Mankind: Lives and dies
Plants: The Bible only speaks about growing and withering away. So I think plants are not living according to the Bible.
Animals: Live and die.
Insects: Are insects living things from a Biblical pov?
KJVGen 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Life is in the blood. Scientifically speaking insects have blood. But the Bible classifies things different from science.
For example the whale of Jonah was classified as a fish. But todays science classifies a whale as a mammal.
So perhaps the Bible only clasifies red blood as blood and not the yellow/greenish stuff insects have.
Any verses that answer my question?
It also classifies bats as birds. As far as life is concerned, my current view (I say current because it's more than likely to change, possibly even due to someone's response here) is that there are three orders of living things depending are their "make-up." First, there are plants, which only possess a body. By body, I mean the physical, material assembly of molecules that can be touched and felt. Second, there are animals which have a body and a soul. By soul, I mean a personality, emotions, memories, etc. that make up who you are. Perfect example: Psychology = Psyche (Greek for Soul) + Logos (Greek for Study of.) Thus, psychology is the study of the self. Finally, there are humans who have a body, soul, and spirit. By spirit, I mean the breath of life endowed by God that makes us images of Him. So I would have to definitely have to say all three things are alive yet humans are of the highest order because we alone possess the breath of life i.e. spirit.
So insects are animals? I guess it must be because they clearly are no plants or human. And as you wrote there are only 3 classes.
Plants have emotions too.
The breath of life is only about spiritual life imo.
Physical life is in the blood as the Bible defines it. Blood certainly is of great importance. But not the only thing that keeps us alive.
NETMar 1:6 John wore a garment made of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Is that proof that Bibically speaking a locust (=insect) has no blood? I assume John would not break this command:
NETGen 9:4 But you must not eat meat with its life (that is, its blood) in it.
Hi WhiteWings,
Maybe what John ate wasn't an insect at all.
http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/Stinking%20Toe.htm
CAROB
Leguminous evergreen tree (Ceratonia siliqua) native to the E Mediterranean region and cultivated elsewhere. It is sometimes known as locust, or "Saint John's Bread", in the belief that the "locusts" on which John the Baptist fed were carob pods. The tree, about 50 ft (15 m) tall, bears compound, glossy leaves with thick leaflets. Its red flowers are followed by flat, leathery pods that contain 5-15 hard brown seeds embedded in a sweet, edible pulp that tastes similar to chocolate.
The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. Copyright © 2002 Columbia University Press
I always thought it were insects :winkgrin:
Insects are very nutritious but you pod story makes a lot of sense too.
:cloud9: I've heard that about the locusts too, ie. that they came off a tree. Even though grasshoppers are supposed to be high in protein. :winkgrin: Blessings....
According to Strong it was permitted to eat the insect locust. It sounds even common to eat them.
Quote1) a locust, particularly that species which especially infests oriental countries, stripping fields and trees. Numberless swarms of them almost every spring are carried by the wind from Arabia into Palestine, and having devastated that country, migrate to regions farther north, until they perish by falling into the sea. The Orientals accustomed to feed upon locusts, either raw or roasted and seasoned with salt (or prepared in other ways), and the Israelites also were permitted to eat them.
The locusts in Revelation 9:3 and 9:7 are translated from the same Greek word akris as the verses about John.
I'm aware Revelation uses symbolic language but I don't think it's a plant.
KJVRev 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
Logic prevailing,
everything is alive.
For God created a vibrant universe from the very substance of I AM.
40 "I tell you," He replied, "that if *they* became silent, the very stones would cry out."
Luke 19, Weymouth
Quote from: WhiteWings on May 15, 2010, 10:47:36 PM
The locusts in Revelation 9:3 and 9:7 are translated from the same Greek word akris as the verses about John.
I'm aware Revelation uses symbolic language but I don't think it's a plant.
