Real Men Pee Standing Up

Yes it’s been a while but give a dad of 3 a break. I usually don’t post links to YouTube but this one is too good.

Now this preacher does have a point. Is he correct that the Bible says, “a man pisseth against the wall”? Yes. This phrase does appear in the King James Version 6 times: 1 Sam. 25:22, 34; 1 Ki. 14:10; 16:11; 21:21; 2 Ki. 9:8. Is there any significance in the fact that this phrase appears 6 times? No. Pretty much every other translation I check translates this phrase “male.” E.g., compare “Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall” (1Kgs 14.10, KJV) with “therefore, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every male” (1Kgs 14.10, NRSV).

So what’s the correct translation? Is this an instance where the King James folks got it wrong? Actually here I side with this preacher. I would translate it “he who pisses on the wall.” I wouldn’t even use the less crude “urinate.” I would use “piss.” It literally ought to be translated, “the one who pees/urinates on the wall.” Now from the context it is clear that the act of peeing is not the point – this is a description of males. So I agree that such a phrase may needlessly confuse the reader as to the main point of the passage. But what “pissing” does rightly connote is that this is a contemptuous description of males. That is, it is not to be taken as a proud description of manhood like this preacher, but it is intended to be derogatory. And in the context of the passages above it is used in the context of judgment. So in this case I wouldn’t want to be proud of being a “man who pisseth against the wall.” Now do the editors of the NKJV or NIV pee sitting down? Does George Bush do so? Is this why our country is going down the drain (pun intended)? You’ll have to ask others.

Now let me add a little theological commentary. One definition of sin is “missing the mark.” I’ve heard of this movement to have men sit down when they urinate – in fact I’ve heard that some toilets give you are verbal prompt to do so. Why? Because men oftentimes “miss the mark.”