Think about what you just said, mmksparbud. If one has to "interpret" the meaning of Hebrew words themselves, the fact that there is an interpretive process required means that depending on who does the interpreting, some variation can exist between the conclusions of each separate interpreter as they each work to understand the meaning of what is being read and translated.
Meaning is not by necessity self-evident in a language; and just because someone may be able to read the ancient Hebrew (or even Masoretic text) doesn't mean they'll automatically understand the sometimes cryptic meanings of prophets.
How much ancient Hebrew does one need to understand that God wasn't really referring to Elijah as his words were expressed by and through the prophet Malachi? And if prophecy in Malachi was given in an indirect form of communication, let's not be hasty and assume that what Moses wrote in the opening chapters of Genesis was meant or intended to directly dissuade anyone who reads it from also doing science and possibly thinking that the world was worked on by God through various eons of time.
2PhiloVoid
And why should we need someone to interpret the whole bible? Meanings are derived by many things, the words themselves, but also knowing the culture at the time it was written and how those words are used within other words. Your saying the whole book is too complicated for anyone to just red it--0they have to have someone tell them what it means---like who---the Catholic priests like they used to? God didn't intend for that. If there are different ways of interpreting one word, depending on the surrounding words---0why wouldn't there be different interpretations for how to interpret the whole book? And who gets to decide? Does that end up, as in the past, in the hands of one individual?----No thanks.
Did you read post #1092?
If you want the word "yom: to mean eons, even though the surrounding language indicates otherwise, why would you do so unless it is your preconceived idea of wanting to follow what the prevailing scientific thoughts are instead of what the bible plainly stays? If you want to believe the bible is wrong, then say the bible is wrong and believe something else, but to try and force a meaning unto a word that is inappropriate so that you can have both worlds is not right.
Heb_7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Jas_1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
2Ti_2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We are to study the bible, not the opinions of men about the bible. Studying the words is one thing, depending on the opinions of some man for how to read the bible is a crazy ides to me. You either believe the bible is the word of God or you don't.
Isa_55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
And there is nothing that states that Moses wrote Genesis, In the entire Torah, there is not one single time where it says "I, Moses" did this or that, none of it is written in first person, it always reads, Moses did this or that. I don't care who wrote it. It is the account of what God said happened.
I can read the opinions of others, but I will decide which is the meaning most closely matching that of the author---it is my soul on the line, and it is my decision, mine and Gods' and He will lead you to truth if you're not refusing it. The question comes down to is it what God said or not, and will I believe it or not? No one can make that choice but me.
