cocoa. It is an experience you do not forget. Concentration is again key to its reactivity. Soap and natron (Proverbs 25:20) is the connection to bases in the Bible. Bitter people and roots are used several times in Scripture.

Both acids and bases are corrosive. Strength and contact time will determine the reaction. If they are mixed together, they try to form H20 and “a salt”. I could push treaties as “neutral” but I won’t.

The FIRST aid for skin contact is running water and plenty of it; the second aid may be more complex. If either are swallowed the first aid can be more complicated because of internal reactions; know your chemical and the treatments for them from the label or MSDS.

Sour

I suggest using a text analysis website for your verse as translators do not always see it the same and use similar but not exactly the same word(s).

Strong’s Hebrew: 1155. בֹּ֫סֶר (boser) — unripe or sour grapes (biblehub.com)

ὄξος | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com   oxos

There is a proverb in Jeremiah 31:29 and Ezekiel 18:2 (remember they are contemporaries) about fathers eating sour grapes (sin) and the children suffering for it. Father God put an end to that proverb with those two witnesses. The children have their teeth blunted or set on edge, that could be the feeling or reaction of an acid on teeth.   

Oxos in the New Testament is used with sour wine or vinegar that was given to Jesus as a drink on the Cross, Matthew 27:48. Yes, that drink has a lot of history, prophecy, and science with it and I will not uncork all of those bottles here. Vinegar or “soured wine” was a common drink (See Ruth) in those days, water and spices were added to make it pleasing to the taste. I believe posca is what it is called today. Just leave wine uncovered for a few days and a fancy vinegar is now in your bottle. There are two possible reason the soldiers had vinegar: 1. It was posca. 2. Vinegar may have been used for cleaning; a sponge may have been in their helmets or they used them for cleaning. Xylospongium – Wikipedia It is not lost on me that the last thing Jesus consumed was soured grapes.

The etz that produces grapes, wine, vinegar, and raisins has a long history in the Bible. It starts with Noah getting drunk, there is the rules for Nazirites, and the drink (water and wine) that was used during our Lord’s last supper and communion. (For you Hebrew scholars, etz means wood or tree; well at least when Moses wrote Genesis. Later, another word for wood was added and vine tree is in the KJV. Vines are still wood, even though you are not making much from it.) There are two etz that have a long and varied metaphorical usage in the Bible: grapes and figs. Yes, there are other fruit trees (olives, dates) but those two have a lot of symbolism hanging from their branches. For “good and evil” those two fruits from a woody plant are ripe in my leaf and ink Scriptures. (Sorry, puns happen.) A little contrast here, grains (bread) produce beer or the “strong” drink in the Bible.

Bitter

Bitter can have several associated words if you go searching for it like bile and venom. It refers to human spirits, speech, and actions. The New Testament has four times it is used. (See πικρία | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com) The bitterroot in Hebrews 12:15 comes to my mind first. Many of the Hebrew words come from H4843. Job has three different words in it and Jeremiah has H8563 used twice.

Bitter is a problem. It can sit inside for a long time and quietly spread. It may affect your health and relationships without you knowing why. But take bitter and add sour, you will get the same reaction as vinegar and baking soda (natron); something will bubble up and be apparent.

Root ῥίζα | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com  

Bible 911 – Job

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Job 9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. (KJV)

This edition of Bible 911 on Job is an anniversary, two years since the first one. In my first Bible 911, I put down some thoughts of why I wanted to do these. It has been a fun study for me, but the thing that has become clear is the need for STUDY. Job has a rich history of opinions, facts, and questions. These two references are being given as an example of what is out there. As with most of my reference links, read them, compare the information, and hear from God. Do I agree with everything that is written, no; but that is the nature of studying a topic.

Was there a Job? There is no reason to doubt that this man and his tale of finding a deeper relationship with God really happened. I do however, like the allegorical picture of the Book of Job representing the religions of the Levant. It is easy to accept Job as a believing Gentile, after all Melchizedek and Balaam also knew God and they are not related to Jacob.

I did a post on Job’s four friends. Please add Elihu to the count, many people do not. There are other speakers in this Book that we do not think about: God, Job’s wife, the servants, the Accuser (Satan), and Job’s family (at the end of the story). For me to keep them straight I color-coded the text of the major speakers; that helped.

