comparable

April 15, 2019

The kingdom of God (Lk 13:18-13:18)

“Jesus said therefore.

‘What is the kingdom

Of God like?

To what

Should I compare it?’”

 

Ἔλεγεν οὖν Τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν;

 

Luke indicated that Jesus asked (Ἔλεγεν οὖν) what the kingdom of God was like (Τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ)?  What could he compare it to (καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν)?  Jesus was trying to figure out how to explain the kingdom of God.  Could he find anything comparable?  This saying of Jesus about the kingdom of God can also be found in Mark, chapter 4:30, who might have been the source of this saying.  Mark reported that Jesus said (Καὶ ἔλεγεν) what can we compare the kingdom of God with (Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ)?  What parable will we use for it (ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν)?  Jesus wanted to know how to explain the kingdom of God with a good parable.  That is basically the same as here in Luke, but Luke did not mention any parable usage.  How would you explain the Kingdom of God?

August 28, 2017

The fourth beast (Dan 7:7-7:7)

“After this,

I saw

In the visions,

By night,

A fourth beast.

It was terrifying,

Dreadful,

Exceedingly strong.

It had great iron teeth.

It was devouring.

It was breaking in pieces.

It was stamping

What was left,

With its feet.

It was different

From all the beasts

That preceded it.

It had ten horns.”

Daniel described, in the first-person singular, this fourth or last beast as not really comparable to any other animal. This night vision of a beast was terrifying and dreadfully strong. It had great iron teeth that devoured and tore to pieces anything it wanted to. It even stamped on whatever was left with its feet. It had 10 horns, probably a reference to the Greek, Alexander the Great, with his 10 successive rulers.

February 24, 2017

Does anything compare to Jerusalem (Lam 2:13-2:13)

Mem

“What can I say

To you?

To what shall

I compare you?

O daughter Jerusalem!

To what can I liken you?

How may I comfort you?

O virgin daughter Zion!

Vast as the sea

Is your ruin.

Who can heal you?”

Now the author laments about how to compare what has happened in Jerusalem. Is there anything comparable? How can he comfort Zion? This virgin daughter Zion is beyond healing. Her ruin is as vast as the sea. This author of the Lamentations really sounds like a distraught elderly widow who has lost her husband. Perhaps there is an element of exaggeration, as if no other city had ever suffered defeat or ruin. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Mem. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.