Luke 3:7-14<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luke says that \u201cmultitudes\u201d (\u1f44\u03c7\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2) came out to see John in the wilderness. \u00a0Interestingly, Matthew says that those multitudes included \u201cmany of the Pharisees and Sadducees.\u201d \u00a0However, John is not precisely welcoming to them. \u00a0He demands (rather harshly) that they repent, and that they do works appropriate to such a change of heart:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBring\u00a0forth therefore fruits\u00a0meet for\u00a0repentance\u201d (Matthew 3:8) =\u00a0\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5 \u03bf\u1f56\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c0\u1f78\u03bd \u1f04\u03be\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03af\u03b1\u03c2<\/p>\n
\u201cBring forth therefore\u00a0fruits\u00a0worthy\u00a0of\u00a0repentance\u201d (Luke 3:8) =\u00a0\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03ae\u03c3\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5 \u03bf\u1f56\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c0\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f00\u03be\u03af\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03af\u03b1\u03c2<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The King James translations above are slightly misleading. \u00a0Although both use the word fruits<\/em>, the Greek of Matthew is actually singular (fruit<\/em>). \u00a0And Matthew\u2019s meet<\/em> is exactly the same word in Greek (\u1f04\u03be\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2) as Luke\u2019s worthy<\/em>, with the difference that the adjective is accusative singular in Matthew and accusative plural in Luke because Greek adjectives must agree in number with the nouns that they modify. \u00a0And worthy<\/em>, or appropriate<\/em>, or fitting<\/em>, or suitable<\/em>\u00a0is a pretty good translation of it.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, with that prefatory comment in mind, here\u2019s a column that I published in the Deseret News<\/em> on 22 August 2013, \u00a0and which was focused primarily on the book of Genesis.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have several pet peeves. Fortunately, I also have a newspaper column (at least for now). Which means that, unless and until my editors prevent me, I can sound off on things that bother me from time to time.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nOne of them is the frequent misuse of the word \u201cliterally.\u201d Have you ever noticed how common it is for English-speakers to use the word \u201cliterally\u201d when they actually mean exactly the opposite of \u201cliterally\u201d? \u201cI\u2019m so hungry, I could literally eat a horse.\u201d \u201cThat guy on the other team was literally 10 feet tall.\u201d Or this one, presumably recorded from a conversation in the spirit world: \u201cI literally died from embarrassment.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nBut such quirky expressions aren\u2019t the focus of this column. Instead, I have a different pet peeve in mind, though it\u2019s still a linguistic one.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nIn Latter-day Saint circles (and perhaps beyond), it\u2019s long since become customary for a husband to praise his wife as a \u201chelpmeet.\u201d However, since most of us find that term just a bit puzzling \u2014 intuitively, I suspect, we know that it makes no real sense \u2014 we sometimes change the word to \u201chelpmate,\u201d which, unlike \u201chelpmeet,\u201d is actually comprehensible.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nThe term \u201chelpmeet\u201d is derived from the King James rendition of Genesis 2:18, where God decides to provide a companion for the newly created man, Adam: \u201cAnd the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nHowever, it\u2019s important here to note that \u201chelp meet\u201d in the KJV is two words, not one. This is not only a hint as to how we ought to read it aloud, but a clue about what the passage means. We should already be familiar with such King James language from other biblical passages. In Acts 26:20, for instance, we see Paul telling the Gentiles that \u201cthey should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.\u201d (Thankfully, we don\u2019t call righteous deeds \u201cworksmeets.\u201d) It should be obvious from the context that \u201cmeet,\u201d in this verse, means something like \u201cworthy,\u201d \u201cbefitting\u201d or \u201cappropriate.\u201d (And that is, precisely, what the underlying Greek and Hebrew words do mean.)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s hardly surprising, in this light, to see how other translations render Genesis 2:18: The New International Version, for example, reads \u201cIt is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.\u201d (I certainly hope that Mormon husbands won\u2019t start calling their wives \u201chelpersuitables\u201d anytime soon!)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nThe very next verse launches into an amusing little story \u2014 amusing when it\u2019s properly understood, and when it\u2019s seen in its larger context \u2014 about the quest to find a suitable companion for Adam:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cAnd out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him\u201d (Genesis 2:19-20).<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nIt turns out that tigers, ostriches and bears (or perhaps velociraptors, trilobites and pterodactyls) aren\u2019t appropriate companions for men. But directly after the failure of this little parade of the animals to supply a proper companion for Adam, to provide a creature who could pass audition before Adam and the Lord, God creates Eve, who instantly wins the man\u2019s complete approval. (He was probably quite relieved.) She also receives a name from him, thus continuing the story of the beasts and their naming but, this time, bringing it to a successful conclusion: \u201cAnd Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man\u201d (Genesis 2:23).<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nThere is, in other words, no \u201chelpmeet\u201d in the scriptures. There is, instead, a \u201chelp\u201d who is specially suited to be \u201cmeet\u201d for her husband, who was created to complete him in a way that nothing else in creation, whether animate or inanimate, properly can.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nLikewise, the husband is \u201cmeet\u201d for her, although he was plainly not appropriate as a companion for tortoises, kangaroos and warthogs.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Otherwise, notable elements of the passages under consideration here include a rejection of ethnic pride and of the assumption that lineage guarantees salvation, as well as an emphasis on repentance and moral reform. \u00a0(There\u2019s no doctrine in John the Baptist\u2019s teaching of salvation by faith alone!) \u00a0John exhorts his hearers to share generously with those in need and to be honest. \u00a0Significantly, with respect to the soldiers in his audience, he doesn\u2019t order withdrawal from the military in order to be pacifists. \u00a0Rather, he calls upon them not to be oppressive, and to be content with their wages (which, I suspect, means that they shouldn\u2019t attempt to extort money from civilians).<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 Matthew 3:7-10 Luke 3:7-14 \u00a0 Luke says that \u201cmultitudes\u201d (\u1f44\u03c7\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2) came out to see John in the wilderness. \u00a0Interestingly, Matthew says that those multitudes included \u201cmany of the Pharisees and Sadducees.\u201d \u00a0However, John is not precisely welcoming to them. \u00a0He demands (rather harshly) that they repent, and that they do works appropriate to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3241,3238,3235,3013,3232,3244,2625,3007],"class_list":["post-69919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-help-meet","tag-helpmate","tag-helpmeet","tag-john-the-baptist","tag-jordan-river","tag-meet","tag-new-testament","tag-new-testament-commentary"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"John](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2019\/02\/john-baptizes-jesus-958635-gallery.jpg\")
<\/a>