Click here (YouTube) for a wacky-cartoonish take on the prophet Balaam! How closely (or not) does this version adhere to the Biblical story? What humor and/or sarcasm do you detect in the original? What purposes might this have served for its ancient Israelite audience?
7 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I liked this version. I believed it followed the Bibical story closely. It was showing everyone that God is not to taken lightly. When someone wants to curse a place, people or thing maybe you should take the opportunity to bless them instead. Things turn out better for everyone invovled. I believed this cartoon got its point across rather well.
I agree that this cartoon was a very simplified yet accurate telling of the story. The Bible spreads the story over two chapters and is long to read and understand whereas the cartoon tells the story in an entertaining and captivating way. This cartoon will at least allow people to know the main point of the story and may get them to read the Biblical version as well.
Personally I know absolutely nothing about the originally biblical story. However I did think it reflected (though sarcastically) well the aspect of intermediaries using their 'power' sometimes to seek to improve their social standing; in this case, increase in wealth.
From what I recall of the Biblical version, the video conveys the key points of the story rather well. The YouTube version is laden with thick sarcasm, while the original possesses significantly less - if any. For an ancient Isrealite audience, I can't rightly say when purpose it could have served as that is so far out of context. Maybe some helpful foreshadowing? Comic relief?
This version of the story was interesting however it was also so laden with sarcasm that some of the key points were lost from this story. I have preached from this story a few times and whenever I read this story I get out two very valuable lessons. 1.) God is very patient with us: he understands that sometimes it takes a lot for us to get something through our thick skulls, Balaam returned to God over and over hoping for a different answer but each time he was sent back with the same. 2.) Sometimes an answer from God comes in the most unexpected places. God used a donkey and an unbelieving king to speak to Balaam.
Quick note about our discussion about seams on Wednesday. I dug through my Hebrew bible and found that in Numbers 22:20 where most translations say "since" the word that was translated is actually a conditional clause that more accurately translates to "if". This is why God was angry with Balaam a few verses later. He had told him "If they come and get you, you are to go with them..." Balaam just went ignoring God's first instructions. The KJV and NKJV caught this while many subsequent translations missed that in the context the word was seen in the Hebrew as a conditional "if-then statement"
Except for the added humor with the comments Balaam made to his donkey and the extra comments that the donkey made back to him, I think this video adhered to the biblical version pretty well. I think it may have served as a purpose to the ancient Israelite audience that God will use whatever and whomever He pleases to get his word across.
Good exegesis on the Hebrew, Michael (above & beyond)! Num 22:20 is indeed a conditional ('if') clause, followed by a 'then' clause (although without an explicit conjunction). Our NRSV version seems to have captured this, too. Just goes to show how important translation can be!
7 comments:
I liked this version. I believed it followed the Bibical story closely. It was showing everyone that God is not to taken lightly. When someone wants to curse a place, people or thing maybe you should take the opportunity to bless them instead. Things turn out better for everyone invovled. I believed this cartoon got its point across rather well.
Lisa
I agree that this cartoon was a very simplified yet accurate telling of the story. The Bible spreads the story over two chapters and is long to read and understand whereas the cartoon tells the story in an entertaining and captivating way. This cartoon will at least allow people to know the main point of the story and may get them to read the Biblical version as well.
Bob
Personally I know absolutely nothing about the originally biblical story. However I did think it reflected (though sarcastically) well the aspect of intermediaries using their 'power' sometimes to seek to improve their social standing; in this case, increase in wealth.
-- Sydney
From what I recall of the Biblical version, the video conveys the key points of the story rather well. The YouTube version is laden with thick sarcasm, while the original possesses significantly less - if any. For an ancient Isrealite audience, I can't rightly say when purpose it could have served as that is so far out of context. Maybe some helpful foreshadowing? Comic relief?
Sophie
This version of the story was interesting however it was also so laden with sarcasm that some of the key points were lost from this story. I have preached from this story a few times and whenever I read this story I get out two very valuable lessons. 1.) God is very patient with us: he understands that sometimes it takes a lot for us to get something through our thick skulls, Balaam returned to God over and over hoping for a different answer but each time he was sent back with the same. 2.) Sometimes an answer from God comes in the most unexpected places. God used a donkey and an unbelieving king to speak to Balaam.
Quick note about our discussion about seams on Wednesday. I dug through my Hebrew bible and found that in Numbers 22:20 where most translations say "since" the word that was translated is actually a conditional clause that more accurately translates to "if". This is why God was angry with Balaam a few verses later. He had told him "If they come and get you, you are to go with them..." Balaam just went ignoring God's first instructions. The KJV and NKJV caught this while many subsequent translations missed that in the context the word was seen in the Hebrew as a conditional "if-then statement"
Michael
Except for the added humor with the comments Balaam made to his donkey and the extra comments that the donkey made back to him, I think this video adhered to the biblical version pretty well. I think it may have served as a purpose to the ancient Israelite audience that God will use whatever and whomever He pleases to get his word across.
Katrina
Good exegesis on the Hebrew, Michael (above & beyond)! Num 22:20 is indeed a conditional ('if') clause, followed by a 'then' clause (although without an explicit conjunction). Our NRSV version seems to have captured this, too. Just goes to show how important translation can be!
pdk
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