But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:29 ESV)
Puns and Praise
While some might consider Puns the lowest form of humor, a pun is a play on words, and can be clever, insightful, and educational.
In our look at laughter in the Bible, here is a Biblical Pun.
In Hebrew, the word for “praise” is pronounced, “yaw-daw.” The name Judah is pronounced, “YAW-hoo-DAW.” Said rapidly, they are almost indistinguishable.
The Bible Puns this similarity repeatedly. For instance, Leah proclaims in Genesis 29:35, “This time I will PRAISE the Lord. Therefore, she called his name Judah.”
Similarly, as Jacob lay dying, he pronounces that, “JJUDAH, your brothers shall PRAISE you…” (Genesis 49:8 ESV)
But in the book of Romans, Paul writes with amazing Punniness. He points out that a Jew (the name derived from Judah) is not a Jew primarily by birth… but by what is inside their hearts. Simply put, God’s children are determined not by genetics, or external actions… but by the PRAISE that is our foundation of thought, word, and deed.
God’s people are the ones who praise Him! In fact, we can’t help it. We know His loving hand behind all things. We know His loving grace towards us.
We are the ones who Praise God. We are Judah!
Go ahead and chuckle.