What surprises me is that the Bible teaches palm-reading, palmistry. It can be found in Proverbs 3:16, and I quote “Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor.” It correlates with the palmistry principle that both hands have to be looked at.
I don’t see why we should read this proverb as being about palmistry.
It seems better to read this figuratively. After all, she is not literally a “tree” (v. 18). This passage is speaking figuratively.
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This Bible verse in isolation says that long life, riches, and honor are in the hands of Wisdom, not that these things are written in the hands of Wisdom. Wisdom is holding these things and offering them to us. Beginning with verse 13, we read about what Wisdom offers.
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You two gentlemen say that the hands are metaphorical instead of literal. And yet Catholics are supposed to believe in literalism, most notably Transubstantiation, during which the wafer is supposed to change into Christ’s body literally. Protestants say that it’s metaphorical but Catholics believe it’s literal. Same for the Palmistry in Proverbs 3:16.
No, we are not supposed to believe that everything in the Bible is literally true. The times when Jesus said, “Amen, Amen, I say to you …” and “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” indicate that what he said was to be taken literally. “Take up your cross daily”: do you take that literally? That you are supposed to carry a physical cross every day? I guess you can believe that Wisdom has a physical body and has honor in one hand. If you believe that things about her were written in her hands, then long life implies a limited lifetime. Since this was written thousands of years ago, has she died? Was she buried somewhere? If she is still alive in her physical body, can we visit her somewhere? My nickname Literalman was given to me by a coworker years ago because I take some things literally for fun—it’s a word game, not a philosophy.
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Trying to find support for palmistry in Proverbs 3 reminds me of something Bishop Fulton Sheen said (it may not have been original with him): Some people use the Bible the way a drunk uses a lamppost: for support rather than for illumination.
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There are times in the Bible where the target audience matters. It would be like if the majority of a culture has seen a movie or read a novel and I compare something true with a story that is untrue to illustrate a point, it does not make the movie or book literally true.
We believe that Jesus was speaking literal when it comes to the Holy Eucharist, because Jesus instituted it, and the Apostles believed it was true, and the Apostles’ successors taught it true. The first half of Christianity believed in the Holy Eucharist as being Christ’s true sacrifice. Jewish believers today no longer perform animal sacrifices since the destruction of the Temple. Jesus is the temple rebuilt (no not a literal temple made of bricks and mortar) and He became both the Sacrifice and the High Priest who offers the Sacrifice (Himself) to the Father on our behalf. We are the New Israel (no we are not a literal land-mass or nation state). But, the Sacrifice is real. And you are free to believe or free to walk away (as some did in John 6:66).
May I ask why you so badly want to believe the Bible promotes the practice of literal palm reading? Genuine question.
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Before I answer Cade’s question–can someone tell me where is the preview button so I can preview my draft before I post it. Also, where is the quote button so I can insert the other person’s quote. Then I will answer the other gentleman’s question.
Peace to all,
So true, Cade_One and logically in all generalizations, I believe: The Host is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of God, the Holy Family conceived for Jesus becoming Virgin Born in The New Adam from the New Eve through immaculately Immortal flesh from the Power of the Incorruptible Holy Spirit Will of The Divine Family becoming through the Christ in all mankind becoming again in all Creation One Family, i believe.
Proverbs 3:16, in the King James Version (KJV), reads, “Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour”. This verse, part of a larger passage about the value of wisdom, suggests that a life lived according to wisdom’s principles results in a long life, wealth, and honor.
Through all generalizations the Co-Redemptive Powers are from Baptism through Mary in The New Eve for Jesus conceived from Family powers Virgin Born in the New Adam becoming The Christ becoming immaculate immortality through Holy Spirit incorruption in One Body for all through The Christ in all from two natures, spirit and life, for all mankind through Sacrifice in Penance becoming Forgiven becoming again in all Creation One Family, I believe.
Logically, From Baptism through the New Eve, Mary Transforms immortal through the flesh for all becoming brothers and sisters for Jesus in the New Adam becoming The Christ in all mankind from Sacrifice through Penance forgiven becoming Sons and Daughters of God becoming again immortally glorified and incorruptibly transfigured in all creation One Holy Spirit Family One God in being, I believe.
And literally? What is The Christ in all mankind becoming? From Saint John the Baptist we become Baptized becoming from the failed flesh of Adam and Eve through the living waters of Baptism for the souls of all becoming through the immaculate flesh in One Immortal Immaculate Body through the incorruptible Power from the Holy Spirit Family One God in being for One Body becoming brothers and sisters in all mankind through the New Eve, I believe.
Rationally the logical formulas from the Wondrous Mysteries in the Faith of Abraham become through The Christ for both natures, God and Temple becoming One Body in The Christ for all mankind becoming again, I believe in all creation One Holy Spirit Family One God in being.
Peace always,
Stephen
Thank you, Cade, for answering about the quotation function. But you forgot to explain the preview-function by which I can preview the draft before posting. Also, where is the Edit button?
Are you composing in full screen or half-screen mode? There are arrows to the right of the screen of the composer panel that allows you to toggle the preview panel.
The Edit button should be under the “…” to the bottom-right of your post. If it is not there, maybe you don’t have access to the edit button. Let me knot if it is not there. It looks like a pencil.