Job 9:11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. (KJV)

Job 9:11 Hebrew Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

From this analysis I found the word “he passeth” to be important. The Hebrew word is chalaph,# H2498, and has a meaning of “to pass on or away, pass through”. It is part of Eliphaz’s vision (4:15), Zophar uses the word twice (11:10 and 20:24), and Job says it in 9:11 and 26, 14:7, and 29;20. In 9:11, I see it as a comparison of how the troubling spirit acts as to how God behaves.

Job had complaints and observations. He did complain (See 7:13, 9:27, 10:1, 21:4, and 23:2)? There was a relationship between God and Job that the first three friends knew could exist but they did not enjoy. They quoted Kingdom wisdom and principles but was it from a righteous knowing of God and how He does things? I can say no because of Job 42:7. (One reason for color-coding the speeches was to check any statement/verse that I might want to use.) Many of the words for complain are also translated musing, so view them as a child talking to his Father.

My big takeaway is good intentions may not have a good foundation. The goal here is to know the God of Exodus 34:6 and 7. So, careful reading and application of the wisdom in the conversations is necessary, because some of the “friends’ comments” is good ole religious mudslinging. Knowledge, like modern fertilizer, has a good and evil application, it will cause plants to grow or it can be used to blow up buildings.

Here are some interesting observations that I have heard or made.

  1. Sacrifice is important in the first and last chapters of Job; in these times he was sacrificing for someone else.
  2. Part of what Satan did in stealing the animals was to take away Job’s ability to sacrifice.
  3. I count seven trials Job faced between 1:13 and 2:11. Number six was his wife telling him to curse God and the seventh was his friends and their comments.
  4. Eliphaz, the chief friend, had a dream, 4:12-18 and probably to verse 21. This accusation from the spirit was the foundation of the friends wanting to help Job. Eliphaz repeats part of it in 15:14, Bildad uses it in 25:4, and he refers to it in 8:3 when he brings in the justice aspect of righteousness, and Job even says part of it in 9:1. “A mortal is not more righteous than God” but the fruit of that vision/dream is shown in 42:7 because the friends did not speak right about God.
  5. In 9:11, I believe, Job is commenting on the spirit and that message by Eliphaz and Bildad. It is also a part of an observation about God and His righteous ability to judge.

Complaints in the Bible or Musing to Murmuring

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Well, I suggest you use this post as a launchpad for your own study of complaining found in the Bible. This study comes from looking into Job 9:11 and righteousness in the Book of Isaiah. I am surprised at the scope of the thoughts about “complaints” in the Bible; God bless translators. The word complain was not the key term I used in this study; the links below will show this.

These links are not in any particular order. These are great resources as they have more than my ink and leaf Strong’s Concordance and show how the word is used in translations besides the KJV. 

Additional words of “complain” in the Strong’s/KJV

  • H 7378 – to toss or grapple
  • H 1058 – to weep
  • H 596 – to mourn or complain
  • H 6682 – a screech or cry
  • G 3202
  • G 157 – to have affection for

There are several types of “complaints” in the Bible, you will find man complaining to and about God, God “complaining” about man and man-to-man interactions. To complicate this, you need to look at what is being said and how it is being done. How does this relate to righteous behavior? Part of our concept of righteousness is our active relationship with the Father. So, communicating with God is our praises, our thanks, our needs, and our concerns. Righteous not religious is the goal. How do you want your friends and children to speak to you? 

This balance is shown in two interesting texts. The first is the Ten Commandments. The first four focus on how to relate to God; the last six are how we are to treat other people. My second comparison is the Lord’s Prayer, the first part is towards the Father, and starting with asking for our daily epiousios bread is our needs and how we relate to our fellow man.

Prophets Who “Complained”

I will list five prophets, there may be more and more examples from these five. Each of these men were under stress for different reasons.

Isaiah 24:16 – Chapter 24 is complex, 1-13 is about destruction, 14-16a is praise to God, and 16b is Isaiah wailing because of his condition. Most of his kings did right in the eyes of the Lord, but he must have been burdened by what he was seeing in his visions.