KJVRev 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
:cloud9: The overcomers (sons of God) are the locusts in Revelation. Horses speak of strength and also obedience, as a well trained horse will obey it's rider with the slightest motion or voice of command.
They have eaten every green thing (life filled leaves for the healing of the nations) and have become an overflowing scourge that heals (makes whole) everything it touches. To he that overcometh, I will give him a crown.....Blessings....
Quote from: WhiteWings on May 15, 2010, 10:45:31 PM
According to Strong it was permitted to eat the insect locust. It sounds even common to eat them.
Quote1) a locust, particularly that species which especially infests oriental countries, stripping fields and trees. Numberless swarms of them almost every spring are carried by the wind from Arabia into Palestine, and having devastated that country, migrate to regions farther north, until they perish by falling into the sea. The Orientals accustomed to feed upon locusts, either raw or roasted and seasoned with salt (or prepared in other ways), and the Israelites also were permitted to eat them.
I don't know, but my Jack Russell sure did love locust. When I took him out at night I couldn't get him away from the cyprus trees in my back yard. The locust would be in them and he would eat those things like a child would eat candy. I never saw anything like it.
CHB
Ceratonia siliqua, Carob, Locust, St. John's-Bread,
Egyptian fig, חרוב מצוי "Charuv", خروب "kharoub"
The seeds ground up produce a protein rich flour that contains no starch or sugar.
Perhaps John ate bread and honey.
I don't believe the 3-fold division of living things in a previous post is a Biblical concept. Animals are said in Scripture to have spirits (that go down,) souls and bodies.
There is a Scripture, that several times I've found it difficult to re-locate, which says, "All lives unto Him," or, "To Him (the) all is living," or some such similar expression. Here, I've found it: "For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him." (Lk 20:38, AV) Here it is more literally: "Now God is He, not of the dead, but of the living, for all, to Him, are living." (CLT)
I would add, from experience, plants have a kind of soul. It seems to be expressive rather than receptive, joyously toward God rather than reactive. While complete in itself, by comparison to animal's souls, they are partial, something like their body realm is planted, there is a fixation to their souls. Other than maturing, which differers from responding to stimulus, there seems only to be some phototropism, which is what their soul is like. It's difficult to describe.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkdMOauMAys
Quote from: CHB on May 16, 2010, 02:29:50 AMI don't know, but my Jack Russell sure did love locust
Jack Russell; enough said :laughing7:
Those dogs have no brains. From birth to death they run and jump. That's it. :laughing7:
Very funny and lively dogs. Yep Jack Russells are certainly alive :laughing7:
Quote from: reFORMer on May 16, 2010, 05:07:59 AM
I don't believe the 3-fold division of living things in a previous post is a Biblical concept. Animals are said in Scripture to have spirits (that go down,) souls and bodies.
I'm not saying I right (I'm asking); but it certainly seems there is 3 fold division.
1] Things without blood and breath of life/spirit: Plants (+insects?)
2] Things with blood but without a spirit: Animals (+insects?)
3] Things with blood and spirit: Man
QuoteThere is a Scripture, that several times I've found it difficult to re-locate, which says, "All lives unto Him," or, "To Him (the) all is living," or some such similar expression. Here, I've found it: "For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him." (Lk 20:38, AV) Here it is more literally: "Now God is He, not of the dead, but of the living, for all, to Him, are living." (CLT)
Is a rock dead? Not everything is alive. I think dead in the Bible only refers to things that once were alive to Biblical standards.
So IF insects and plants are not living according to the Bible they can't die. If tree's are alive does that mean trees are also raised from the dead?
QuoteI would add, from experience, plants have a kind of soul.
True. There is even scientific proof for that. Plants know fear etc.
But that doesn't prove or disprove how the Bible classifies plants.
