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BibleAid to Bible Understanding
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1 Cor. 15:33; Heb. 10:24, 25), good family relationships—duties of husband toward wife and children, wife toward husband and children, and children toward parents. (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 13:24; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21) Peace of mind, contentment and security are benefits enjoyed by Bible lovers. As the famous educator, William Lyon Phelps, once said: “I believe a knowledge of the Bible without a college course is more valuable than a college course without the Bible.” “It is a book,” to quote John Quincy Adams, “which neither the most ignorant and weakest, nor the most learned and intelligent mind can read without improvement.”
When it comes to scientific accuracy the Bible is not lacking. Whether describing the progressive order of earth’s preparation for habitation (Gen. 1:1-31), or speaking of the earth as being spherical and hung on “nothing” (Job 26:7; Isa. 40:22), or mentioning the ‘skin of the teeth’ (Job 19:20), or classifying the hare as a cud chewer (Lev. 11:6), or declaring “the soul of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11-14)—in all these and many more details the Bible is scientifically sound.
On points relating to cultures and customs, in no regard is the Bible found to be wrong. In political matters the Bible always speaks of a ruler by the proper title that he bore at the time of the writing. For example, Herod Antipas and Lysanias are referred to as district rulers (“tetrarchs”), Herod Agrippa as king, Sergius Paulus and Gallio as proconsuls. (Luke 3:1; Acts 25:13; 13:7; 18:12) Triumphant marches of victorious armies, together with their captives, were common during Roman times. (2 Cor. 2:14) In other details the Bible is accurate. For example, the hospitality shown to strangers, the Oriental way of life, the manner of purchasing property, legal procedures in making contracts, and the practice of circumcision among the Hebrews and other peoples.—Gen. 18:1-8; 23:7-18; 17:10-14; Jer. 9:25, 26.
Bible writers displayed a candor that is not found among other ancient writers. From the very outset, Moses frankly reported his own sins as well as the sins and errors of his people, a policy followed by the other Hebrew writers. (Ex. 14:11, 12; 32:1-6; Num. 14:1-9; 20:9-12; 27:12-14; Deut. 4:21) The sins of great ones such as David and Solomon were not covered over, but were reported. (2 Sam. 11:2-27; 1 Ki. 11:1-13) Jonah told of his own disobedience. (Jonah 1:1-3; 4:1) The other prophets likewise displayed this same straightforward, candid quality. Writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures showed the same regard for truthful reporting as displayed in the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul tells of his former sinful course in life; Mark’s error of conduct and also Peter’s are related. (Acts 22:19, 20; 15:37-39; Gal. 2:11-14) Such frank, open reporting builds confidence in the Bible’s claim to honesty and truthfulness.
Facts testify to the integrity of the Bible. The Bible narrative is inseparably interwoven with the history of the times. It gives straightforward truthful instruction in the simplest manner. The guileless earnestness and fidelity of its writers, their burning zeal for truth, their painstaking effort to attain accuracy in details recommend the Bible for what it is, God’s Word of Truth.—John 17:17.
If there is a single point that alone proves the Bible to be the Inspired Word of Jehovah it is the matter of prophecy, for what man can even foretell with accuracy the weather more than a few hours in advance? Yet there are scores of long-range prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled. For a partial listing and a consideration of some of the more important ones, see the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 343-346.
PRESERVATION
Today none of the original writings of the Holy Scriptures are known to exist. Jehovah, however, saw to it that copies were made to replace the aging originals. Also, from and after the Babylonian exile, with the growth of many Jewish communities outside Palestine, there was an increasing demand for more copies of the Scriptures. This demand was met by professional copyists who made extraordinary efforts to see that accuracy was attained in their handwritten manuscripts. Ezra was just such a man, “a skilled copyist in the law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given.”—Ezra 7:6.
For hundreds of years handwritten copies of the Scriptures continued to be made, during which period the Bible was expanded with the addition of the Christian Greek Scriptures. Translations or versions of these Holy Writings also appeared in other languages. Indeed, the Hebrew Scriptures are honored as the first book of note to be translated into another language. Extant today are thousands of these Bible manuscripts and versions.—See MANUSCRIPTS OF THE BIBLE; VERSIONS.
The first printed Bible came off Gutenberg’s press about the middle of the fifteenth century. Today distribution of the Bible (whole or part) has reached over two billion copies in upward of 1,300 languages. But this has not been accomplished without great opposition from many quarters. Indeed, the Bible has had more enemies than any other book; popes and councils even prohibited the reading of the Bible under penalty of excommunication. Thousands of Bible lovers lost their lives and thousands of copies of the Bible were committed to the flames. One of the victims in the Bible’s fight to live was translator William Tyndale, who once declared: ‘If God gives me life, ere many years the ploughboys shall know more of the Scriptures than the clergy.’
All credit and thanksgiving for the Bible’s survival in view of such violent opposition is due Jehovah, the Preserver of his Word. This fact gives added meaning to the apostle Peter’s quotation from the prophet Isaiah: “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like a blossom of grass; the grass becomes withered, and the flower falls off, but the saying of Jehovah endures forever.” (1 Pet. 1:24, 25; Isa. 40:6-8) We, therefore, do well to pay “attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place” in this twentieth century. (2 Pet. 1:19; Ps. 119:105) The man whose “delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night,” and who puts in practice the things he reads, is the one who prospers and is happy. (Ps. 1:1, 2; Josh. 1:8) To him Jehovah’s laws, reminders, orders, commandments and judicial decisions contained in the Bible are “sweeter than honey” and the wisdom derived therefrom is “more to be desired than gold, yes, than much refined gold,” for it means his very life.—Ps. 19:7-10; Prov. 3:13, 16-18.
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BichriAid to Bible Understanding
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BICHRI
(Bichʹri) [firstborn].
The Benjamite father or forefather of the good-for-nothing fellow named Sheba who rebelled against David. In this action the Bichrites (Berites, AV) supported Sheba.—2 Sam. 20:1-22.
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BichritesAid to Bible Understanding
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BICHRITES
(Bichʹrites).
Apparently descendants of the Benjamite Bichri or members of his family. They supported the insurrectionist “Sheba the son of Bichri” in his rebellion against King David.—2 Sam. 20:1, 2, 14, 15.
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BidkarAid to Bible Understanding
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BIDKAR
(Bidʹkar) [possibly, son of piercing].
Jehu’s adjutant who, “according to the word of Jehovah,” threw the body of King Jehoram of Israel into the field of Naboth.—2 Ki. 9:25, 26.
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BigthaAid to Bible Understanding
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BIGTHA
(Bigʹtha) [possibly, gift of God].
One of seven court officials sent by King Ahasuerus to bring his queen, Vashti, before him.—Esther 1:10, 11; see COURT OFFICIAL.
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Bigthan, BigthanaAid to Bible Understanding
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BIGTHAN, BIGTHANA
(Bigʹthan, Big·thaʹna) [possibly, gift of God].
One of two doorkeepers in the Persian palace who conspired against the life of King Ahasuerus. Mordecai learned of the plot, Queen
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