Micah 2:2 commentary

 And they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away So they extort the mighty ^{גֶּבֶר H1396} and houses of them and [the] people ^{אִישׁ H376  [invisible women]} and their portions ^{וּבֵיתוֹ [VAV sufix]}

Comments: 

^{Micah 2:2} גֶּבֶר geber, gheh'-ber; from H1396; a valiant man or warrior; generally a person, simply every one, man, mighty.

אִישׁ eesh, Strong's H376: man, male, husband, human being, person, servant, mankind, champion, great man, Whosoever, each (adjective)

 אִישׁ/eesh is a masculine Hebrew word for man [as in male], but the word does not always refer to males. In fact, not a single ancient Hebrew word that translates as a male refers 100% to males. Hebrew, like virtually all languages, is androcentric (male centered), so women are often rendered semantically invisible in translations and lexicons, where context and sometimes literal meanings, are often not taken into account.

The word, אִישׁ/eesh/iysh (H376), generally translated as “man” in Micah 2:2, is also used throughout scripture in referring to mixed crowds composed of both women and men. So, context must determine who the word iysh is referring to.

The VAV suffix in the word translated as “portion” at the end of this verse, denotes a plural pronoun, i.e., they, we, etc. It literally reads "portions of THEM/THEIR portions."

The word also has a feminine connotation, but women are rendered semantically invisible in this portion of the verse, because despite the fact that the word is a feminine plural, the vast majority of translators used the singular masculine words “man” and “him” in translating the grammatically feminine and plural word for “portion.”

In this verse, because the word is suffixed with the Hebrew letter VAV, it becomes a plural. But, since the correct plural feminine contradicted the theological androcentricity of translators, they arbitrarily changed it to the incorrect singular male.

Bible translation is by necessity interpretive. Though we respect and depend upon Bible scholars in our quest for scriptural understanding, we must never forget that they often show gender bias (along with other theological biases) in translations and lexicons they often show gender bias (along with other theological biases) in translations and lexicons.

Proverbs 12 commentary

 1: love instruction love knowledge The foolish hate reproof 2: How good to obtain favor of YHWH  The wicked plans of 'iysh[1] will be condemned 3: Audawm[2] shall not stand by wickedness but the root of The Just shall never be removed 4: 'Ishshah chayil ^{[a strong woman]}[3] crowns ba`al[4] ^{[lord—not necessarily husband]} Confusion [is as a] rotten bone[5] 5: The thoughts of the just are worthy but the counsels of the wicked are treacherous 6: The words of the wicked ambush for blood but the mouth of the upright saves [delivers]  7: The wicked are overthrown but the house of the righteous shall stand 8: 'Iysh shall be commended according to wisdom but the perverse in heart shall be despised 9: Despised servants ^{[who are provided for]} are better ^[off] than the honorable who lack provision 10: The Just regard the lives of their animals but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel 11: They that till the land shall be satisfied with bread but they that follow laziness and vanity have empty hearts 12: The wicked delights in the snare of evil but the root of the just delivers 13: The wicked are snared by the rebellion of their lips but the just shall be brought forth out of affliction 14: 'Iysh shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of their mouths and the reward of audawm’s hands shall be rendered unto them 15: The way of the foolish is right in their own eyes but they that hearken to [good] counsel are wise 16: The wrath of fools is soon exposed but good sense protects from shame 17: They that speak truth show forth righteousness but a false witness deceit 18: There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword but the tongue of the wise [brings] health 19: The lips of truth shall be established forever but a lying tongue is but for a moment 20: Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil but to the counselors of peace is joy 21: There shall no evil happen to The Just but the wicked shall be filled with mischief 22: Lying lips are abomination to YHWH but they that deal truly ^{in truth} are his delight 23: The prudent audawm conceals knowledge but the heart of fools proclaim foolishness 24: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the lazy shall be under tribute 25: Heaviness in the heart of 'Iysh makes it stoop but a good word makes it glad 26: The righteous are more excellent than their neighbors but the way of the wicked seduces them 27: The slothful roasts not that which is taken in hunting but the substance of a diligent audawm is precious 28: In the way of righteousness is life and in the pathway thereof there is no death

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[1] 'iysh H376 Hebrew for man; husband; mixed crowds of both women and men; homosapien-sapien in general; even translated by scholars as “you [thou]” in Proverbs 3:31 (KJV). The word, Iysh, has no legitimate claim as a word exclusive to males. Context must determine translation. 

