He tells us everything over and over—one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!” So now God will have to speak to His people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!
Isa 28:10-11
לקו קו לקו קו לצו צו לצו צו כי
kı̂y tsav lâtsâv tsav lâtsâv qav lâqâv qav lâqâv
The original is remarkably succinct and full of pithy sayings yet seemingly repetitious nonsense. The thoughts are arranged in poetic verse yet technically hemistichs – half a verse of full poetic metre.
The repetitious sounds in Hebrew [tzav latzav, tzav latzav, qav laqav, qav laquav] expresses the scorn of the imitators of Isaiah’s speech. God’s mode of teaching offends the pride of sinners by its simplicity. Stammerers, drunken slurred speech, children in terms of the knowledge of God, they needed to be spoken to in the language of children.
צו tsav [precept] is used here for מצוה mitsvah, command. This is the only place it is used. צו tsav signifies a little precept, suited to the capacity of a little child.
קו kav signifies the line that a mason stretches out to build a layer of stones. After one layer or course is placed, he raises the line and builds another. So the building is put together by degrees regularly completed. This is the method of teaching children, giving them such limited repetitive information as their capacities can receive.
Indicating the leaders must be dealt with as children were, when first instructed in the basics of a language. They first had one rule given them, and then another, and so on, one after another until their understanding is complete. Children, who are taught first to write one line, and then another; or to draw one line, and write after that, and then another; or where to begin one line, and, when finished, where to begin another; for the allusion is to writing by line although the original word is the level line used in building.
Some have thought over the years that these lines are nonsense lines: See the following “translations”:
- (CEV) You don’t even listen – all you hear is senseless sound after senseless sound.
- (GW) They speak utter nonsense.
- (MSG) ‘Da, da, da, da, blah, blah, blah, blah. That’s a good little girl, that’s a good little boy.'”
This saying was probably originally designed to ridicule the concise and measured, pithy way in which Isaiah delivered his messages from the LORD. Especially given the fact that he repeated so much the same elementary truths of rebuke and faith. In teaching children we are obliged to do it by often repeating the same simple lesson. So the profane and scoffing teachers of the people said it had been with the prophet of God. It had been precept upon precept, and line upon line, in the same way as children had been instructed. There was clearly a constant repetition of the precepts, without explanation, imagery, or illustration. It was simply one lesson after another without appeal to their understanding, or respect for their ability to reason for themselves.
Many have wondered over the years if there has been corruption of the text. Some Bibles list a footnote indicating that we really don’t know the translation of this section. That statement is open to debate but whatever the case, the meaning and intention is clear. Yes it may well be a mimicking of Isaiah own messages but the intention from the text is clear. Now it remains for us to determine why Paul chose this allusion and placed it in it’s position in 1 Cor 14:11. Paul was a rabbi skilled in the practice of Midrash, creating allusions to other passages by quoting one verse. Remember as I told you over the last days: read the whole passage, not just the one verse quoted and try to determine what Paul’s purpose is here.
I have had a revelation over the days of gemming this section. I have seen something for the first time and connected some elements together to see some very clear connections I had not seen before. I am finding deeper and deeper insights into Scripture as I progressively dig into it at this level. I would continue doing Gems for myself whether I share them with you or not. I just happen to have been inspired by the Lord to share my findings with you. Tell your friends about it. My desire is to inspire you to dig deeper into God’s word. That is why I am involved with Scripture Use now and wanting to develop “Berean Insights” as thoroughly as I am able. ‘
Watch for my take on Paul’s connection to the Corinthians in the next Gem but in the meantime do some thinking of your own based on what you know now. Come on you can do it. JUST DO IT
Jesus taught profound truth in simple ways. We do the opposite. Many “deep” teachers are actually just muddy!
Rick Warren
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
Unless you can create the whole universe in 5 days, then perhaps giving “advice” to God isn’t such a good idea.
Anon