I’ve read the entire Old and New Testament of the King James Bible and there are many verses that were strikingly bizarre at first glance. A second glance only served to make them even more bizarre. In this list of 10 verses that are never preached on, I learned two things: one, different translations of the Bible can differ significantly, and two, I’m not the only one who found some of the verses extremely odd.
I’ve loved the “go up thou bald head” verse ever since I came across it.
To illustrate how much translations can differ, I’ve included the verses as quoted from the site along with the version from the King James version. It’s interesting to compare the two.
10. 2 Kings 2:23-24
NKJV
Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
KJV
And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
9. Mark 14:51-52
NASB
A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.
KJV
And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
8. Deuteronomy 23:1
ESV
No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.
KJV
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
7. Genesis 38:8-10
NASB
Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.
KJV
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
6. 1 Samuel 18:25-27
ESV
Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.
KJV
And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
5. Exodus 4:24-25
NASB
Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”
KJV
And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
4. Ezekiel 16:17
NIV
You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.
KJV
Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
3. Ezekiel 23:19-20
NET
Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution in the land of Egypt. She lusted after their genitals – as large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions.
KJV
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
2. Judges 3:21-22
ESV
And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out.
KJV
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
1. Deuteronomy 25:11-12
NASB
If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity.
KJV
When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.
Who would have guessed that the old testament could be so fun to read? There sure was a whole lot of testical crushing and mutilation goin’ on back in those days. No wonder why the Big Man was so pissed off.
“Strange” verses, it appears, just means verses that have to do with genitals or sex, or “baldheaded.” Yes, there’s some of that in the Bible. I guess I’m just kind of nonplussed by having them listed. Looking around at the world today, I don’t think these verses need be avoided in preaching, but might in fact be particularly relevant and useful, in some cases. I’ve heard the “bald head” verse read and discussed in a Sunday School lesson.
Or verses about streaking, death or circumcision, all of which make for rather strange verses. That’s the point of the list. I’ve also heard the bald head verse discussed in Sunday school, but that’s 1 out of 10, and there are dozens of other strange verses that could have taken its place. The Bible (especially the Old Testament) has loads of odd verses, and while they don’t need to be avoided, most of them are. All of that aside, the main reason I posted this is that I think it’s cool that people are blogging about the Bible at all.
Thankfully it’s the old testament unto which we no longer follow. The only things we follow from the old testament are references that Jesus makes. I read and study the old testament to gain perspectives on creation and to also learn about older Jewish traditions and the pretext of early Christendom.
What I find even stranger than these verses is the fact that Abraham and Sarah couldn’t have children, so Sarah sent Hagar, her maid, unto her husband so that he may procreate. After bearing Ismael, God suddenly decides that he will make Sarah fertile, whereupon Sarah sends Hagar and Ismael away (the muslim faith forms 600 years later). So… did all powerful God (who is actually Jesus if we buy into the revelations of some churches) actually start the conflict between christians and muslims on purpose? He is ALL KNOWING, meaning that he sees the future as well as all other things. So, if he knows all things he must have known the repercussions of such an act and willed it to be so. He sure could have saved us a lot of trouble. Maybe by doing this thing he was assured of the certainty of the apocalypse! That must be it!
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Comment by Dennis Paul Hastings on April 24, 2009 @ 1:41 am
They are very interesting verses and fun to enjoy.
Who would have guessed that the old testament could be so fun to read? There sure was a whole lot of testical crushing and mutilation goin’ on back in those days. No wonder why the Big Man was so pissed off.
» Comment by jason on December 6, 2006 @ 10:16 amFun to read maybe, but not to experience. I wince just reading some of those verses.
» Comment by dan on December 6, 2006 @ 10:19 am“Strange” verses, it appears, just means verses that have to do with genitals or sex, or “baldheaded.” Yes, there’s some of that in the Bible. I guess I’m just kind of nonplussed by having them listed. Looking around at the world today, I don’t think these verses need be avoided in preaching, but might in fact be particularly relevant and useful, in some cases. I’ve heard the “bald head” verse read and discussed in a Sunday School lesson.
» Comment by DaveH on December 7, 2006 @ 7:11 amOr verses about streaking, death or circumcision, all of which make for rather strange verses. That’s the point of the list. I’ve also heard the bald head verse discussed in Sunday school, but that’s 1 out of 10, and there are dozens of other strange verses that could have taken its place. The Bible (especially the Old Testament) has loads of odd verses, and while they don’t need to be avoided, most of them are. All of that aside, the main reason I posted this is that I think it’s cool that people are blogging about the Bible at all.
» Comment by dan on December 7, 2006 @ 10:06 amThankfully it’s the old testament unto which we no longer follow. The only things we follow from the old testament are references that Jesus makes. I read and study the old testament to gain perspectives on creation and to also learn about older Jewish traditions and the pretext of early Christendom.
» Comment by chad on December 7, 2006 @ 4:50 pmThe NET version of Ezekiel 23:19-20 is hilarious! I guess Jewish men in them days were hung!
» Comment by chad on December 7, 2006 @ 4:52 pmI just found a similar (if not the same) post here:
http://www.churchhopping.com/ten-verses-never-preached-on/
» Comment by danithew on December 8, 2006 @ 9:44 amOh … heh. You link to them. I didn’t see that. By total coincidence I found another link to that site after reading this. My bad.
» Comment by danithew on December 8, 2006 @ 9:45 amONLY 10?
YOU MUST HAVE BEEN SPEED READING AND MISSED 1000′S!
» Comment by WES PARSONS on December 30, 2006 @ 12:43 pmNo one ever said there were only 10.
» Comment by dan on December 31, 2006 @ 7:27 amWhat I find even stranger than these verses is the fact that Abraham and Sarah couldn’t have children, so Sarah sent Hagar, her maid, unto her husband so that he may procreate. After bearing Ismael, God suddenly decides that he will make Sarah fertile, whereupon Sarah sends Hagar and Ismael away (the muslim faith forms 600 years later). So… did all powerful God (who is actually Jesus if we buy into the revelations of some churches) actually start the conflict between christians and muslims on purpose? He is ALL KNOWING, meaning that he sees the future as well as all other things. So, if he knows all things he must have known the repercussions of such an act and willed it to be so. He sure could have saved us a lot of trouble. Maybe by doing this thing he was assured of the certainty of the apocalypse! That must be it!
» Comment by Dennis Paul Hastings on April 24, 2009 @ 1:41 amThey are very interesting verses and fun to enjoy.
» Comment by Jake on August 31, 2009 @ 9:52 pm