Hi
I’m interested in finding instances of humor in the Old and New Testaments. I remember listening to a BBC program years ago on the topic but I can’t remember any details about now. I would like to know if God or Jesus crack any jokes.
I look forward to your feedback
Thanks Gary T. Very helpful
I had read so many versions that state that Sarah was the one who laughed. I just looked up to verify which version is more popular. There are versions of just Sarah laughing, Abraham laughing and both of them laughing.
"Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief.
“How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”"
“… Abraham laughed to rejoice, in joy; Sarah laughed in doubt. Abraham laughed, then openly conversed with God how this should come about.”
“. bible recorded it that Sarah laughed in her heart Genesis 18:12-15 12 Sarah laughed to herself, … the Lord asks Abraham why did Sarah laugh, .”
I am no Biblical scholar, but I seem to recall that Eve being formed from Adam’s rib is a pun in Sumerian.
why would a book written in Hebrew contain a pun in Sumerian
Because the story was better in the original Sumerian.
Sometimes the Lord answers in humorous ways:
1- When King Saul is rebuked by Samuel when the King was ordered to destroy all the animals, which Saul confirms, then Samuel (speaking for God) states “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
2- Balaam getting pissed off over his donkey’s behavior starts beating it, then the Lord allows the donkey to speak and rebukes Balaam.
Adding how Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, time and time again, stating and saying within the law while giving out a different meaning entirely. Making fools of them.
Woman caught in the act of adultery for example.
Jesus rising from the dead, making fools of the highest authority on earth (Roman government) and showing it has no power (kill me? I’m back). Also they way Satan’s plan is thwarted by killing a innocent man, everything Satan has is lost.
Some other examples came to mind. From Ps 2:
And the way Jesus came to Paul (Saul), and how Paul had to reply/admit that Jesus is Lord even though Paul asked who He (Jesus) was, and the boldness of Jesus’ entry and statements:
I always thought the Elijah and the prophets of Baal story was pretty good. From 1 Kings Chapter 18 (NIV):
*Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
27At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.*
Pretty much all Old Testament names are puns. Whenever you see a passage like “And she named her son ____ because he ____”, the given name always has some direct meaning, which makes sense for the context, but the reason given for it is always something else entirely, which happens to sound similar to the first one.
Some ancient — and no doubt modern ( Korea comes to mind ) — peoples seem sourer than others, such as the Spartans versus the Athenians ( which latter were no nicer ).
The Hebrews appear to have all the chucklesome fun-loving good humour of Vladimir Lenin at his very best.
Good thought. There is nothing in the Jewish Bible/Old Testament that says that it was originally in Hebrew. People sort of assume that it was, because that fits in with the idea of the Jewish people (who have historically spoken Hebrew as their main language) being God’s chosen people. It would actually make more sense if the book of Genesis, at least the early parts of it, had originally been written in the universal pre-flood language and only later on translated into the specific post-Babel language of the Israelites. People get around this by claiming that Hebrew was in fact the pre-flood language, but again there isn’t much (even using the Bible as your only source) to support that.
There are actually very strong parallels between the early parts of Genesis and several Sumerian stores, including the Sumerian King List and the Epic of Gilgamesh.
I don’t know. Did they have Viagra back then?
Apparently God was talking out of his ass in this case.
You’d have to ask the shortest man in the Bible. Who is that, you ask? St.Peter, of course. He slept on his watch.
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk…
Not a fan? Consult Bildad, the Shuhite.
Hilarity doth ensueth.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t there a chapter in The Book of Acts that describes in explicit detail the actions of the apostle Paul and his followers and when asked the name of the act, God replied, “thou art thy Aristocrats.”?