Humor in the Bible

Nearly all of the miracles and parables in the Bible have a humorous element to them. Examples include running out of wine (the only drinkable beverage) at a wedding, catching so many fish that the boat was in danger of sinking, and multiplying fish and loaves so much that the scraps overflow the baskets. Many of the parables are humorous parodies of arrogant men, such as The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican in which an elitist laughs at an outcast, when the real joke is at the expense of the elitist. Atheists who see humor in literature fail to see humor in similar light-hearted verses in the Bible.

The calming of the seas was after the Apostles were fearful the boat would sink while Jesus was sleeping. An angel was humorous by sitting on the massive stone after rolling it back from Jesus's tomb.^[1] There is a light-hearted nature to the Bible, in contrast to the humorlessness common among atheists. See Mystery:Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

The withering of the fig tree is as humorous as anything written by Shakespeare, yet English translations of it fail to bring out the humor. See Mark 11:12-25

Perhaps because the Bible addresses serious issues, humor that is readily recognized in Shakespearean plays or literature is all-too-often missed in reading the Bible. For example, when a future Apostle declares “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46), it's funny sarcasm like insulting a fan of an opposing sports team. Mocking Jesus as a rural Galilean occurs elsewhere (John 7:41-42, John 7:52), as do good-natured insults about his “Nazarene” origins (John 18:5-7, John 19:19; Acts 6:14, Acts 24:5). The joke continues to the point of Matthew even defending it, like defending that one is a Yankees or Red Sox fan (Matt 2:23).^[2] All these passages about Jesus's regional origin are best taken with good humor, not grim seriousness.

Indeed, the Bible is replete with examples of humor. This is unsurprising; the authors of the Bible, in addition to being inspired by God, were also complex human beings, members of cultures as rich and faceted as any today. Their writing reflects this complexity; at times it is poignant, at times tragic, and at times, very funny. Indeed, it would be surprising not to find humor in the Bible; after all, the Bible is a work of joy and of celebration. Dr. Hershey H. Friedman notes this, arguing that "Humor brings God closer to humankind. For instance, God seems more understandable and less aloof when he is sarcastic. We mortals note that even omniscience and omnipotence do not prevent one from being hurt by straying children. Humorous stories and exaggerations make the moral lessons of the Hebrew Bible more memorable .... "^[3]

• Early case of laughing humorously is Sarah's laughter in Genesis 18:12.^[4]
• "The door turns on its hinges, and the lazy man on his bed" (Proverbs 26:14).^[5]
• "If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse." (Proverbs 27:14)
• "It is better to be living in an angle of the house-top, than with a bitter-tongued woman in a wide house." (Proverbs 25:24)
• "Even one of their own prophets has said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true." (Titus 1:12-13) (A wry invocation of the liar's paradox.)
• Sarcasm in the Bible: "Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years" (Amos 4:4)
• "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18)--the root for Peter and the root for Rock are the same—this is a pun of sorts, and one inscribed inside the dome of St. Peter's Basilica
• Some consider the Book of Jonah to intentionally include some satirical exaggeration. For instance, the King of Nineveh declares that not only should the people wear sackloth in a symbol of repentance, but so should the animals in the City. (Jonah 3:8, KJV)

• Conservative Bible Project