 

In this commentary, the phonetic spelling of the Hebrew word 'iysh is used instead of the word man, mankind, or human whenever the word refers to mixed crowds of both sexes or to the human race in general. As this commentary is posted online one chapter at a time, readers may find this definition posted in footnotes for first use of in any given chapter

[2] 'âdâm H120 Pronounced “audawm” is the name God gave to both the first man and the first woman—the entire human race. In the Hebrew Bible, mixed crowds (composed of both females and males) are also referred to as 'âdâm. This Hebrew word, does not mean “man” and is not androcentric (male centered) as are most English and Greek words used to describe the entire human population, words such as: man (when used to describe all people), mankind, human race, anthropos (when used to describe all people), etc..

In this commentary, the phonetic spelling of the Hebrew word 'âdâm (audawm) is used instead of man, mankind, or human whenever the word refers to mixed crowds of both sexes or to the human race in general. As this commentary is posted online one chapter at a time, readers may find this definition posted in footnotes for first use of 'âdâm (audawm) in any given chapter.

[3] Chayil H2428 Valor; Strength; Might; [The strength and power of] Wealth; [The strength and power of] Riches. Chayil is mistranslated “virtuous” only three times in the Hebrew text; each of these mistranslations is deliberate (concerning women) due to misogyny. There is no textual reason to translate the Hebrew word, Chayil, as virtuous as it has never had any connotation of virtue.

[4] ba`al H-1167 Lord. Many translations of ba`al as “husband” are incorrect. In the sense that there were many concubines (slave wives) in ancient times, a woman’s ba`al could very well be her husband, but that does not portray God’s intention and direct command when he created men and women.

[5] This verse is rife with misogyny in all translations, beginning with the mistranslation of the Hebrew word, chayil, which means a force, usually of valor, strength, and might, but could be a force of wealth. This force is somehow transformed into “virtuous” for no textual reason other than it was unthinkable to translators (both ancient and modern) that a woman can be a force of strength. The Hebrew word, chayil, Strong’s reference H2428, is only translated as virtuous three times in the authorized version, and each time it is deliberately mistranslated about women. Other versions attribute her with excellence and [moral] worth, but these still fall short of chayil. Another feature of this verse, is than in virtually all translations women become wives and lords (ba`al) become husbands. In the case of slave-wives, this is true, but was the practice right? Deuteronomy 17:17 says it is not. Also connecting women/wives with confusion [that is as rotten bones] is misleading. Without translator supplements, this is a stand alone statement, and should be taken as such.  

2 Timothy 3 commentary

       1: This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come 2: For audawm shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphēmos disobedient to parents unthankful unholy 3: Without natural affection trucebreakers false accusers without self control fierce despisers of those that are good 4: traitors heady highminded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 5: Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away 6: For of this sort are they who worm their way into homes and gain control over women who are not as yet spiritually mature[1] loaded [down] with sins led astray by various sinful desires[2] 7: Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 8: Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth [they are] men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith 9: But these [men] shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all as theirs [Jannes and Jambres] also was 10: But you have fully known my doctrine manner of life purpose faith longsuffering love patience 11: Persecutions afflictions which came to me at Antioch at Iconium, at Lystra what persecutions I endured but out of them all the Lord delivered me 12: Yes and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 13: But evil men and seducers shall advance [becoming] worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 14: But you continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of knowing of whom you have learned them 15: And that from a babe you have known the sacred letters which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness 17: That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works

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[1] Concerning the term, “silly” [women] as used in 2 Timothy 3:6 (excerpt from, Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery and theEvangelical Caste System, 2010, by Jocelyn Andersen)

