# Are there any jokes in the Bible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 12, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194 "2011-06-12T04:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![8WholeThing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/4af34b/32.png) [@8WholeThing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8WholeThing)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/1 "2011-06-12T04:30:06Z")
Here’s a paradox written just for humor. Titus 1:12-13a Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. * * * LINK TO COLUMN: [Are there any jokes in the Bible? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1165/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible) ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/2 "2011-06-12T07:57:51Z")
Translators say they do, but when you go back and look at the orgional Hebrew it turns out they usually depend on the Hebrew word for booger. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/3 "2011-06-12T18:34:59Z")
Such passages as Jacob’s experiments in non-Mendelian genetics probably raised a snicker when they were new, and many of the sayings of Jesus (such as the parable of the Unjust Steward) are quite funny if you are orthodox enough to open your ears in sober frivolity, instead of stopping them with frivolous sobriety. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/4 "2011-06-12T19:29:22Z")
> [@8WholeThing](#): > > Here’s a paradox written just for humor. > > Titus 1:12-13a > Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. I don’t see that as a paradox. To me, that reads, “all Cretans are liars,” not, “we Cretans always lie.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/5 "2011-06-13T02:16:29Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **8WholeThing** , we’re glad to have you here. When you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers to provide a link to the column in question: helps keep us all on the same page, and saves searching time. I’ve added a link at the bottom of your post to the column that I assume you’re referencing. No biggie, you’ll know for next time. And, as I say, welcome. My favorite joke in the bible is a slapstick bit – prior to fighting Goliath, David is given armor to wear, which is too heavy for him (he’s just a kid) and he topples over. ---
**Author:** ![8WholeThing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/4af34b/32.png) [@8WholeThing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8WholeThing)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/6 "2011-06-13T15:23:52Z")
> [@Lestrade](#): > > I don’t see that as a paradox. To me, that reads, “all Cretans are liars,” not, “we Cretans always lie.” But it says that it comes from one of their own prophets, so it is saying “we Cretans always lie”. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/7 "2011-06-13T15:36:01Z")
I’ve always loved the one about the erroneous translation of “celebrate”! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/8 "2011-06-13T16:15:46Z")
And the “one of their own prophets” who said it was the philosopher [Epimenides](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimenides), whose name is now associated with the paradox. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-jokes-in-the-bible/585194/9 "2011-06-13T20:59:51Z")
> [@8WholeThing](#): > > But it says that it comes from one of their own prophets, so it is saying “we Cretans always lie”. That was a poor explanation on my part. Looking [across translations](http://bible.cc/titus/1-12.htm) I see that the phrase “always liars” is common. I think it can be read as, “We are all guilty of lying and are liars,” instead of, “We can never make a true statement.” I can certainly see your reading and appreciate that there is a long history of interpreting this passage as a paradox. I don’t see it as necessarily correct, but appreciate that you take what humor you can find with the Bible.