OK, I have something really, really cool to share with y'all. So, you all have probably heard this before:
"At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child." -Acts 7:20 (NIV 1984)
But guess what I found out? In the same verse, here is what the other versions of the Bible say about Moses:
New Living Translation: a beautiful child in God's eyes
English Standard Version: he was beautiful in God’s sight
New American Standard Bible: he was lovely in the sight of God
International Standard Version: He was beautiful in the sight of God
GOD'S WORD® Translation: he was a very beautiful child
King James Bible, American King James Version, American Standard Version, English Revised Version & Webster's Bible Translation: was exceeding fair
Bible in Basic English: he was very beautiful
Douay-Rheims Bible: he was acceptable to God
Darby Bible Translation: was exceedingly lovely
Weymouth New Testament: a wonderfully beautiful child
World English Bible: was exceedingly handsome
Young's Literal Translation: he was fair to God
You get the point? This guy was literally drop-dead gorgeous - even as a little baby! Can you believe that? I read a bunch of commentaries on this verse, and what they all basically came up with was that Moses actually was extremely handsome.
Many of the versions mention God, which made me think that Moses wasn’t physically beautiful but spiritually beautiful, but the commentaries said that this was the Hebrew way of saying something was very great:
"Thus, Psalm 36:7, "mountains of God," mean lofty mountains; Psalm 80:11, "cedars of God," mean lofty, beautiful cedars. Thus, Nineveh is called "a great city to God" (Jonah 3:3, Greek), meaning a very great city. The expression here simply means that Moses was "very fair," or handsome." -Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And listen to (er, read) this:
"He had a peculiar beauty put upon him by God; partly to engage his parents the more to seek the preservation of him; and partly to engage the affection of Pharaoh's daughter to him, when she should see him." -Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Doesn't that just blow you away? God blessed Moses with incredible physical beauty to save his life so that he could deliver the Israelites from Egypt into the Promised Land (well, he almost delivered them into promised land...Joshua did, not Moses). Anyway, last thing - here's something Josephus wrote:
"as to beauty...no man could be so out of love with it, as to see...Moses, and not be amazed; it happened to many who met him, as he was carried along the way, that they would turn back at the sight of the child, and neglect their business, to indulge themselves with the sight of him; for such was the loveliness of the child, that it detained those that saw him."
Wow.
Crazy stuff, huh? I get so excited when I learn stuff like that.
Sorry I haven’t been posting much...at all. :) For almost a week we’ve been house-sitting for some friends while they’re on vacation in Alaska. We’re also taking care of their dog, Sable (her fur is incredibly soft!!). This weekend we’re going to leave here and go directly to another friend’s house and house-sit/dog-sit/plant-sit for them for a while, too, while they’re gone on vacation. God is good! We’re having a great time – it’s so nice to have my own room!
Speaking of my own room, we’ve been house hunting for a while now. We’ve found a few houses we really like, and we’re looking to God for clear direction. As one of our friends put it, “How do you know if it’s a blessing from God or a test from the devil?” We’ll be praying, and we’d love it y’all would be praying for us, too! In fact, please let us know how we can pray for you specifically. I read in this Christian book about P.U.S.H. – it means ‘Pray Until Something Happens’. :) Cool, huh?
We're about to go the library...I'm so glad that I can get some new books! Just in case you were wondering. :)
Well, I hope y’all have had a great weekend, and I pray that your week will be overflowing with God’s Presence! God bless!!
"At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child." -Acts 7:20 (NIV 1984)
But guess what I found out? In the same verse, here is what the other versions of the Bible say about Moses:
New Living Translation: a beautiful child in God's eyes
English Standard Version: he was beautiful in God’s sight
New American Standard Bible: he was lovely in the sight of God
International Standard Version: He was beautiful in the sight of God
GOD'S WORD® Translation: he was a very beautiful child
King James Bible, American King James Version, American Standard Version, English Revised Version & Webster's Bible Translation: was exceeding fair
Bible in Basic English: he was very beautiful
Douay-Rheims Bible: he was acceptable to God
Darby Bible Translation: was exceedingly lovely
Weymouth New Testament: a wonderfully beautiful child
World English Bible: was exceedingly handsome
Young's Literal Translation: he was fair to God
You get the point? This guy was literally drop-dead gorgeous - even as a little baby! Can you believe that? I read a bunch of commentaries on this verse, and what they all basically came up with was that Moses actually was extremely handsome.
Many of the versions mention God, which made me think that Moses wasn’t physically beautiful but spiritually beautiful, but the commentaries said that this was the Hebrew way of saying something was very great:
"Thus, Psalm 36:7, "mountains of God," mean lofty mountains; Psalm 80:11, "cedars of God," mean lofty, beautiful cedars. Thus, Nineveh is called "a great city to God" (Jonah 3:3, Greek), meaning a very great city. The expression here simply means that Moses was "very fair," or handsome." -Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And listen to (er, read) this:
"He had a peculiar beauty put upon him by God; partly to engage his parents the more to seek the preservation of him; and partly to engage the affection of Pharaoh's daughter to him, when she should see him." -Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Doesn't that just blow you away? God blessed Moses with incredible physical beauty to save his life so that he could deliver the Israelites from Egypt into the Promised Land (well, he almost delivered them into promised land...Joshua did, not Moses). Anyway, last thing - here's something Josephus wrote:
"as to beauty...no man could be so out of love with it, as to see...Moses, and not be amazed; it happened to many who met him, as he was carried along the way, that they would turn back at the sight of the child, and neglect their business, to indulge themselves with the sight of him; for such was the loveliness of the child, that it detained those that saw him."
Wow.
Crazy stuff, huh? I get so excited when I learn stuff like that.
Sorry I haven’t been posting much...at all. :) For almost a week we’ve been house-sitting for some friends while they’re on vacation in Alaska. We’re also taking care of their dog, Sable (her fur is incredibly soft!!). This weekend we’re going to leave here and go directly to another friend’s house and house-sit/dog-sit/plant-sit for them for a while, too, while they’re gone on vacation. God is good! We’re having a great time – it’s so nice to have my own room!
Speaking of my own room, we’ve been house hunting for a while now. We’ve found a few houses we really like, and we’re looking to God for clear direction. As one of our friends put it, “How do you know if it’s a blessing from God or a test from the devil?” We’ll be praying, and we’d love it y’all would be praying for us, too! In fact, please let us know how we can pray for you specifically. I read in this Christian book about P.U.S.H. – it means ‘Pray Until Something Happens’. :) Cool, huh?
We're about to go the library...I'm so glad that I can get some new books! Just in case you were wondering. :)
Well, I hope y’all have had a great weekend, and I pray that your week will be overflowing with God’s Presence! God bless!!
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