O, Oh

Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake, Psalm 6:4.

Recently, a reader asked me what the difference was between the word "O" and the word "Oh" as they are used in a King James Bible. I had never given it any thought before, but in that I was doing some traveling and my schedule was broken up, I used the time that I sat in motels or restaurants. I began searching the two words using a bible search tool on my phone.

The word "Oh" is the most simple. It is used 38 times in 37 verses. In each case it precedes a desire. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!, Psalm 107:8. It is when we get to the word "O", that we find a bit more complexity of use.

One of the great advantages of reading a King James Bible is that it was translated by a group of men unequaled in skill throughout the following centuries. They were not just skilled in Greek and Hebrew, but they were skilled in the art of language itself.

What was written by the various authors of the Hebrew and Greek originals was exact and could be believed in its exactness. The King James Bible has replicated that exactness. For a person merely reading the bible, it is pleasant to the eyes and ears. To the person looking for exact wording to reveal truth, it is unexcelled. The usage of the word "O" is a further example of that.

"O" can be used as an exclamation. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! Job 13:5. There are many examples of that throughout scripture. It differs from "oh" which also can precede an exclamation point in that it expresses an exasperation. "Oh" in Psalm 107:8 expresses a longing as compared to the exasperated tone of "O" in Job 13:5.

"O" is an attention getter. It most frequently used to identify the person being addressed. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD, Deuteronomy 6:4. To whom was the admonition given? It was given to Israel. The "O" is pointed. It directs the hearer's attention to subject. There can be no doubt as to who the recipient of the command was to be.

There are many times when "O" is used and no one is given as the subject. O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good, Job 7:7. That is explained by a nuance of the English Language. Normally a complete sentence needs a subject and a verb, but in English a subject can be implied.

Go to the store. What is the subject of that command? "You" is the subject. It is an implied subject. What is the subject of O remember that my life is wind? "You" or "Thou" is the implied subject of that sentence. Therefore "O" is used to get the subjects attention.

I realize that most bible readers rarely stop to dissect a sentence within a verse. If they ever did, they would enter the rarified place reserved for those who meditate upon the word of God. True bible believing begins when the wonder of the exactness of the King James Bible begins to dawn on the reader.

Simple words like "O" and "Oh" are like the brush strokes of a Rembrandt painting that have arrested the attention of true art lovers for centuries. They are not haphazard brush strokes. They are exact words in English that reveal the mind of God to all who will take the time to meditate therein.