The other day I saw on the back of a pickup "Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved."
At the time I wondered what is a "thou" and what is it saved for or from. Maybe someone with a large vocabulary can help here.
Ringman,
Great question! There's a lot of others who also need to know the answer.
It sounds like you are quoting Acts 16:31. To put it in context, there was a jailor who was a moment from going into eternity. He asked Jesus' disciples,
"Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
This man already knew that he was condemned by the Almighty God who shook the foundation of the prison. As you see in Japanese movies of Samaris who fail their mission, the Roman guard was going to kill himself for letting the prisoners escape. The main point is that he knew that these men had the answer and he didn't. There's a brief, but thorough explanation in the video that is posted below. If you have further questions please feel free to contact me by PM or here.
Side note:. It was already explained more than likely by someone else in this long page. But the word "Thou" in Elizabethan English means "You."
Our modern english no longer distinguishes plural"you" from singular"you." KJV Bible is usually clearer in regards to this. "Thou" is You directed to one person and "thy house." "Thy" is "your". This "T" word is also singular.
You is a plural form. Addressing more than one person or body
"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
Addressing the jailor and his own household if they will likewise believe on Christ as opposed to their personal good deeds. Watch this a time or three until it makes sense. Use a KJ Bible and follow along.
