(10-26-2023, 03:27 AM)gib65 Wrote:Robert Wrote:gib65 Wrote:[...] It suggests that only upon crying at the service did God hear them, and only because it was a service (a religious ceremony). [...]
It was nothing to do with any ceremony of the king's death. It was that the king dying caused the children of Israel to concentrate upon their predicament, and they cried out to G-d.
I see. So I must have misread the passage. The passage says "and the sons of Israel sigh because of the service, and cry, and their cry goes up to God, because of the service" <-- I read that as "their cry goes up to God because of the service", but you're reading it as "the sons of Israel sigh ... and cry ... because of the service"
That makes more sense. I figured my reading was reasonable because many religions suppose that the way to communicate with the divine is through some service or ritual--like you literally have to pray with your palms together for God to hear you--otherwise, he won't. I figured that 3 and a half thousand years ago, they might have believed something similar.
To everyone... these are all great responses. Thanks! Keep them coming!
Contributor "gib65" wrote:
Quote:The passage says "and the sons of Israel sigh because of the service, and cry, and their cry goes up to God, because of the service"
Please bear in mind that the language in which the Scripture is written is Hebrew, and when translated into English the English words used may differ slightly between English translation editions.
In this case the relevant Hebrew word is "avodah" which means "labor". That then was the meaning the translator had in mind for "gib65's translation; not "service" in the meaning of any religious service.
Quote:Exodus 2:23:
23. Now it came to pass in those many days that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed from the labor, and they cried out, and their cry ascended to God from the labor.
Extract translation source:
https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo...pter-2.htm