Center of Bible

[jtunink1]

I was distraught to read this about the shortest chapter of the bible-Psalms 117, and the longest-119 and the center 118. There are 594 before and 594 after and when you add those you get 1188. The center verse of the bible is 118:8 which is to trust in the Lord instead of man. It seems so profound! But why was I upset? Because this is only in a protestant bible, not my Catholic bible. Help me understand please

 

[COPLAND_3]

I don’t know why you would be upset. But I know that I am missing the point that you are trying to make.

But anyway, as for the chapters and verses, they were all divided much later after the texts were written. Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton divided the chapters and verses in the 13th century and then Santes Pagninus divided the OT in 1528 and Robert Etienne did the same for the NT in 1551. I would not get too wrapped up with the numbers, they are artificial.

 

[paidion]

I wouldn’t get so hung up on the numbers. They were added later - long after the words themselves were written.

I’ve not checked this particular trick out, but assuming it is correct, does having Psalm 118:8 in the middle make it more “special” than the other books or verses of the Scriptures? Does the fact that Deut 6:4 is somewhere toward the beginning make it any less “special”.

There are plenty of other verses in the Bible (Catholic or non), that also say to trust in the L-rd instead of man. What’s the big deal if that one is in the middle?

shalom

 

[porthos11]

I was distraught to read this about the shortest chapter of the bible-Psalms 117, and the longest-119 and the center 118. There are 594 before and 594 after and when you add those you get 1188. The center verse of the bible is 118:8 which is to trust in the Lord instead of man. It seems so profound! But why was I upset? Because this is only in a protestant bible, not my Catholic bible. Help me understand please

WHICH Protestant Bible?

Most likely, only the KJV.

However, I find John 3:16 waaayy more profound.

 

[Manfred]

I was distraught to read this about the shortest chapter of the bible-Psalms 117, and the longest-119 and the center 118. There are 594 before and 594 after and when you add those you get 1188. The center verse of the bible is 118:8 which is to trust in the Lord instead of man. It seems so profound! But why was I upset? Because this is only in a protestant bible, not my Catholic bible. Help me understand please

Well, as you probably know, the Catholic Bible has those seven extra books that Protestants like to call the “apocrypha”, but which we call “deuterocanonical”. The inclusion of these books (they DO belong here, by the way) makes the clever numbering about which you wrote not work out the same, unfortunately.

 

[jtunink1]

that is what I mean, I know with the addition of the other books makes the difference - clever numbering, coincidence? I didn’t think it was the verse that made it profound.

 

[paidion]

that is what I mean, I know with the addition of the other books makes the difference - clever numbering, coincidence? I didn’t think it was the verse that made it profound.

You described yourself as “distraught” at finding the middle verse in the Protestant Bible. So I guess I’m unclear as to what was really troubling you. Was it the verse being in the middle that was disturbing or was it that there’s a “little trick” with the numbers and all?

Either way, I’m not sure I see what the big deal is…

shalom

 

[zagjames]

chapter, verse, psh. they are tools, to find specific places in the Bible that is it. they have no meaning, so dont put any on them.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

I was distraught to read this about the shortest chapter of the bible-Psalms 117, and the longest-119 and the center 118. There are 594 before and 594 after and when you add those you get 1188. The center verse of the bible is 118:8 which is to trust in the Lord instead of man. It seems so profound! But why was I upset? Because this is only in a protestant bible, not my Catholic bible. Help me understand please

Maybe it will make you feel a little better to remember that the Protestant Bible has 66 books in it, and the Catholic Bible has 73. “7” in the Bible is the number of perfection, and “3” the number of the Trinity. Those are holy numbers. “6,” on the other hand, is the number of man. This is true of the Protestant Bible in that its books are the choice of man, and its interpretation is the choice of man. Man can believe what he wants to believe through the Protestant Bible, to a large extent, and there isn’t any authority structure to keep him in line with a united, orthodox point of view.

 

[jtunink1]

Thank you for your kind reply. I’ll try to remember those numbers.