My family never missed it.
Magnificent Film
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
One of my favorites. I use clips from it to teach that period of the Old Testament, and as a bonus, the film is the inspiration for my favorite Metallica song, Creeping Death.
I watched a documentary on the making of that movie a couple of years ago. It was really impressive.
DeMille used the King James version of the Bible. God’s name is “I AM WHO I AM”. “that” or “which” denotes physical things, not sovereign persons.
Donald McClarey that or which runs this blog is simply incorrect. The King James version of the Bible changed for about 30 years but slumped back into error.
For myself, I own several copies of the Ten Commandments.
Mary, not to descend into the pitcher plant of Hebrew translating, but the actual Hebrew word – ‘asher’ – could be translated as ‘that, which, who’ and then some (Strong’s has a laundry list of words it is translated into). In King James’ time, and to be honest in DeMille’s time, rendering it ‘that’ was likely more coldly accurate, and in line with how it was often rendered elsewhere in the English translations. Of course in both of those times Christianity was still default, and most people were schooled in, and believed in, its basics. The word said ‘that’, but they heard ‘personal God here’. Today, given the sensitivities we’ve been conditioned to have, and the biblically and religiously illiterate age in which we live, I grant you ‘who’ is better. But they technically weren’t wrong to translate ‘I Am that I Am’ (which I personally prefer), given the social and religious context of the day. Which likely says more about where we’ve let society go than anything.
I saw a video presentation by a rabbi where he goes through an explanation of the names of God. This was part of a larger presentation on the Exodus and the Ten Plaques of Egypt. The original videos are no longer available, but there is a downloadable PDF online that covers the material:
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https://staff.ncsy.org/education/education/education/education/material/C8HxYivMlL/exodus-from-egypt:-the-hidden-agenda/
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The PDF contains excerpts from the original Hebrew. The presentation is given from a Jewish perspective. The names of God starts on page 6 of the PDF. He says that YHVH in the original language is an amalgam of the three Hebrew words for existence. In the PDF it says that: ‘It describes his essence. The Hebrew words for existence are “Haya”, “Yiheeyeh”, and “Hoveh” Was, Will be, and Is. If you take these words and overlay it with each other, you will get “Yud-Kay- and Vuv-Kay”. We are talking about a simultaneous existence. It is experiencing time in another way we cannot imagine. It exists but not in this world. It exists outside of time, outside of our world, outside of our universe.’
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The PDF also says: ‘What does “Kel” mean? It means “to” and it also means power. We see this by Lavan when he says “I have it in me to do evil to you”. “Elokim” means judges, we find the weird commandment- not to have other gods in front of you, it means powerful beings, other levels of authority, an example would be the sun itself, as one knows it is very powerful. We also view God’s names as different types of traits. Elokim would signify God as judge, as a power.’
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Kel-Shakei (El Shaddai) was another name of God that was covered in the PDF that says: ‘What about the other names? Shaki, what does this mean? Any other words in the Hebrew language which seem similar? The Medresh tells us that it is a contraction for a serious of words “She-amer liolamo die”, he said to his world “enough”. What does that mean? Not so sure we do know. There was a development in the world in creation and God said at a point that it was enough’
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The PDF goes on to discuss God as Creator and God as love.
The essence of God is being. The Infinite Supreme Sovereign Being is three Sovereign Persons of The Blessed Trinity. (See Rublev’s icon) God is.
Only in the Hypostatic Union does God, as Jesus Christ, exist in the physical world. Jesus said: “Who do you say that I AM?’ “I AM the Truth, the life and the Way.” Please note that not one of Christ’s powers are physical. Christ’s human nature has a transcendent and metaphysical existence.
“Jews are our older brothers” John Paul II
Jews are still anticipating the Son of God.
I am edified and appreciate the works you, Greg B and Dave G. have enjoined in this conversation. Your work is saved in my notebook. Thank you.
With abortion about to descend upon America, Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette and told her name to be “I am the Immaculate Conception”. There is no other way for mankind to begin his human existence except through being conceived.
God created all souls in original Innocence endowed with free will, reason and sovereign personhood. Lincoln said: “One person cannot own another person.” Science has proven that the newly begotten human soul in utero has his own DNA, heartbeat at two weeks and brainwave at 45 days. Who is to say that the soul in utero is not praying and receiving implicit Baptism? What is left to prove???
Our Lady gave the Miraculous Medal to Catherine Laboure. The frame around Mary is her personal space not to be violated, infringed; nor touching Mary without the crime of assault and battery.
The back of the medal has 12 stars, the Apostles. A cross supported by the letter M. The Sacred Heart of Jesus who protects drivers on the road and the Sacred Heart of Mary who protects souls in the air.
There is a beautiful Miraculous Medal in color. The medal may be gotten from: The Association of The Miraculous Medal, 1811 West Saint Joseph Street, Perryville, Missouri 63775-1598. 1-800-264 6279.
I am ordering the beautiful in color Miraculous Medals for my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren.
Mary De Voe
P.S.”O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
Before Mary was conceived without sin, Blessed Mary, full of grace, with fully informed consent asked God for Perpetual virginity in body, mind and soul. Perpetual virginity was granted to Blessed Mary by God. Mary, like Jesus, willed to do the will of God perfectly for all eternity…and the will of God for all eternity is to love and be loved perfectly.
God creates all souls in original innocence. Blessed Mary chose to maintain her original innocence for all time to bear witness to the perfect love of God.
I appreciate the concern regarding the Hebrew language. However, it is excruciatingly important that we accept as fact beyond doubt that Pharaoh was Yul Brynner :: Yul Brynner is Pharaoh. Charlton Hesston is magnificent, but probably too tall for that time period.