Jul 11, 2008
God is spectacular, so it’s odd to praise him for things almost anyone can do.
Isn’t it kind of funny to sing about God not fainting?
Imagine offering a friend that compliment:
You never faint!
Wow…thanks.
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It would be a compliment if I had just run a marathon…or created and sustained a universe for all of eternity.
faint; intransitive verb
1. archaic : to lose courage or spirit
2. archaic : to become weak
But why use the antiquated meaning of a word in a modern song? It does come across as an odd sort of praise…
Well, this song is . So is the principle that in worship we should not use words that have both archaic and modern meanings? (if those exist… and that is an honest question). And if so, how do we make those calls (i.e. which words should be updated and which should not?)?
Woah… my html went crazy….
That first sentence should be “Well, this song is Isaiah 40″ and then the link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2040:26-31;&version=47;
maybe the song is just quoting Isaiah?
Yes, Melissa, exactly. Archaic, which means almost obsolete.
It is one of those words we don’t notice is odd when we’ve grown up hearing it in a particular biblical context.
Because the song stressed it in its own line, it made me think of “faint” literally rather than in the context that I’m accustomed to seeing it in.
Given ordinary English usage, it is a really strange thing to say to God.
Also, given ordinary English usage, translations of Isaiah should probably be updated.
Translation of poetry is very difficult. What word do you put in place of faint? It flows much better with that word, but I understand the tension here.
I think you’re right, B., that it flows well. But if it doesn’t mean in our language what Isaiah meant in his language, then does flow really matter?
I would say how it sounds is very important, but definitely second to a translation that is as accurate as possible.
Of course, I’m oversimplifying to say that, because sound and flow are a part of accuracy in the translation.
I love this kind of stuff, but I sure am glad there are people smarter than me making the real decisions. That way I can just give my opinion from this armchair.
rofl
It would make more sense to me (and keep up with today’s meaning of “faint”) if the lyrics read, “You do not grow faint” or something to that effect. However, as Melissa pointed out, the archaic definition alreadys carries that meaning. So… my comment does not really further this conversation at all.
You must not be a fan of the KJV, Abraham. :)
I think that this weekend I’m going to have to compliment all my friends for not fainting. :)
amandaginn had my thoughts–”you do not grow faint” would seem normal-sounding to me.
NIV/NASB: weak
ESV: faint
The songwriter(s) had options to choose from. I wonder if “faint” was intentionally chosen over “weak,” or the translation they were familiar with happened to translate it “faint,” so that’s what they used.
[...] Posted by brayl under Uncategorized | Tags: Fun, music, praise | Abraham Piper has a funny post about praising God for things that everyone can do. [...]
Strange, yes, but I still like it. I’m sure we would all faint if we caught a glimpse of sin the way God sees it.
i’ve sung this song so many times that I’ve never thought of it this way. But perhaps because I know the entire part of Isaiah 40 that it comes from…so I am already familiar with the idea. hmm..
there is also the phrase faint at heart…I don’t know if that qualifies it or not…
i would put this as another example of why we need to talk about and know the songs we’re singing, instead of just singing songs we don’t know. if we don’t know the song, then it’s just parroting words on a screen or in a hymnal, rather than pouring out our hearts before our Lord.
Hmm… this is an interesting one because I don’t think I’ve considered the lyrics in this way. Or, it could be that I just learned this song points to Isaiah 40, which gives the lyrics a different context for me now!
When I sing “You do not faint, You won’t grow weary”, it’s about proclaiming His strength. It’s as if I’m telling God that He is better than all other gods I’ve chased. He is not weak; He will not fail like others do. Also, it makes me think about how God is not bound to human physical limits – we grow weary, we faint. I often attempt to put limits on Him when He is infinitely powerful and in charge of everything. These lyrics remind me that it is impossible to put God in a box.
Finally, I think about David and the Psalms – he prayed by telling God (and inevitably himself) about His character and repeating scripture. It’s not like God forgot or was ignorant about His own character – it was David’s way of worshipping.
All that to say, I understand how ” You do not faint” is a peculiar phrase on its own.
Even the ESV states it in that way:
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable. – Isa 40:28
oh, i don’t know. i don’t think “faint” is all that archaic. people still say “i feel faint”, don’t they? and the idea is definitely there – he never gets tired. it’s just two parallel statements – he doesn’t faint, he doesn’t grow weary. if necessary, the second statement should clarify the first for anyone who might be unclear. i tend to give more leeway on these kinds of things in song and poetry – not a LOT, but a little. :]
mayhap folks in Isaiah’s day fainted a whole lot more than what we in the west see day to day. i imagine there’s a whole lot of fainting going on in the third world countries. folks that don’t have the benefit of overly available food, clean water, the stuff we take so for granted. just another thought…….
ROFL again. I thought about this post this morning when we sang “Fairest Lord Jesus” — that song is pretty funny if you aren’t familiar with Christian lingo.
Singer: “Fairest Lord Jesus”
Dude: “Is he a referee or something?”
It’s like the comment I heard about the song “Shine Jesus Shine” – Why would anyone want to polish Jesus?