June 03, 2003
Swords And Plowshares

While we're on the subject of the Hebrew Bible:

The motto of Sean Kirby, the Pundit ex Machina, is "Beating plowshares into swords since 2002". I thought that was a witty inversion of a Biblical saying, but it turns out to be a Biblical saying (Joel 3:9-11):

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles;
Prepare war; wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Beat your plowshares into swords,
And your pruninghooks into spears:
Let the weak say, I am strong.
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen,
And gather yourselves together round about.

There are twice as many passages for swords into plowshares, though: Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3. And Joel seems to be encouraging the heathen to make war so they can be slaughtered, so his preference for swords over plowshares is probably insincere.

Posted by Dr. Weevil at June 03, 2003 12:25 AM