COMPRESSED TRUTH




"I have looked for other answers but have found none. I found one man in a thousand that I could respect, but not one woman" — Ecclesiastes 7:28

My daily Proverbs group has been exploring the book of Ecclesiastes since the start of this month, and afterwards, we will return to reading Proverbs.

For me, it's been fun. Mostly because, although Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are both written by King Solomon, the two books sound very different.

Proverbs is packed with wisdom, insight, and understanding. Ecclesiastes, on the other hand, feels dull and almost written from a place of sadness or depression. One member of my group even joked that Solomon sounded this way in Ecclesiastes because of his many wives (lol).


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During this week's reading, we came across the scripture above. It felt off. I was genuinely bothered. Why would someone as wise as King Solomon discredit women like that? What did he mean?

It wasn’t until I read it in a different translation that it made more sense. That version read, "which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand [who pleases God], but I have not found [such] a woman among all these [a thousand in my harem]."

That clarified everything. Among his thousand concubines and wives, he couldn’t find one who pleased God(And we all know that he married foreign women), someone he could truly respect. But among a thousand men, likely those he had interacted with, he found one who pleased God and was worthy of respect.

Do you now see how much can be lost in translation and compressed truths?

Dearest reader, before you run with a truth, make sure to find out the entirety of that truth. The full, uncompressed version and the original intent behind it.

It’s so easy for someone who reads only the first translation to believe that women are not worthy of respect, just because King Solomon, whose wisdom was vast, said he found none he could respect amongst a thousand. 

I believe this is why Apostle Paul said to test all spirits. It is necessary to understand the truth through different lenses.

Another Tuesday to remind you that there’s a space for you in my daily Proverbs group where we explore and learn more about scripture.



#WhyMashal




@favvy_Okwansđź–¤. 

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