This example of gender-biased-English-translation-theology might appear minor to some, but we do not believe it to be so. In 2 Timothy 3:6, a different word for woman is used and, again, James Strong, in agreement with the translators of the Authorized Version, displays misogynistic bias. In this passage, we are given a description of false teachers who target young women as primary victims. These female victims are described in the Greek as gunaikarion. Strong writes that gunaikarion is a diminutive of gune (woman, wife, or women). A diminutive of “woman” would indicate a young, not fully developed, or immature/ inexperienced (in the scriptures) woman. But, rather than reflecting the young and inexperienced status of these women [in his concordance] Strong defines gunaikarion (young and inexperienced) as “silly” women—which is the word used by the translators of the King James Bible, and does not reflect with the least bit of accuracy what gunaikarion meant to the ancient Greeks. The language of most other translations is just as misogynistic as the A.V., using derogatory words such as, “weak or gullible,” to describe women who are inexperienced in the Word of God, words that hatefully indicate a non-existent flaw or fault in the women. Describing these women as “silly, weak, and gullible,” is inexcusable on the part of Bible translators.  The Greek word “karion,” which is added to the Greek word gune [woman] to form the word gunaikarion, is still used in the Greek language today. It means, nut or kernel. Nuts and kernels are seeds. so we see, that the word does not carry a connotation of weak or foolish (silly, gullible) but rather the promise of growth and development. It is not a stretch to connect a seed with young [and as yet educationally and spiritually undeveloped] humans. All Christians, no matter what their natural age when they come to Christ, begin their Christian lives as spiritually young, full of promise, but not yet fully matured in the faith. So how is it justified that physically or spiritually immature female believers [victims], targeted by false teachers in 2 Timothy 3:6, are downgraded, using gender-biased-English-translation-theology, from young and spiritually immature women, to the disparaging [and incorrectly translated] terms, “silly, weak, and gullible?” About the word “silly,” in the A.V., it is used only one time in the New Testament—and that is in reference to. There is no corresponding Greek to support the use of the word, silly. This unfortunate rendering is entirely inappropriate and prejudicial against women. And the fact that it has gone unchallenged up to the present time, indicates how deeply ingrained and acceptable the derogatory stereotyping of women still is, among Biblical scholars and the Christian community at large. 

Under the Old Covenant, girls and women were not taught the scriptures in the same way boys and men were. Boys sat at the feet of rabbi’s and were systematically educated, while girls and women had to catch it on the fly (so to speak), hearing the Word of God only at Temple and synagogue attendance and by listening to men have conversations about their males-centered interpretations of the Law and Prophets [which were blatantly anti-woman]. This does not mean that women were less devout than men, completely ignorant, or that every woman was spiritually undeveloped. It simply meant that women as a group were less privileged and their knowledge was limited by discriminatory traditions that carried the weight of TORAH within the Jewish culture of the day. So there would have been many New Testament women, exhilarated by the new freedom given to them to learn, who would have been starving for knowledge, and who would have been targeted by false teachers.

** The Greek word, “karion,” means nut or kernel. “The name, karion, comes from the word, prokaryote. The word Prokaryote is derived from two Greek words--'pro' meaning before and 'karyon' referring to the nucleus. 

[2] It is the predatory male teachers that verse :6 goes on to describe as “laden with sins led away with divers lusts—and not the young women who were their prey. This is made clear in the following verses where no one questions that it is the false teachers who are 7: Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and who “8:… also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith.” Despite this, translation after translation makes it appear as though it is the women who are “loaded down with sins and led astray by various lusts,” instead of it being the men (wolves) who targeted them. It is deceivers who are referenced in verse :6 as, “laden with sins led away with divers lusts,” not the ones they are attempting to deceive. Despite this, translation after translation makes it appear as though it is the women who are “loaded down with sins and led astray by various lusts,” instead of it being the men (wolves) who targeted them. 

   It is the deceivers, not the the deceived, who are referenced in verse :6 as, "laden with sins [and] led away with divers lusts." The women in this passage, are not bad people. They are not stupid people. They are people whose lack of education (not by their own choices) has prepared them to become victims.