“Is There Humor in the Bible?”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs …
This month we’re taking a more light-hearted approach. In the spirit of playfulness (even silliness!), we invite you to spend a few moments thinking about the questions below; and we invite you to share your thoughts. May we all grow (and have fun!) together as we share and learn from each other!
- Is there a verse or passage in the Bible that you find humorous?
- Are there phrases or sayings in the Bible that make you chuckle?
- In the Bible, is there a name of a person (such as “Rabshakeh” in 2 Kings 18:23) that you would never give to your own child? What’s the funniest name in the Bible?
To answer any of these questions or to make a comment, use the comment box below. To read what others have written, scroll down to the comments below.
Blessings of playfulness to you,
The ShareYourStoryNow Team (Andy, Abby, Nat and Scott)
Please note that the views expressed in this story are not necessarily the views of the American Bible Society. Story posted on April 1st, 2008 and filed under Bible, Your Stories, Verses.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
OK, I’m going to kick things off by saying our focus on “humor in the Bible” may be a stretch … but it also might be “stretching” in some good ways, some growth-producing ways.
I’ve got to say that there probably aren’t any passages in the Bible that make me laugh in a ha-ha-that’s-funny kind of way. There are, however, some passages that seem PLAYFUL (and they’re powerful in their playfulness).
Here are a couple examples from the New Testament:
*In Mark 4:21 (NLT), Jesus said: “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.”
*In James 3:7-8 (NLT), the author writes: “People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue.”
How about you? Do any parts of the Bible make you smile, chuckle or even laugh out loud?
April 1st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I’ll be honest and say that none have really made me chuckle, but there have been some parts in the Song of Songs where some of King Solomon’s descriptions toward’s his intended are pretty comical… especially when I was young 14 year old girl.
“I have compared you, my love, to a mare in Pharaoh’s chariots” (The Song of Songs 1:9). Horses may indeed be beautiful but this is still an unusual way to describe one’s love. “Your hair is as a flock of goats trailing down from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes all shaped alike, which have come up from the washing; all of them are paired, and none of them is missing” (The Song of Songs 4:1-2). “Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which overlooks Damascus” (The Song of Songs 7:5).
It’s always made me giggle a little.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:04 am
My favorite–the one that cracks me up every time–is John 20:3-9. This is the most amazing moment in history for the disciples: they’re at Jesus’s tomb, and he’s *gone!* He has risen!
But notice the funny thing about this passage. The author, John (who was the youngest disciple and doesn’t ever refer to himself in the 1st person) points out that he got to the tomb first. Check it out:
vs. 3-4: So Peter and the other disciple [John] started for the tomb. Both were running, **but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.**
vs. 6: Then Simon Peter, **who was behind him,** arrived and went into the tomb.
vs. 8: Finally the other disciple, **who had reached the tomb first,** also went inside.
So John points out that he was faster than Peter. Not once, but THREE times!
hahah Who cares who got to the tomb first? That just cracks me up. It’s such a guy thing; even in the gospels, they’re competitive. :)
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 am
Jenn that cracked me up! It’s so true… honestly, I had never seen it that way. Out of all the things to point out, it had to be agilaty!
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 am
Dear ShareYourStoryNow Team:
1. Humorous passage:
Psalm 115:4-8 (New American Standard Bible)
“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.”
2. Sayings in the Bible that make me chuckle:
Matthew 23:24 (New American Standard Bible)
(Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,) “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”
3. A name that I would never give to my own child:
Mark 14:10 (New American Standard Bible)
Judas.
“And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests, in order to betray Him to them.”
4. The funniest name in the Bible:
Numbers 16 (New American Standard Bible)
Korah.
According to the Babylonian Talmud, Korah, being very similar to the Hebrew word Karchah, was so named because he created baldness, that is, “defoliation in Israel”
Thank you very much for the playful time.
May GOD ALL MIGHTY Bless each and all of you His dedicated disciples;
GODSPEED, always and forevermore!
Mary Sun.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:42 am
A riff off Jennranwez’s comment. What person in the Bible was the fastest runner of all time? (Adam. He was the first in the human race.)
April 7th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Sorry Scott got me going… I saw this joke before and thought it was really funny:
Q: Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a slingshot?
A: The thought had never entered his head before.
Any others?? :)
April 7th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Dear Abby, Program Manager:
“Because Goliath never saw Star War,” my 5-year old grandson answered.
Have a Blessed day,
Mary Sun.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
That is so cute!! :)