human hands

March 7, 2019

The Son of Man will be delivered to men (Lk 9:43-9:44)

“Jesus said

To his disciples.

‘Let these words

Sink into your ears!

The Son of Man

Is going to be

Betrayed

Into human hands.’”

 

εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ Θέσθε ὑμεῖς εἰς τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν τοὺς λόγους τούτους· ὁ γὰρ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μέλλει παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said to his disciples (εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ) that they should let these words sink into their ears (Θέσθε ὑμεῖς εἰς τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν τοὺς λόγους τούτους).  The Son of Man (ὁ γὰρ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) was about to be betrayed (μέλλει παραδίδοσθαι) into human hands (εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων).  Luke had Jesus insist that they listen to what he had to say to them.  This saying about the fate of the Son of Man can also be found in Matthew, chapter 17:22, and Mark, chapter 9:31, but they both mentioned the death and resurrection of Jesus that was not mentioned here.  Mark said that Jesus was teaching his disciples.  Thus, he told them that the Son of Man was about to be betrayed into human hands, without mentioning any particular group.  They were going to put him to death.  However, after being killed, three days later he would rise again.  Matthew said that Jesus and his disciples were gathering together in Galilee, probably getting ready to go to Jerusalem.  Jesus told them that the Son of Man was about to be betrayed by human hands, without mentioning any particular group as he had done earlier.  They were going to kill him.  However, on the third day, he would be raised up.  There was no mention of the death and resurrection of Jesus here in Luke, just his human betrayal.  Have you ever betrayed anyone?

November 19, 2018

Destroy the Temple in three days (Mk 14:58-14:58)

“They said.

‘We heard him say.

‘I will destroy

This Temple

That is made

With human hands.

Then in three days,

I will build another,

Not made

With human hands.’”

 

ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὅτι Ἐγὼ καταλύσω τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον τὸν χειροποίητον καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἄλλον ἀχειροποίητον οἰκοδομήσω.

 

This is similar to Matthew, chapter 26:60-61, who said that at last 2 witnesses came forward to speak out.  There was nothing like this in Luke, chapter 22, and John, chapter 18.  Mark indicated that someone said that they had heard this man saying (ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος) that he was going to destroy this Temple made by human hands (ὅτι Ἐγὼ καταλύσω τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον τὸν χειροποίητον).  Matthew had called it the Temple of God (τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ).  Then Jesus said that he would build another Temple in three days (καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἄλλον οἰκοδομήσω) without human hands (ἀχειροποίητον).  There was no indication of when these witnesses said that Jesus had uttered these words.

 

October 3, 2018

The prediction about the future (Mk 9:31-9:31)

“Jesus was teaching

His disciples.

He said to them.

‘The Son of Man

Will be betrayed

Into human hands.

They will kill him.

Three days after

Being killed,

He will rise again.’”

 

ἐδίδασκεν γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι Ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται.

 

This saying about the fate of the Son of Man can also be found in Matthew, chapter 17:22-23, and Luke, chapter 9:44, with some minor changes.  This was not the first time that Jesus had talked about his future betrayal, death, and resurrection, since it was mentioned earlier in this work in chapters 8:31 and 9:12.  Mark said that Jesus was teaching his disciples (ἐδίδασκεν γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ).  He told them (καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς) that the Son of Man (ὅτι Ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) was about to be betrayed into human hands (παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων), without mentioning any particular group.  They were going to kill him or put him to death (καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν).  However, after being killed (καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς). three days later (μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας), he would rise again (ἀναστήσεται).

May 21, 2018

The future of the Son of Man (Mt 17:22-17:23)

“As they were gathering

In Galilee,

Jesus said to them.

‘The Son of Man

Is going to be betrayed

Into human hands.

They will kill him.

On the third day,

He will be raised.’

They were greatly distressed.”

 

Συστρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς Μέλλει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων,

καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται. καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα.

 

This saying about the fate of the Son of Man can also be found in Mark, chapter 9:30-31, and Luke, chapter 9:44, with some minor changes.  This was not the first time that Jesus had talked about this, since it was mentioned earlier in this work, chapter 16:21, in more detail.  Jesus and his disciples were gathering together in Galilee (Συστρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ), probably getting ready to go to Jerusalem.  Jesus said to them (εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς) that the Son of Man was about to be betrayed by human hands (Μέλλει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων), without mentioning any particular group as he had done earlier.  They were going to kill him or put him to death (καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν).  However, on the third day (καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ), he would be raised up (ἐγερθήσεται).  On hearing this, the disciples were greatly vexed, pained, or distressed (καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα).  This was shocking news to them.

