Skubala My Bible Says: Scatological Language in the Scriptures

Are you ever reading through your bible and then you come across a word that your mama used to tell you not to say?

That might happen especially if you’re reading the King James Version. It has quite a few verses that can have you doing a double-take. But every version of the Bible has some shockingly crude or maybe even vulgar statements that don’t sound like they should be coming out of the Holy Scriptures.

So I hate to put a content restriction on today’s episode and I’m not going to say any curse words, but you might not want little ears to hear some of the things we’re going to study in Isaiah or Ezekiel today. But let me just say: I’m assuming Ezekiel’s grandma wasn’t in the audience when he used some of his sexual metaphors.

And Paul himself in the New Testament said a few things that may have gotten the bar of soap put in his mouth. If you don’t believe me, there’s a sweet little verse in Philippians 3 where Paul is talking about how nothing we we do can measure up to the work of Christ when it comes to our salvation. 

In Philippians 3:8, he says

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 

OK. That’s a nice pleasant verse to hammer home the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice…in the English. 

But in the Greek, the word “rubbish” right there is a little stronger. It’s the Greek word “Skubala,” which doesn’t mean rubbish, but actually means poop. And not just any poop. One of the strongest words in the Greek language for poop. 

We have some strong words for poop in our language, too. Words I won’t say here on this podcast- especially because my grandma might be listening.

But Philippians did say it. Am I listening to Howard Stern here, or am I reading the Apostle Paul?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Ezekiel 6, and let’s get weird.

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0:00 - Introduction

2:15 - Ezekiel’s Dirty Jokes

11:00 - Our Righteous is as WHAT?!

17:00 - Shock Jock Paul

23:40 - Next Time & Closing Thoughts

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Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!