Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is a great way to study. I was told you can only quote so much scripture before being accused of plagiarism. Copyright law doesn’t understand the scripture is God’s message and its earthly ownership is all of ours. So I feel I am forced to paraphrase, and have found out putting things in my own words is a fantastic way to really absorb what’s being said.

     I’ve also found out (more so) that translators paraphrased! And took the liberty to do so, sometimes quite a bit of liberty. In most cases harmless and helpful. But sometimes glaring disbelief shines through.  I use the English Standard Version (ESV) because to me it seems to come up the closest to matching the original words (as far as I can tell using online language tools). And of course they had to paraphrase as well. Even Young’s Literal Version (or other literal versions) are not completely word for word literal, or they would often make little sense to us.

     Psalm 49:5 is an interesting example, the ESV says:

But the biblehub dot com interlinear, reading right to left of course:

Being forced to paraphrase, and following the number links of words I wonder about, the verse makes more sense to me as - Why fear days of evil when wickedness and evil surround? Or - Why fear day/days of evil [ra' - evil, bad, wicked, harmful, unpleasantness] (and) wickedness [avon - iniquity, guilt, punishment, sin] at my heels encircles {“me” may very well be implied? Or is wickedness and evil simply prevalent and a day of evil}. 🤷🏼‍♀️(These study posts on my Facebook page, don’t have tons of followers, lol. Don’t know if anyone at all ever reads them. But, this is my own daily studies, and I have found out that having to more or less put things in my own words, is a great tool to understanding.

     “Why fear days of evil when wickedness and evil surround?” Are prevailing? Whether an individual or a collective days of evil.. why fear? God is on his throne.. Everything progressing toward his perfect blueprint. (But first the culmination of straying/imperfection, this unavoidable, all important contrast ..the dis-ease as part of the cure ..and immunity. “Though” or better, “even if the mountains should fall into the sea, I will not be afraid” Ps.46:2.