Fire & Brimstone

Discussion about the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, pseudepigrapha, Philo, Josephus, Talmud, Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeology, etc.
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Ethan
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Fire & Brimstone

Post by Ethan »

Fire & Brimstone is an expression of God's wrath , a favorite among Christians that use it too encourage repentance and damnation and use it too describe the Apocalypse and Hell.

Does the Old Testament really describe Fire & Brimstone? for one thing, they aren't any active volcanoes in Canaan or Arabia, thus it is not
describing volcanic activity.

Psalms 18
(7)Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
(13)The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire
(15)Then the channels of waters were seen... O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

Ezekiel 38:22
an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone

Isaiah 30:30
stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

The word stream is נַחַל [nachal ] and is often used too describe a winter-torrent, one example is verse 1 Kings 15:13 " brook Kidron " (נחל קדרון) , this appears in John 18:2 " Winter torrent of Kidron" (χειμάῤῥου τῶν Κεδρὼν), the name Kidron is a locative form of Qedar
meaning Dark.

Jobs 6
(15)My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook[nachal/χειμάρρους ], and as the stream of brooks they pass away
(16)Which are blackish(Qedar) by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:

The following verses in Jobs 6 mention Sheba and Tema , these locations including Kedar is not Arabia, but North Lebanon or Syria.

Ezekiel 13:13
There shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

The word Fury is חֵמָה (chemah) ' Heat ', it's root is חָם(cham) and חָמַם(chamam) and these words are relate too ' χεῖμα ' "winter weather, cold, frost" and this is how HAM (3rd son of Noah) was so-named.

Psalms 148:8 - Fire, and hail; snow
Psalms 78:47 - He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
Psalms 105:32 -He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.

Gen 19:24 - brimstone and fire

The word Brimstone in the Greek version is θεῖον is cognate with θεός [God], the Hebrew word is גָּפְרִית [gophriyth] and it's
root is כָּפַר [kaphar] or כְּפוֹר[kĕphowr] " hoar frost" .

Jobs 38:29 - the hoary frost of heaven

Hoar Frost
a greyish-white crystalline deposit of frozen water vapour formed in clear still weather on vegetation, fences, etc.

גָּפְרִית
Image
https://vivliothikiagiasmatos.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/joseph-yahuda-hebrew-is-greek.pdf
Ethan
Posts: 976
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:15 pm
Location: England
Contact:

Fire & Brimstone

Post by Ethan »

The word Apocalypse means 'to cover' i.e the mountains and stems from a Hebrew phrase in the Songs of Solomon.

Song of Solomon 4:1 - 6:5
thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

The word 'appear' is גָּלַשׁ [Galash]. the Greek word is ἀπεκαλύφθησαν [Apocalypse ] , Galash is simply word-play with χάλαζα [ Galaza] " Hail " cognate with שֶׁלֶג (shalag) and תְּלַג( tĕlag ) " Snow"

Hair is שֵׂעָר[se`ar] also means Goat-skin and Snowstorm (Nah 1:3)

שְׂעָרָה in Greek is καταιγίς from κἆτ (down) and αἰγίς (Storm-Goatskin)
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/mor ... s&la=greek
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/καταιγίς

The Apocalypse
Mount Hermon has seasonal winter and spring snow falls, which cover (καλύπτω) all three of its peaks for most of the year.
https://vivliothikiagiasmatos.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/joseph-yahuda-hebrew-is-greek.pdf
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