Here's a set of verses from Psalms:
"Yea, he shall see that even the wise die,
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
Their graves are their homes for ever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.
Man cannot abide in his pomp,
he is like the beasts that perish." (Psalm 49:10-12)
2006-10-23 09:51:05 · 17 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Gang, the psalmist is talking about death. The arising of the belief in an afterlife in jewish thought came during the period of occupation, when it appeared that God had abandoned his people. They did an intellectual somersault and decided then that God would still take care of them, but after death instead of during life. This psalm was written before the period of occupation.
2006-10-23 09:56:34 · update #1
FYI (forgive me for handing out credentials): I majored in religion, emphasis on biblical studies, at a Methodist college, studied Biblical Hebrew and Greek, and then spent one year in seminary.
2006-10-23 10:02:04 · update #2
Bob L:
I don't know where you got your verses, but the translation of verse 8 has lost contact with the original text.
2006-10-23 10:04:39 · update #3
Yes, this is from the old testament. This was supposedly the part that came before Jesus gave his followers a way for redemption. In the old testament, death was final. I believe the soul went to the Sheol (I'm not sure of the spelling/pronunciation). In the new testament is when Christians get to go to heaven.
More interesting info. Many of our founding fathers didn't believe in the Christian Bible either. Despite how many evangelists claim our country was founded on "Bible-believing men of God," the truth is most of them would be considered pagan by today's terms. Jefferson even rewrote the Christian Bible. Go figure. :)
2006-10-23 10:07:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Bible is a contradictory kaleidoscope. It's so funny how people will die for it yet most have no idea what it says. The people who do know what it says completely lay their brains down at the alter and accept all the irrational, bigoted, disrespectful, contradictory things is says. They feel free to twist any part of it unabashedly. For example, Jesus turned the water into wine. Great miracle right? No wrong, because the Baptist don't drink, smoke, chew or hang out with those that do. So they tell everyone he turned the water into grape juice. It's say that women should be silent and if they have any questions they should ask the man. I would love a woman like that... but they don't exist. Actually I'd rather they email me their questions anyway. I think the Bible is "inspired" but that's as far as I'll go. With all the translators it's gone through, I can't imagine the authors original text is anything close to what we have today. Whomever the author may be. Of course every scripture is handled just like God himself breathed it.... and then people argue over its meaning! What if the whole thing was a typo, after all they didn't have spell check back then! I look at the Bible as the most magnificent sales job of this world, comes with it's own packet of Kool-Aid.
2006-10-23 17:05:36 · answer #2 · answered by nomatt3r 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Psalm 49 was written by the Temple's Chief Musician for the sons of Korah.
You have completely misread the passage.
All must die is the theme.
But verses 6-8 of the Psalm particularly speak of the redemption of the soul.
2006-10-23 17:00:15 · answer #3 · answered by Bob L 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
"Occupation?" Don't you mean exile?
Yes, I know that in ancient Judaism, they believed that "when you're dead, you're dead." A rabbi recently explained the root of the word "sheol" means "question," therefore, one goes down into the "unknown." I'm just beginning Hebrew and love the things I'm learning about the original writings. The Bible is an incredible book of literature!
I've also learned that "life" can mean individual life, or the life of the community as a whole -- Israel!
.
2006-10-23 17:11:21 · answer #4 · answered by Hatikvah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In scripture, sometimes the word "die" can mean to go to hell, or to be eternally separated from God, therefore, being spiritually dead. There is also a scripture where God says "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." So man does have a soul, but because of un-repented sin, his soul "dies" because it is cut off from the life-line, which is God.
2006-10-23 17:01:31 · answer #5 · answered by beattyb 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christianity is such a Hodge podge of pieces stolen from real religion I'm sure they don't know what they believe most of the time, and the rest of the time they're just hypocrites. Then who cares about a DYING religious cult.
2006-10-23 16:58:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Not to mention that all of the books included in the bible were chosen by the church, and a good number of the religious texts that were left out were actually the gnostic ones.
2006-10-23 16:54:56 · answer #7 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
And how did you find this out? Did you do a past life regression?
Your verse from Psalms proves nothing about your question.
2006-10-23 16:54:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anne A 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
of course they didn't. the belief of a eternal soul wasn't what the bible writers thought or taught, or even what Jesus taught. it was just a belief added after the first century Christians.
2006-10-23 17:01:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You question does not align with the comment you added. He is talking about the physical life, not spiritual life. That's all.
2006-10-23 16:54:15 · answer #10 · answered by Cogito Sum 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