It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks

[arthwollipot]

Can someone explain to me the meaning of the last ten words of Acts 9:5 in the King James version of the Bible?

Acts 9 is the story of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. He experiences a bright light, and a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

And [Saul] said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Exactly what does this phrase mean?

Incidentally, this phrase is completely excised from the most common modern translation - the New International Version (NIV), which simply says "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.' he replied."

 

[noreligion]

Can someone explain to me the meaning of the last ten words of Acts 9:5 in the King James version of the Bible?

Acts 9 is the story of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. He experiences a bright light, and a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

Exactly what does this phrase mean?

Incidentally, this phrase is completely excised from the most common modern translation - the New International Version (NIV), which simply says "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.' he replied."

Jesus was apparently calling himself a collection of male sexual organs. Either that or he was saying in a very round about way that all his multiple personalities were named Richard

 

[Astroman]

Well...all these persecutors against Jesus were pricks. Or, at least, Jesus thought so and it was hard for him to fight back, hence the one liner

Or it might be this....Saul (St Paul) ask the question, Jesus answers and then tells him to stop kicking the thorn bush

 

[Hallo Alfie]

I just did some googling (after laughing pretty hard). It seems to relate to oxen recoiling against the spurs on a drivers feet. i.e. the ox kick when pricked/reacts when goaded. The verse is a metaphor saying that Jesus found it difficult to fight the persecution.

 

[Jeff Corey]

Can someone explain to me the meaning of the last ten words of Acts 9:5 in the King James version of the Bible?

Acts 9 is the story of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. He experiences a bright light, and a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

Exactly what does this phrase mean?

Incidentally, this phrase is completely excised from the most common modern translation - the New International Version (NIV), which simply says "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.' he replied."

Shirley, you're serious, so...
"It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks", is a proverb that was used often by both Latin and Greek writers. The word for "pricks" in the Greek is kentron {ken'-tron}, which means a point or goad. In fact, in other translations (such as the NIV) the word "goads" is used.

A goad is a stick with a pointed piece of iron fastened to the end of it. This instrument is used to prod the oxen on when they are plowing. When a stubborn ox attempted to kick back against the goads (pricks), he would actually wound himself. The proverb was often used to teach the lesson that it is foolish to rebel against a powerful authority. Any attempt to do so would result in much greater difficulties.http://www.christadelphian-advocate.org/features/qbox/qbox13.html

 

[noreligion]

I just did some googling (after laughing pretty hard). It seems to relate to oxen recoiling against the spurs on a drivers feet. i.e. the ox kick when pricked/reacts when goaded. The verse is a metaphor saying that Jesus found it difficult to fight the persecution.

I was under the impression that thee didn't refer to the speaker so how was it a metaphor pertaining to Jesus? Or am I mixing my thees and thous?

 

[noreligion]

Shirley, you're serious, so...
"It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks", is a proverb that was used often by both Latin and Greek writers. The word for "pricks" in the Greek is kentron {ken'-tron}, which means a point or goad. In fact, in other translations (such as the NIV) the word "goads" is used.

A goad is a stick with a pointed piece of iron fastened to the end of it. This instrument is used to prod the oxen on when they are plowing. When a stubborn ox attempted to kick back against the goads (pricks), he would actually wound himself. The proverb was often used to teach the lesson that it is foolish to rebel against a powerful authority. Any attempt to do so would result in much greater difficulties.http://www.christadelphian-advocate.org/features/qbox/qbox13.html

And they are weapons of mass destruction since Shamar killed 600 Philistines with one. Still trying to figure out why the military doesn't issue them as sidearms.

 

[Astroman]

However, in actual fact, Saul (St Paul) was having a massive visual and auditory hallucination brought about by the heat during midsummer in Judea, had the sun in his face or was seeing lights, thought he heard someone whom he actually never met call out to him and speak his name, he asks the shade who he was, gets a reply and then hears what is basically "can't you accept the obvious". Which is, at the time, he was completely out of his tree.