Many times in Scripture both souls and spirits of animals are mentioned. In Proverbs it speaks of, "A righteous man considers the soul of his beast." Another verse says, "The spirit of the beast goes down." There are elect (chosen) animals, such as those offered on the altar or the white horse the immortal Jesus is riding that is mentioned in Revelation 19:11-16. Not only humankind, Jesus is called "Savior of All" in Scripture. Here is described the Covenant God will make with the animals: "And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely." (Hosea 2:18, AV)
+ + + + + + +
I'm sorry I couldn't discover who put it here originally, but I copied this from someone else's post here at tentmaker:
look in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance under the number 5315 nephesh and you will see that animals have souls.
I realize it is hard to see it with poorly translated Bibles but here are a few verses:
(Gen 1:21) And God430 created1254 (853) great1419 whales,8577 and every3605 living2416 creature5315 that moveth,7430 which834 the waters4325 brought forth abundantly,8317 after their kind,4327 and every3605 winged3671 fowl5775 after his kind:4327 and God430 saw7200 that3588 it was good.2896
(Gen 1:21 CLV) And creating is the Elohim great monsters and every living moving soul, with which the water roams, for their from-kind, and every winged flyer for its from-kind. And seeing is the Elohim that it is good.
(Gen 1:24 KJV) And God430 said,559 Let the earth776 bring forth3318 the living2416 creature5315 after his kind,4327 cattle,929 and creeping thing,7431 and beast2416 of the earth776 after his kind:4327 and it was1961 so.3651
(Gen 1:24 CLV) And saying is the Elohim, "Bring forth shall the earth the living soul for its kind, beast and moving animal and land life for its kind. "And coming is it to be so.
(Gen 1:30) And to every3605 beast2416 of the earth,776 and to every3605 fowl5775 of the air,8064 and to every thing3605 that creepeth7430 upon5921 the earth,776 wherein834 there is life,5315, 2416 I have given (853) every3605 green3418 herb6212 for meat:402 and it was1961 so.3651
(Gen 1:30 CLV) And for all land life, and for every flyer of the heavens, and for every moving animal on the land, which has in it a living soul, all green herbage is for food. And coming is it to be so.
(Gen 2:7 KJV) And the LORD3068 God430 formed3335 (853) man120 of the dust6083 of4480 the ground,127 and breathed5301 into his nostrils639 the breath5397 of life;2416 and man120 became1961 a living2416 soul.5315
(Gen 2:7 CLV) And forming is Yahweh Elohim the human of soil from the ground, and He is blowing into his nostrils the breath of the living, and becoming is the human a living soul.
(Gen 2:19 KJV) And out of4480 the ground127 the LORD3068 God430 formed3335 every3605 beast2416 of the field,7704 and every3605 fowl5775 of the air;8064 and brought935 them unto413 Adam121 to see7200 what4100 he would call7121 them: and whatsoever3605, 834 Adam121 called7121 every living2416 creature,5315 that1931 was the name8034 thereof.
(Gen 2:19 Concordant Literal Version) And furthermore Yahweh Elohim, having formed from the ground all field life and every flyer of the heavens, He is also bringing it to the human to see what he will call it. And whatever the human living soul is calling it, that is its name.
(Gen 9:4 KJV) But389 flesh1320 with the life5315 thereof, which is the blood1818 thereof, shall ye not3808 eat.398
(Gen 9:4 CLV) Yea, only flesh with its soul, its blood, you shall not eat.
(Gen 9:5) And surely389 (853) your blood1818 of your lives5315 will I require;1875 at the hand4480, 3027 of every3605 beast2416 will I require1875 it, and at the hand4480, 3027 of man;120 at the hand4480, 3027 of every man's376 brother251 will I require1875 (853) the life5315 of man.120
Gen 9:5 Yea, and your blood for your souls I will require. From the hand of every living animal will I require it, and from the hand of humanity. From the hand of a man's brother I will require the soul of a human.
"Creature" and "life" above should be "soul" in the KJV verses above.
Another good verse.
KJVEcc 3:19-21 19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?