''these six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him:'' proverbs 6:16 (nkjv)
is there some kind of poetic meaning that i'm not catching here? why would solomon write it that way, mentioning ''six,'' before ''seven''? i just answered a question about the meaning of proverbs 6, and it made me think of this. i've always wondered about it. there's at least one other passage in the book of proverbs (though i can't think of which one it is right now) that starts out the same way. any thoughts?
2007-08-07 06:30:37 · 8 answers · asked by That Guy Drew 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I will double-check my Soncino edition when I get home tonight, but I'm pretty sure that it's little more than Hebrew poetry. It may mean that sowing discord is worse than the other six; it may be that the other six can all come from, or lead to, sowing discord; etc. It certainly has nothing to do with "666" which is not a Jewish concept.
[edit] OK, I've checked my Hebrew edition and the notes say that this is a simple form of enumeration, used four times in Proverbs 30 (where it uses the 3/4 pair), and also in Job. It's a rhetorical way of stating something indefinite--that is, that the list is not supposed to be exhausted. That seems to be it--no further meaning.
2007-08-07 07:21:31 · answer #1 · answered by Mark S, JPAA 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why should the 6 things he hates necessarily be included in the 7 that are an abomination? Added together it is 13 things that he hates or are an abomination and 13 is a really unlucky number.
Or maybe it is just poetic license as exercised by ancient writers who had too much time on their hands.
2007-08-07 13:34:36 · answer #2 · answered by BAL 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Actually, you should look into the peotic symbolism of numbers (jewish numerology). 6 is symbolic of worldly, temporal, and even ungodly things. (thus 666) and seven is symbolic of wholeness or completion (7 days to create the earth, forgivness even seventy times seven times) So if the Lord hates 6, he is refering to the ungodly acts, and seven represents the fulness of the sin
2007-08-07 13:57:24 · answer #3 · answered by alwaysa(ducky)bridesmaid 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I take it to mean that if you think God hates the six things mentioned, just think of how much MORE of His wrath one would incur with SEVEN such sins to his/her credit!
2007-08-07 13:34:09 · answer #4 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It is for emphasis. There are 7.
2007-08-07 13:36:36 · answer #5 · answered by great gig in the sky 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because it starts with the six "things" mentioned by the father towards his son, and adds the seven things as and addendum.
2007-08-07 13:36:24 · answer #6 · answered by lundstroms2004 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think he just changed his mind in mid-sentence. Perhaps thats not right, but thats what comes to mind when I read it.
2007-08-07 13:35:24 · answer #7 · answered by Tiffany R 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
maybe someone was correcting him when he wrote it and he didn't have any white out, so he just kept on going
2007-08-07 13:34:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