Jeremiah 12, see Chapters 15 and 16, and 20:7 – 18. Chapter 12 is a complaint of what Jeremiah sees and God answers this in the second part of the chapter. 20:7-18 is a complaint and I did not find an answer to it. There is another complaint section for Jeremiah; 15:10 is a complaint followed by an answer 11 – 14; 15 – 18 is another complaint followed by the Lord’s reply 19 – 21 and Jeremiah in 16:19 makes a statement of repentance.

He did not have an easy job; Babylon was coming to destroy Jerusalem, the people did not like him, the king would not do what was right, and his own family was plotting to kill him.   

Habakkuk 1:2 and 12, then 2:1 – His book is built on two questions that stem from what he sees around him. 2:1 is his resolve to wait for an answer. God did answer both of his questions 5-11 and 2:2 – 20. Habakkuk ends his oracle with a “musical prayer” where he is giving quality time to the Lord.

Elijah – In the cave he was moaning to God because of Jezebel and his limited information on how many people were still faithful to God. (1 Kings 19)

Jonah – His complaint, I feel, came more from the fact that if Nineveh was not destroyed it would technically make him a false prophet. He knew God was merciful and he did not want to go.

Others Who Used Their Voices

David and the Psalms – Much of David’s life is an open book for us to read, his complaints and praises. Okay, that is because he wrote about them in the psalms or songs he wrote. They record a wide range of emotions and feelings. 1 Samuel 30 may have been one of the roughest spots for him up to that time in his life; Saul and Israel were after him, the Philistines had just booted him out of camp, he returns to Ziklag to find everything taken, and his men are mad at him. Did he “complain”? Most people I know would have said a few words and phrases at that moment, but those led to 1 Samuel 30:6 and I can hear Psalm 71 starting to be shaped in his heart. That song may have been finished when his son, Absalom, tried to overthrow his kingdom. Here are some other examples of Psalms that reflect a down time or a time of meditation.

  • Psalm 1:2
  • Psalm 31:1
  • Psalm 55:2
  • Psalm 64:1
  • Psalm 102:1
  • Psalm 142:2

The Journey – I will draw a line in the Red Sea for this post. On the west side of the line is Egypt, which is now a defeated foe, the miracles that subdued Egypt’s gods, and a healthy people leaving with riches. Now to the east side of the line is a new life so they can meet and know their God, and thank Him for freeing them and the Promised Land. Those forty years are well documented. Take a Muse Moment and reflect on your Journey since your baptism?  

In Exodus and Numbers, the people complain about God Strong’s Hebrew: 8519. תְּלֻנּוֹת (tluwnah) — murmuring (biblehub.com)  See Testing God Ten Times. Moses did not like it when God said He would not go with them, Numbers 11:10. God had a few things to say about the People, Numbers 14:27. The people complain to Aaron about Moses on the Mountain, Exodus 32:1. There are more, but to be fair there were times when they willingly obeyed God and He did not fail to provide them with manna, shade in the day and a warm covering at night.

Job – 7:13, 9:27, 10:1, 21:4, and 23:2. Translators will vary on how they view the word “complaint”, so study. There are other passages in Job that would very easily come across to fit a modern idea of complaining.

New Testament – You may not find the word complain associated with any of these stories or parables, but I took off my “Good Morning” glasses and saw people who had a lot to say. I think the range of emotions went from musing to murmuring.

  • Luke 15 – the oldest son talking to his father
  • John 4 – the woman at the well
  • John 11:21 – Martha addressing Jesus about her brother dying
  • Luke 1 – Zechariah and Mary talking to the Gabriel. I have decided that this will be a Christmas 2024 post, so more on this later. But one of these murmured and one mused.

I took a break during my study and found this; it is related. Held (youtube.com) by Natalie Grant

My takeaway is not simple or cut and dry. The Hebrew words for complaining, moaning, and musing seem to carry a wide range of uses and applications. Your heart-attitude is a factor in musing or murmuring. God is not against you; He wants what is best for you.

ARMOR in Ephesians

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The armor in Ephesians 6 has been the object of at least one other study and probably will get a few more. See Putting On or Spandex Tight | Mark’s Bible Study (ificouldteachthebible.com) for my first post. Today, I will write on some of the reasons why Paul told us to put that armor on (enduo).

