Bold as a lion you hunt me; you prepare your exploits against me.
You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your vexations toward me; you bring fresh troops against me.

If the tragedies that befell Job ever happened to me, I might be inclined to grumble a bit myself. Of course, things turned out all right for Job in the end.

I wonder then if Job possibly said:

Like a loving mother you nurture me; you have such exciting plans for me! You’ve blessed me with supportive friends and a caring family, and you comfort me more and more each day.

You’ve given me a long life, and have guided me every step of the way. You’ve instilled in me a great purpose, and I will share my gifts and talents in service to others.

Many of us are familiar with paraphrasing Scripture—putting passages into our own words as a means to deepen our understanding of the text. Paraphrasing has been around as long as Scripture—and with good reason.

Paraphrasing forces us to slow down and carefully ponder the meaning of words and phrases, and as we seek other words and phrases to express our understanding of the passage, it becomes more personal.

My paraphrase of Job, however, isn’t really a paraphrase, is it? By writing the opposite of the author’s intended meaning, I created a reverse paraphrase. Reverse paraphrasing isn’t used as much as direct paraphrasing, but it offers great rewards, particularly in group studies. In addition to the benefits of direct paraphrasing, reverse paraphrasing often uncovers deep-seated emotions that undergird a passage. To write about pain and suffering, one has probably experienced pleasure and good fortune. To describe the peace of mind that accompanies being comforted and provide for, more than likely one has experienced feelings of abandonment and persecution.

Take the 23rd Psalm—a hallowed text that is beloved by Jews and Christians alike. It was fun turning Job’s grumbling on its ear, but what happens when we take an uplifting passage and subject it to the same process? Here is a portion of the 23rd Psalm reverse paraphrased:

The Lord is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. For whatever reason, the Lord always seems to lead me down a dead-end road.
I never have anything that I need.
God makes me lie down in the desert with a fire-ant hill for a pillow.
God leads me into white-water rapids with jutting rocks.
God perturbs my soul.
.
.
.
Surely difficulty and doubt will plaque me until I die, and the gateway to God’s presence will always be locked to me.

This is an astonishing reverse paraphrase—it might even be disturbing. Yet, if we are truly honest with ourselves, haven’t we all at some point felt abandoned by God? Job certainly did.

Perhaps then we realize the psalmist may have had many such cynical feelings in order to pen such beautiful and moving words as the 23rd Psalm. This realization leads us to engage similar feelings as those of the author, which can be a powerful and transforming experience.

Reverse paraphrasing is often an emotional, even painful process, but the reward is an encounter that leads to startlingly fresh insight into Scripture that has lost its power to transform us because of its familiarity.

Here are some tips for leading a group study using reverse paraphrasing.

Divide the class into small groups.
Though one or two verses can be paraphrased informally in a large group, lengthier passages work much better in small groups. Make sure each group has paper and pencils, and always have extra Bibles on hand for those who need one.

Instruct each class member to reverse paraphrase the passage you’ve selected.
This can be a difficult assignment for some people, so allow adequate time, remembering that you cannot hold up the class indefinitely, so it’s all right if everyone doesn’t finish. If you know of particular individuals who might struggle with this form of exercise, allow them to work with a partner.

Have each person read his or her reverse paraphrase aloud in their group. Have groups discuss their reactions to each of their readings. What startles them? What frightens them?

Magnify the differences.
Ask groups to avoid the temptation of comparing similarities. You don’t want people high-fiving each other and cheering, “Wow! That’s just like mine!” Instead, have them draw out the differences, as this often leads to fresh insight.

Allow some groups to share their thoughts with the entire class if they express a desire to do so, but it is not necessary as the learning occurs within the smaller community.

Use a well-known passage.
Though reverse paraphrasing can be applied to practically any portion of the Bible, it works especially well on familiar passages. These are the texts that need to be “slowed down” in the manner that reverse paraphrasing offers. Some good examples are:

The 23rd Psalm
The Lord’s Prayer
The Beatitudes
The Ten Commandments
I Corinthians 13

Reverse paraphrasing is a great exercise for slowing us down when reading these proverbial passages because it forces us to not only ponder the meaning of words and phrases, but also the sentiments beneath them. The reversal can uncover a fortune of deep emotions rooted not only in the past, within the heart and mind of biblical writer—but in the present, within our own.

Ken Matthews has over tens years experience in Christian education and church leadership. He has a BBA in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University, and is also a graduate of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta where he received a Master of Divinity. Ken is an avid reader, and also enjoys running and writing fiction.

Annotated Bibliography
Murray, Dick. Teaching the Bible to Adults and Youth. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993.