September 3, 2017

A very destructive king (Dan 8:23-8:25)

“At the end of their rule,

When the transgressions

Have reached

Their full measure,

A king of bold countenance,

Skilled in intrigue,

Shall grow strong in power.

He shall cause

Fearful destruction.

He shall succeed

In what he does.

He shall destroy

The powerful,

The people of the holy ones.

By his cunning,

He shall make

Deceit prosper

Under his hand.

In his own mind,

He shall be great.

Without warning,

He shall destroy many.

He shall even rise up

Against the Prince of princes.

But he shall be broken,

But not by human hands.’”

Gabriel continued his explanation of the vision. He pointed out that one of the last rulers would be skilled in intrigue and grow strong in power. The obvious allusion is to King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He would successfully destroy others by getting rid of powerful people, even the holy ones, without warning. His cunning would make deceit prosper. 1 Maccabees, chapter 1, goes into great detail about this king. In his own mind, he would be great. He would even go against the Prince of princes. Finally, God, not human hands, would break him.

April 9, 2017

The living creatures were cherubim (Ezek 10:20-10:22)

“These were the living creatures

That I saw underneath

The God of Israel

By the river Chebar.

I knew

That they were cherubim.

Each had four faces.

Each had four wings.

Underneath their wings,

They had something

Like human hands.

As for what their faces

Were like,

They were the same faces

Whose appearance

I had seen

By the river Chebar.

Each one moved

Straight ahead.”

The vision of the first chapter of this book matches up with this chapter as two book ends of a vision about the four living creatures and cherubim. Ezekiel explicitly said that he knew that the living creatures by the Chebar River were cherubim. Each of them had four faces and four wings. Underneath their wings, they had something like human hands. The faces of these cherubim were the same as the faces that he saw at the River Chebar. Both the living creatures and the cherubim moved straight ahead.

 

March 25, 2017

The wings of the four living creatures (Ezek 1:8-1:9)

“Under their wings,

On their four sides,

They had human hands.

The four creatures

Had their faces

With their wings

In this manner.

Their wings touched

One another.

Each of them

Moved straight ahead,

Without turning,

As they moved.”

Apparently these creatures had 4 sides, not merely 2 sides. They had human hands under their wings. Each of the 4 wings on each creature touched each other, just like the seraphim in the Holy of Holies in the sanctuary. They were able to move or walk straight ahead without turning.

March 22, 2017

The priests and the idols (Bar 6:48-6:52)

“When war

Or calamity

Comes upon them,

The priests consult together

As to where

They can

Hide themselves

With their gods.

How then can anyone

Fail to see

That these are not gods?

They cannot save themselves

From war

Or calamity.

They are made of wood,

Overlaid

With gold

Or silver.

It will afterward

Be known

That they are false.

It will be manifest

To all the nations,

To all the kings,

That they are not gods

But the work of human hands.

There is no work

Of God

In them.

Who then can fail

To know

That they are not gods?”

What happens when war or calamity comes to these priests and their idol gods? The priests consult together on where they can hide themselves with their gods. All can see that these are not gods. They cannot save themselves from either war or calamity, since they are made of wood, overlaid with gold or silver. Afterwards, everyone will know that these were false gods. It is will be clear to all the nations and all the kings that they are not gods. As they were the work of human hands, there is no work of God in them. This author asked the question, who would not recognize that these idols are not gods?

December 24, 2015

Impotence of idols (Ps 135:15-135:18)

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold.

They are the work of human hands.

They have mouths,

But they do not speak.

They have eyes,

But they do not see.

They have ears,

But they do not hear.

There is no breath in their mouths.

Those who made them

Shall become like them.

All who trust in them,

Shall become like them.”

Many countries have idols of silver and gold. Obviously, these are the works of human hands. Very famously, the psalmist says that they have mouths but do not speak. They have eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear. They have no breath in their mouths. Thus they are impotent idols. The makers and followers of these idols are like them, without any power also.

December 10, 2015

The futility of other gods (Ps 115:4-115:8)

“Their idols are silver and gold.

They are the work of human hands.

They have mouths,

But do not speak.

They have eyes,

But do not see.

They have ears,

But do not hear.

They have noses,

But do not smell.

They have hands,

But do not feel.

They have feet,

But do not walk.

They make no sound in their throat.

Those who make them are like them.

So are all who trust in them.”

The contrast of Yahweh with these gold and silver idols is stark. These idol gods are the works of human hands. They have mouths, eyes, ears, noses, hands, and feet. However, they cannot speak, hear, see, smell, feel, or walk. Thus these impotent idols could not utter any sound. The idols were like those who had made them. They were trusting in themselves. The implication here was that Yahweh, whose name was in the Temple, had the anthropomorphic ability to speak, hear, see, smell, feel, and walk among his people. Many of the Israelite prayers assume this ability as they often pray that Yahweh might speak, hear, and see them.