 

[noreligion]

However, in actual fact, Saul (St Paul) was having a massive visual and auditory hallucination brought about either the heat during midsummer in Judea, had the sun in his face or was seeing lights, thought he heard someone whom he actually never met call out to him and speak his name, he asks the shade who he was, gets a reply and then hears what is basically "can't you accept the obvious". Which is, at the time, he was completely out of his tree.

Maybe his prick was kicked? That often makes one see shiny lights

 

[kedo1981]

"don't fight against authority"

hummmmm?
Is this more evidence that Christianity is anti western democracy?

 

[noreligion]

"don't fight against authority"

hummmmm?
Is this more evidence that Christianity is anti western democracy?

Of course you mean it is now. There wasn't any western democracy back then to be against.

 

[Astroman]

Maybe his prick was kicked? That often makes one see shiny lights

And feel rather sorry for it later on...or maybe in his case repentant

 

[Hallo Alfie]

Of course you mean it is now. There wasn't any western democracy back then to be against.

John Wayne often helped democracies in westerns.

And feel rather sorry for it later on...or maybe in his case repentant

Welcome to the nuthouse Astroman

 

[NoZed Avenger]

Maybe his prick was kicked?

That would explain why Jesus wept.

 

[Meadmaker]

The text appears in some early Greek manuscripts of the Bible, but not in the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome, which explains why it is in some translations but not others.

 

[arthwollipot]

In fact, in other translations (such as the NIV) the word "goads" is used.

Actually, the NIV omits the phrase entirely:

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, who you are persecuting," he replied.

 

[Meadmaker]

Excerpted from wiki.answers.com:

Ultimately, "kick against the goads" is a metaphor. Goads were used to prod cattle and livestock forward, and they would frequently kick back at them, only causing themselves more injury. The thought is that Paul has been kicking against God's "goading," and God has been trying to urge him to go in a certain direction.

The relation in modern day is that Paul is telling us that people still "kick against the goads" today. There is a way of right life & right belief but we fight it. And in doing so, we aren't hurting God... we are only hurting ourselves.

 

[arthwollipot]

That's a pretty good explanation, actually.

 

[Astroman]

The relation in modern day is that Paul is telling us that people still "kick against the goads" today. There is a way of right life & right belief but we fight it. And in doing so, we aren't hurting God... we are only hurting ourselves.

Therein lies part of the problem. What right way, what right belief, given that there are so many beliefs and ways of life around. To an omniscient and omnipotent creator being, it wouldn't matter what anyone believed in. So long as they weren't doing anything overly detrimental to the healthy continuation of existence as a whole, what they did would be immaterial. If they made mistakes, hopefully they would learn from them and be mindful of next time. No...this "right way" and "right belief" are an entirely mortal concept. Designed to control and manipulate others into following a certain path ordained by a small minority in order to gain some measure of power over others for themselves. People fall for the same trick all the time, especially when it comes to religion and politics. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. All it takes is a heavy does of indoctrination from the time they're old enough to listen, a few sweeteners thrown in and an appeal to their religious impulse (if you'd like to put it that way). And what right has anyone got to tell another what path or belief they should take. If a group takes a certain path or belief system, it should be by group consensus and not coercion. Religion is just a tool used by those that want to gain and exert control and influence over others, by force if need be. History itself is replete with examples of this and it could even be said that history is just that. One group lording it over another and using religion as a weapon. The Roman Catholic Church and all the other related organisations are nothing more than quasi political organisations that use religion as a means to an end. It's self evident in the US and some other countries that seem to be following the US's lead by this ridiculous insistence and political pressuring of some governments to teach "Creation Science" in schools. Notice those two words are in inverted commas....the whole concept is an oxymoron. Unfortunately, a dangerous one at that. If it gains a hold around the world, then we are in for a bleak future.

 

[I Ratant]

Of course you mean it is now. There wasn't any western democracy back then to be against.

.
That's one of them "prophecies"... warning against the not-yet-knowable.
The book is full of it... um... those.