Genesis 2:15: Work the earth or worship God?

I’m starting a course in Hebrew next week at Philadelphia Biblical University.
It’s my first post-graduate course.
I’m nervous.
The professor says to put all obstacles aside for a some long season,
you know things like work, wife and wecreation.
Will this old mind bend ...or break?

“work” = ‘obed
1. to work - Ex 5:18
2. to cultivate, till - Gn 2:5, 15
3. to work for someone - 2Sam6:19
4. serve, work (for a master) as a slave - Ex 21:6
5. …Assorted phrases noted….
6. serve, worship (a god, God) - 2K 21:3, Ex 3:12 (more properly, perform the proper rites for).
Holladay, W. L., A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. (261).

...to be made to serve, or to worship, Ex. 20:5; “thou shalt not be made to worship them (false Gods);” 23:24; Deut. 5:9; hence to serve at the persuasion, incitement of others, 13:3.
Gesenius, Gesenius' Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures. (598).

...to be led or enticed to serve other gods Ex 20:5 = Dt 5:9 Ex 23:24 Dt 13:3.
Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. (713).

Personally the word 'worship' doesn't really fit here.

Rob

 

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

This "could be translated" phrase is very common in the pulpits today. Rather than go on a rant about Bible versions, I will just say this

The moment a man takes the word of God and says "This could be better translated as this" he sets himself up as the final authority. As soon as he refers to the Hebrew or the Greek, he sets himself up as the final authority, since his congregation must now rely on him in order to understand the "real" meaning of the Bible.

Me, I am a King James man.

But let me share something here.

This translation issue is all a game of the intellect.

I can play it too. Watch - Imagine I am in a pulpit and I have been to Bible College (I am at Bible college.. well, not physically, it's correspondance, because I live quite remote).

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

A better translation for this would be,

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to be a husbandman and a watchman in it.

Now, the phrase here, "to dress and to keep it" comes from the hebrew words
‛âbad & shâmar which are translated in Zechariah 13:5 and Psalm 127:1 as husbandman and watchman, respectively.

you see people, God did not really want Adam to dress and keep the garden. He wanted Adam to be a watchman, on the look out for the devil, that old serpent. He wanted Adam to be a husbandman over the garden, making sure that no evil came in.

</end Bible correcting>

It's easy to play games like that. Grab a concordance and a lexicon and make it up as you go. I could create a whole sermon on that, but all I have done is rewrite the word of God and I would have preached nothing but a bag of wind. It sounds all intellectual, and people listening might think "wow, he knows his bible", but I promise you that 99% of Bible correctors use this exact same method to write most of their sermons. That sounds a bit harsh I know.

 

Personally, that is just silly. Greek is a language, just like any other, and it says what it says.

And BTW, if you want to follow a state sponsored Bible version, translated by a Catholic theologian, that has historically documented additions, and "made up" portions of verses, go ahead: "Do as thou wishest".

It's funny that those who know church History well, and can read Greek and Hebrew, are rarely KJV only...

 

BTW>

He wanted Adam to "Dress" the Garden? In what, formal wear?

What he is really speaking about, is dressing the Garden in Battle attire, to resist the assaults of the devil...

See? This works with "KJV only" too. Such as all the places where the KJV people inserted imaginary "mays" and "mights" where no conditional article was present> this is still messing up modern Bible versions today!

 

YES! All my dreams have been realised. finally, someone who will follow me around a forum and refute every single post I make.

I always wanted one of these

:wavey: to my new shadow!

 

I never said people weren't stupid. If someone wants to do that even with the perfect word, then they can go and run into error. The mormons use the KJB but they haven't got a lick of sense.

God has given us a perfect word. What you do with it is your own choice Bro.

 

I read it. It's called the ESV. Or NET. Etc. Etc...

 

Sorry, I just have to shed an educated view on pointless bias, and cultist followers.

 

In what way am I a cultist?

You have seen maybe 4 or 5 of my posts, and this is my first day.

I believe in salvation through faith alone, without works (something you do not believe apparently - which would make you the cultist).

I respect Ruckman's teachings on the King James Bible. I prefer Sam Gipp's approach to preaching it though.

 

Welcome to the board Luke.

We have very strict rules in the versions forum. You must stick to the topic at hand and not use threads to promote your view on the KJV.

The question here involves Genesis 2v15 - If you believe the KJV rendering because it is the KJV, then the argument is over there for you.

Any and all future KJVO posts will be deleted, and responses to them. I would do that now, but you are new and don't know the rules yet.

I am closing this thread, because the topic is not about the supposed perfection of the KJV.

I would ask the author of the OP to try again, any posts not on topic in that thread will be deleted.