Scott's Random Thought: Conversation. Empty talk or a walk on a path. June 7 2013
The English word conversation appears twenty times in the King James Version of the Bible. When looking up the Hebrew and Greek words that were translated into the English word conversation I found that none of the Hebrew and Greek words had anything in common with a modern English dictionary’s definition of the word conversation.
The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition on page 320 defines the conversation as, 1. a spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions and feelings; talk. 2. an informal discussion of a matter or an issue by representatives of governments, institutions, or organizations. 3. a real time interaction with a computer.
These definitions, especially the first one is probably what pops into the mind of the average English speaking individual when the read or hear the word conversation. However, in researching the word conversation in the Bible the word doesn’t mean any of the definitions found in modern English language dictionaries. This obviously can and does cause a lot of problems to anyone that picks up and reads the word conversation in the King James Version of the Bible. If people depend on their own understanding and cultural definition of the word conversation will not understand what the Bible is really saying.
So what does the word conversation really mean when we read it in the King James version of the Bible?
The word conversation appears twenty times in the King James version. Two times in the Hebrew Old Testament and eighteen times in the Greek New Testament.
The two times the word conversation appears in the Hebrew Old Testament both incidents occur in the book of Psalms. Psalms 37:14 and Psalms 50:23 and in both verses the Hebrew word is Strong’s Hebrew word number 1870. The phonetic English word would be “Derek” spelled “dalet-resh-koph”. The Hebrew letter “dalet” was a pictograph of a tent door. The Hebrew letter “resh” was a pictograph of a human head. The Hebrew letter “koph” was a pictograph of the palm of a hand. The action meaning of the Hebrew word “Derek” is “to tread”. The concrete meaning of the Hebrew word “Derek” is “a road”. The Hebrew word “Derek” is derived from the Hebrew word “resh-chets” meaning “a path”. As a verb the Hebrew word “Derek” means to tread, to take a step, a journey. As a noun the Hebrew word “Derek” means a road; a road that is walked, as well as the path, the path of life, way, toward, journey. A course of life, a mode of action, manner.
So when we read Psalms 37:14, “The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, [and] to slay such as be of upright conversation.” Instead of conversation as in “talking in the sense of a spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions or feelings”. We should read this as, “Those hostile and against God have opened, loosed and set free a laying waste, and have tread upon and marched forth in their might and power, to attack and overthrow the poor, humble, weak, lowly and needy, those delivered by God, those who suffer undeservedly for pious worship of God, [and] to slay, kill brutally and ruthlessly, such as walk or tread an upright, righteous, correct, pleasing and proper way or path of life.”
Psalms 50:23 reads, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth [his] conversation [aright] will I shew the salvation of God.” We can re-write this verse as, “Whoso offereth (a free will offering or sacrifice) praise (thanksgiving) glorifieth (give honor to) me: and to him that ordereth [his] conversation (walk or tread an upright, righteous, correct, pleasing and proper way or path of life) [aright] will I shew the salvation (victory, rescue, safety, deliverance, welfare, prosperity) of God.
In the New Testament there are five different Greek words that are used eighteen times. Thirteen times Strong’s word number 391 is used. Two times Strong’s word number 390 is used. And one time each is Strong’s word numbers 4175, 4176 and 5158 used.
Strong’s word number 390 is used in 2Corinthians 1:12 and Ephesians 2:3. Strong’s word number 390 is the Greek word “Anastrepho” and means to overturn, to return, to busy oneself, to conduct oneself, behave, live.
Strong’s word number 391 is used in Galatians 1:13, Ephesians 4:22, 1Timothy 4:12, Hebrews 13:7, James 3:13, 1Peter 1:15,18, 2:12, 3:1,2,16; 2 Peter 2:7, 3:11. Strong’s word number 391 is a the Greek word “Anastrophe” meaning literally a turning back and is translated manner of life, how one lives.
We can see that these two Greek words are very similar to the Hebrew word “Derek” a path of life, the road that we walk as we live. How we “behave” our “manner of life”, how we choose to live our lives is really how we should be translating the English word “conversation” in all of the previously mentioned verses in the Bible.
In Philippians 1:27 the English word “conversation” is translated from the Strong’s Greek word number 4176, and is the Greek word, “Politeuomai” and means “to behave as a citizen”; and is derived from the Greek word “politeuo” and means “to be a citizen” or “to live as a citizen”. “Politeuo” comes from “Polites” which is “a townsman, a citizen, a member of a city or a state, or the inhabitant of a country or district. “Polites” comes from “Polis” a town, a city, properly with walls, a town enclosed by walls. The definition of Politeuomai” also means “to administer civil affairs and manage the state”, “to avail one's self of or recognize the laws” and “to conduct one's self as pledged to some law of life.”
Philippians 1:27 reads, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” And it could be read as, “But let your conduct as one pledged to obey God’s natural law of life be as a manner worthy of the reward for good tidings of the anointed King: so that if I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one set-apart, separate or ‘holy’character/spirit, with one mind striving together in the fidelity and conviction of the glad tidings of the kingdom of God;”
In Philippians 3:20 the word conversation is translated from the Strong’s Greek word number 4175 and is the Greek word “Politeuma” and means a “community” or “citizenship” and is derived from 4176 the same Greek word in Philippians 1:27.
Philippians 3:20 reads, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” And could read, “For our community and citizenship is under the vaulted expanse of the starry sky, the whole earth and the whole universe for YaHuWaH created it all; out of that, likewise we wait for the Prince who is the preserver, the deliverer, the one who saves, the Sovereign Master, Yahushua the Messiah (theAnointed) King.”
Hebrews 13:5 is the last verse that uses a different Strong’s Greek word number. Number 5158 is the Greek word, “Tropos” and means “a turn, mode or style”, “deportment or character”. Tropos as a noun means a turning, fashion, manner, character and way of life. Again we see this definition “a way of life and character”.
Hebrews 13:5 reads, “[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
If you were not aware, in the King James version of the Bible any time we see words in brackets it means those words were not in the original scrolls or papyri, but were added by the translators. This could be a good thing, but a lot of the time it is not, it actually takes away and detracts from the original intent as the translators are trying to make the text more readable. Thanks but no thanks.
Hebrew 13:5, “The manner and character of life without covetousness; satisfied and content, possessed with unfailing strength to be ready at hand: for he hath said, I will never give up, send back, let sink or leave thee, nor forsake, abandon or leave thee behind.”
So what is your conversation? Is it just to talk and speak an exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings? Or should your conversation be the character in which you walk your path and journey through life? What does your conversation, the character in which you have chosen to walk out your life say about you thus far? Are you content and satisfied possessed with unfailing strength, always ready at hand, being a citizen of the kingdom of God/heaven that is anywhere and everywhere under the vast expanse of the sky wherever two or three are gathered in His name, character, nature and spirit of righteousness, know that the King rules on his thrown forever and ever as the Creator, the loving forgiver and Father that never gives up on us, nor does He send us back, nor lets us sink and will never abandon or leave behind His citizens that walk out their lives following His path and way.
Peace,
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