[b-hebrew] Isaiah 44:15 idol of fire god?
Hedrick Gary
GaryH at cjfm.org
Mon Jan 31 19:07:33 EST 2011
I agree with you, Kevin. In translation, context is everything. The passage is about idolatry; and the point in 44:15 is simply that one person uses wood to make a fire so he can bake some bread while someone else fashions it into an idol and falls down before it in worship. In either case, it's just a chunk of cellulose. I don't see any indication of deification of the fire. Just the wood.
Gary Hedrick
On Jan 31, 2011, at 5:53 PM, Kevin Riley wrote:
> Yes, but none of that seems to fit with Is. 44. The point is that the same piece of wood that is made into an idol is also used for making a fire and cooking. I just don't see worshipping fire in the text.
>
> Kevin Riley
>
> On 1/02/2011 10:47 AM, Hedrick Gary wrote:
>> Let's not forget those interesting passages in the Hebrew Bible where the GOD of Israel appears as "fire." I'm thinking, for instance, of the burning bush (Ex. 3:2) and the pillar of fire that guided them by night in the wilderness wanderings (13:21). There are other instances, as well.
>>
>> Gary Hedrick
>> San Antonio, Texas USA
>>
>> Ex. 3:2 וירא מלאך יהוה אליו בלבת־אש מתוך הסנה וירא והנה הסנה בער באש והסנה איננו אכל׃
>> 13:21 ויהוה הלך לפניהם יומם בעמוד ענן לנחתם הדרך ולילה בעמוד אש להאיר להם ללכת יומם ולילה׃
>>
>> On Jan 31, 2011, at 5:37 PM, Kevin Riley wrote:
>>
>>> Worshipping God in the form of fire is quite old. It has long been found among Indo-European peoples. But, I don't see that in the Hebrew text.
>>>
>>> Kevin Riley
>>>
>>> On 1/02/2011 10:02 AM, kenneth greifer wrote:
>>>> I was wondering if Isaiah 44:15 might say "...he (the idol maker) will make a god and he will worship (he will bow), he makes (it) an idol and bows to them (lamo) (or to it)." It also says he will use the wood to make a fire to warm himself and to cook. Maybe the quote literally means he will make a god and an idol and bow to them both if the god is the fire. I heard that in those times some people worshiped fire as a god. I don't know if they believed in a god in charge of fire or if they thought fire itself was a god. It's a wild guess, but who knows. It could explain the word "to them" (lamo). (As usual, I don't actually expect anyone to answer, but if you do, please don't do it off-list. Thank you.)
>>>>
>>>> Kenneth Greifer
More information about the b-hebrew
mailing list