The Struggle or palē – This word is also translated wrestle and fight. Strong’s Greek: 3823. πάλη (palé) — wrestling, generally fight (biblehub.com) It is used once in the New Testament. (For a little advanced learning. Translators will use other Greek sources, like Homer and Herodotus, to get the meaning of these words.) The winner of Greek wrestling matches won only when they “stood” on the loser’s neck. This is what we are to do to the rulers, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces of darkness and evil. Unfortunately, we ignore this is not for flesh and blood, and certainly not fellow believers in Christ Jesus.

Stand or histēmi – See Strong’s Greek: 2476. ἵστημι (histémi) — to make to stand, to stand (biblehub.com)  This word is used many times in the New Testament and in a variety of ways.

Stand or anthistēmi – See Strong’s Greek: 436. ἀνθίστημι (anthistémi) — to set against, i.e. withstand (biblehub.com)  The KJV translates this as “withstand”; this seems weak in today’s uses of that word. Some Greek literature uses this as a military term, which fits the context of Paul’s writing. We are to oppose the darkness with force using the armor we are being instructed to wear/use. I think I might say “defend your ground”.

My Observations

  1. Jesus won.
  2. Our Old Testament has spears, bows and arrows, and slings. Did Paul forget these? They are long range weapons.
  3. I tend to think of this in Roman terms, which could be fair, expect armor has been around long before them. See 1 Samuel 18:4, this is Jonathan giving David his armor and weapons.
  4. The armour and weapons usually listed are for personal protection or close-quarter combat.
  5. The enemy uses flaming arrows.
  6. Christians have a Sword! Lol our “S – word”. Our Holy Spirit Word.
  7. Two things that do not make the list very often are the Spiritual weapons – Praying and Watching, verse 18. These may make us “Weap-on”.
  8. Have you ever seen a Sunday School lesson with a woman clothed in her armor and ready to anthistēmi?
  9. Notice the order of putting on the armor and weapons in Ephesians 6:13-18, it is how someone would get dressed by themselves to go into battle.

I like the Book of Ephesians, and the Armor section in Chapter 6. No, it is not an accident that Paul ended Ephesians with the armor in Chapter 6.

Righteousness # 3

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In this edition of Righteousness, I want to point out three separate text that deal with the condition of Jerusalem, its people, and the interesting thought in Isaiah 4:4. These same thoughts are started in Psalm 103 by David more than 250+ years before Isaiah.

In Repeats and Upgrades, I laid a foundation about the period that Isaiah prophesied in; I will add to these thoughts. His time of ministry is more than 250 years after the Temple was finished. The Northern Tribes were being attacked by Assyria, so Amos, Micah, Hosea, and others were helping the children of Jacob. Jerusalem has had good and bad periods, but he worked with Hezekiah and was probably killed, as an old man, by Manasseh. Manasseh was just bad news and did not follow the Lord at all.

The Land the Lord promised to Abraham is important to Him. Melchizedek is associated with Jerusalem and the sacrifice of Issac was on Mount Zion or Moriah. It is referenced/understood in the three passages below that there was a problem and that it would be corrected and “the city of Jerusalem” would be changed. Righteousness, justice, and salvation are in these references; it has the “legal” side of righteousness covered, but there is also the personal relationship part that needs to be recognized. Are all of these texts referring to the New Jerusalem in Revelations? There are many verses with a wide range of emotions talking about the earthly city of Jerusalem. (That is a great study for you to do.) So, are they talking about the people in Jerusalem at those times or the houses inside the four walls?  

These references are from the New American Standard Bible from Bible Gateway.

1:26 Then I will restore your judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”

4:2 – On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel. 3 And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

62: 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
12 And they will call them, “The holy people,
The redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.”

The spirit of burning

Isaiah 4:4 Hebrew Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

Strong’s Hebrew: 1197. בָּעַר (ba’ar) — brutish (biblehub.com)

This phrase caught my attention. “The spirit of burning” that cleans Jerusalem. In the NASB (Bible Gateway) this is used only once, the second reference is Revelations 4:5 with the focus of that verse talking about the Seven Spirits of God. The word for burning (H1197) will show you the verses of Moses talking to God in the burning bush. Great connection for Isaiah 4:4. (I will say again, God bless translators.) Put this phrase in with the prophecy that there will be no more global floods, just a consuming fire.