Is the concept “Promised Land” Biblical? Yes, no doubt about it. Does the expression “Promised Land” appear in the Bible? On this there is a difference of opinion, depending on whom you ask (or, more precisely, which text you consult). The words “Promised Land” are found in neither the King James Version nor the New American Standard Bible—to name just two of the most widely read translations. Yet “Promised Land” does appear once in the New International Version in Hebrews 11:9 of the New Testament. For the committee responsible for the New Living Translation, however, there are no occurrences in the New Testament—but ten in the Old Testament (five in the Pentateuch, two in the Book of Joshua and three in the psalter).
Readers of today’s popular press are probably happy, if not downright relieved, that contemporary writers and reporters don’t concern themselves with such issues of attestation. Rather, they make regular reference to a/the Promised Land as the goal to which a variety of individuals or groups aspire.
Attentive readers of this column (are there any other kind?) will not be surprised that sports writers draw particular inspiration from the expression “Promised Land.” There is, for example, the propitiously named Australian rugby player Israel Folau (nickname: Izzy). As reported in London’s Guardian, Folau’s on-field prowess is “a case, perhaps, of Israel leading the Wallabies to the Promised Land.”
Elsewhere it’s (American) football: “You can forgive Mike Licata for getting a little jittery as he neared the end zone. He’d never been there before … He took the snap, pitched it back to Pierre and circled out of the backfield to grab Pierre’s pass. Floyd was fooled and Licata raced alone toward the Promised Land, 26 yards away” (Newsday). The games and their rules are different, but the point is clear: In sports, entering the Promised Land is a worthy and worthwhile goal!
I don’t know if any of these athletes took their cues from the experiences of Moses and his fellow Israelites or, conversely, whether there are any lessons the Biblical characters could have learned from today’s heroes. However, it is clear that certain maxims remain the same despite the very different historical and cultural contexts. For example, a story in the Daily Mirror opines: “England has never had a problem seeing the Promised Land. But all too often it turns out to be a mirage, as the intensity and tempo of their deeds fail to match their words.” Simply exchange “Israel” for “England” and you’ve got a Biblical message, pure and simple.
Less pure, less simple, but more amusing is this account from Montreal’s Gazette: “In Montreal, separation of church and state does not extend to the religion of hockey yet. Every spring, the afflicted light candles and pray in glorious hope that the Sainte Flanelle will lead us out of the desert—okay, frozen tundra—and into the playoffs. Perhaps, if we are very, very good and drink a remarkable amount of beer, this will be the year the Montreal Canadiens will find their way back to the Promised Land of annual Stanley Cup parades. In classrooms, hospitals, private and government offices, pizza joints and barber shops, little shrines and holy symbols of true believers proliferate.” Once we take into account that the ancient Israelites were wandering in the desert, or at least the wilderness, didn’t speak French or eat pizza, the parallels are pretty close.
Is the concept “Promised Land” Biblical? Yes, no doubt about it. Does the expression “Promised Land” appear in the Bible? On this there is a difference of opinion, depending on whom you ask (or, more precisely, which text you consult). The words “Promised Land” are found in neither the King James Version nor the New American Standard Bible—to name just two of the most widely read translations. Yet “Promised Land” does appear once in the New International Version in Hebrews 11:9 of the New Testament. For the committee responsible for the New Living Translation, however, there are no occurrences […]
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