Avocado Truths

(Proverbs 17:27 KJV)  He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

If you have more than one translation available you will find that the second part of this verse is translated in a different way.  The KJV has “excellent” (3368) “spirit” (7307) while the NASB has  “cool” (7119) “spirit” (7307).  As you can see from the numbers both have the same word for the noun but different words for the adjective.  I don’t read Hebrew so I can’t dig real deep but I see this acknowledged by commentators back to the 1600's.  This is not something new.  I also find the same division of translation that I have noted in other places.  The older translations tend to go with variations of excellent and the newer ones, cool.

This is one of those famous “inconsistencies” in the Bible.  Understand that this is not something that has been swept under the rug and denied by scholars.  Notice that the differences don’t undermine anything we believe as Christians.  Our most important question is “Which was in the original?”

While the scholars dig and debate I will simply go with my both/and philosophy.  The two meanings are not conflicting.  They enrich our understanding.  Until God decides to bring greater clarification I will benefit by seeking both an excellent and cool spirit.

So?  Often choices and differences are not to be taken separately but to be grasped together.  When people put chunks of avocado in my salad I am scandalized.  I don’t throw them out.  I pick them out and enjoy them in isolation, then move on to the rest.  So consider both and enjoy both.