Getting a Bible verse tattoo allows you to convey your faith to others as well as serve as a reminder for you.
Tattoo Placement
A tattoo can potentially be with you forever, so placement becomes very important. Many people intend their Bible verse tattoo to be displayed. If this is you, then either the outside of the bicep, shoulder or forearms may be the ideal location. Keep in mind that the size of the tattoo, as well as the style, comes into play when deciding placement. If you are just getting text, then perhaps an anklet or wrist tattoo is the way to go.
Paraphrasing the Messages
Many wonderful passages in the Bible serve to teach us how to conduct our lives fully but many verses are very long. The length of some verses make it difficult for them to be used as tattoos. You can paraphrase the verse you cherish to get right to the meat of the message. Romans 12:17-21 is one such verse that can be paraphrased:
Return evil for evil to no one. Provide fine things in the sight of all men. If possible, as far as it depends upon you, be peaceable with all men. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah." But, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap fiery coals upon his head." Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.
This verse is very long and would take up a lot of space on your body but there is a lot of good within this verse. One possible rephrasing could be:
- "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you."
Though shorter than the actual verse you could further shorten it to:
- "Remember the Golden Rule."
This is a much more manageable verse for the tattoo. You could also use you the psalm and verse numerical distinction inside a piece of flare. Placing Romans 12:17-21 inside of a cross can have the same meaning as the verse in its entirety.
Getting a Bible Verse Tattoo
When choosing your tattoo, always take into account what the verse means to you. Does it have a deep spiritual meaning for you personally, or is the verse in reference to someone else? Is your tattoo going to be a memorial to a lost love; or are you in need of a reminder that vengeance and revenge are not a good ideas? No matter your reason there is a Bible verse that can fit nearly any mood or art.
There are essentially three kinds of Bible verse tattoos you can get:
- The full verse
- Listing the psalm and passage like John 3:16 or Mathew 7:78
- Full verse and psalm/passage with added art work to convey the meaning.
Love
Whether you love thy neighbor, your friends, children, your spouse or just want to convey your love for God and Christ, then there is probably a Bible verse perfect for you. Love means different things to many people, so adding flare to your ink has a myriad of possibilities. Roses are an obvious flare for your tattoo as they are often given to those you love just like hearts are popular.
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Faith
The Bible is there for us in times of joy, sorrow and stress. We rely on it to help us get through those times when we look up to the sky and wonder if God is watching over us. There are tattoos we can get that are Bible verses about faith that can help us remember just what faith is and remind us we are not alone.
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Revenge and Vengeance
Vengeance is a natural instinct of man but is never the right way to go, the Bible has many stories and verses based on this topic. Tattoos of this nature can serve as a reminder that no matter how bad someone has treated you, you can be better and show them love instead of the same spitefulness.
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