Brawling Woman

Pro 25:24  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. 

Brawling - H4079 - A variation for H4066.

• H4066 - From H1777; a contest or quarrel.
• H1777 - A primitive root (compare H113); to rule; by implication to judge (as umpire); also to strive (as at law).

H4079 is used 9 times in 9 verses:

Pro 18:18  The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.

Pro 18:19  A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Pro 19:13  A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

Pro 21:9  It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

Pro 21:19  It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

Pro 23:29  Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

Pro 25:24  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. 

Pro 26:21  As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

Pro 27:15  A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. 

Ouch.  Out of 9 verses, 5 use brawling/contentious of woman. Ouch.

We can be a:

Continual dropping - ever have an annoying dripping faucet?

Dwell in the corner of the house top - man cave?

Dwell in the wilderness - 

Wilderness - H4057 - From H1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (that is, open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication a desert; also speech (including its organs).

• H1696 - A primitive root; perhaps properly to arrange; but used figuratively (of words) to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue.

Interesting...when I think of wilderness, I think of untamed land, penetrable only by slashing through, no roads or even a navigable path.  It can simply mean uninhabited.  Solitary (or solitude if you're being nagged).

Gill's commentary:

"It is better to dwell in the wilderness,.... Where persons live without shelter, and are not only exposed to storms and tempests, but to beasts of prey; where is want of the necessaries of life, and no society; where no "speech" is, as the word (e) for wilderness may signify; yet it is better to dwell in such a place, where no human voice is heard."

This isn't referring to (the fallacy) of women talking more than men (I've met me who talk more than women, in fact a LOT); rather, how she is communicating.  So ladies, how are we communicating to one another?  Specifically if you're married there is the challenge of communicating your likes, and dislikes, to your spouse without being quarrelsome.

Good communication requires effort for all involved.  It hears everything through the 'ears' of love.  Speaks with the 'tongue' of love.  May the Lord help each of us to strive to glorify Him - that we not be perceived as contentious, driving anyone out into the wilderness or rooftop!

Read Through The Bible - In A Year Challenge

While I'm not a holiday celebrant, keeping God's new year or time table is hard!  When in Rome...etc.?

The challenge - if you have or are reading daily, especially the WHOLE Bible in a year, it's your turn to challenge someone else.

The joy of having others reading the Bible and sharing your discoveries!  Accountability too!

I've found several sites - plenty of choices, no excuses!!

Back To the Bible - They offer several options:

• Chronological
• Historical - I'm leaning towards this format
• Old and New Testament Together
• Beginning to End
• Blended

They give you a month at a time - no PDF.  :-(  Bonus, if you like reading online, you can do it straight from their site.  You can change the translation and even do a side by side!

ESV Reading - They have several, some borrowed from Back to the Bible, in five (5) different formats (RSS, iCal, Mobile, Print or Email - definitely NO excuses with their system!)

• Chronological
• Daily Light on the Daily Path
• Daily Office Lectionary
• Daily Reading Bible
• ESV Study Bible
• Every Day in the Word
• Literary Study Bible
• M'Cheyne One Year Reading Plan
• Outreach
• Outreach New Testament
• Through the Bible in a Year
• Truth Bible Memory Plan - This sounds interesting.

Bible Gateway - A variety of plans available.  With the option of reading online in your preferred translation.  You can view a whole month at a time.

• Old/New Testament
• Chronological
• Beginning
• Historical
• Bible in 90 Days
• Read the Gospels in 40 Days
• New Testament in a Year
• The Daily Audio Bible
• Book of Common Prayer
• Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God
• Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
• Verse of the Day
• Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
• Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Biblica - It appears they have one (1) plan.


Heartlight - They have several options available in PDF:

• Straight Through
• Different Topics - (This one sounds interesting)
• New Testament and Old Testament
• The Story of the Bible
• New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs

Alright fellow saints and warriors, who can you challenge/encourage to read through the Bible in a year or read daily?

Backbiting

Pro 25:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

Backbiting - H5643 - From H5641; a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense).

• H5641 - A primitive root; to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively.

The word 'backbiting' is used only once.  The Hebrew word 5643 has 36 matches in 36 verses.

Secret, secretly, protection, covert, covering, disguiseth, secret place, hiding place, and privily.

Hiding place - makes me think of Corrie Ten Boom, who knew, really knew what it meant to be hidden in God.

Psa 32:7  Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 

Psa 119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 

How does an angry countenance drive away a backbiting tongue?

Gill's commentary:

"so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue; drives it away, discourages and silences it. When a man puts on a stern countenance, a frowning and angry look, on such who bring him slanderous reports and idle tales of their neighbours, and reproach and backbite them, it checks them, and puts a stop to their practices; whereas listening to them, and especially with an air of pleasure, encourages them in them; were there not so many that take pleasure in hearing those talebearers and backbiters, were they more roughly dealt with, as the blustering north wind does with the rain, there would not be so much of this evil practised."

Have you ever given someone the 'eye' - the look which says, don't EVEN go there!  A frown which discourages?

This makes me think of communication - a lot of it is electronic now days and there is always the possibility of what you've said being misconstrued because the tone, inflection, body language is missing.  Words said in jest, without the twinkle in the eye may be perceived as harsh, whereas a reproof or reprimand may not be taken seriously.

I've been doing a little research on communication, made up of - words, tone/inflection, body language.  There are variables out there percentage wise about how much each plays into what's being said/received.  Also, factor in how well you do or don't know the person you're communicating with and that adds another layer.

I found it interesting that deaf people are considered to be superior in interpreting body language.  I distinctly remember taking a class with a woman whose daughter was deaf and she mentioned an incidence.  She was correcting her daughter, who wasn't taking her seriously, because her facial expression did not match what was being said/signed.

How often has something been said in 'jest' but with the undercurrent of what was said was really meant more harshly?  Or someone says something and you're offended, and the response is, I was only joking.  Can't you take a joke?

So how do we measure up to this admonishment?

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Mat 5:37  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.