The Comma

# The Comma

How much money could a misplaced comma cost you? For most people, a comma—whether written correctly or incorrectly—is not a matter of great concern. But in certain cases, especially in legal documents, placing a comma correctly in a sentence is very important; if it is missing or placed incorrectly, it could result in significant financial loss.

In 2018, a dairy company in Portland, Maine, in the United States, settled a lawsuit in court for 5 million dollars because a comma was missing from the company's legal document. Three truck drivers for Oakhurst Dairy sued the company for failing to pay overtime wages. They reviewed the company's legal text and discovered that the company owed them years of overtime pay, all because of how a comma was used in the overtime pay regulation law. The state law stated that overtime did not apply to workers engaged in "canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution: agricultural products; meat and fish products; and perishable foods." These drivers won their case by arguing that because there was no comma after "shipment" and before "or distribution," they were entitled to overtime pay. If there had been a comma, the law would have clearly excluded those who distributed perishable foods. Due to this confusion caused by the missing comma, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the drivers, benefiting approximately 120 drivers of the company.

This incident shows that even the smallest punctuation error—a missing comma in a single clause of a contract—can cause unexpectedly serious consequences! This truth applies even more to how we study and apply God's Word, for His Word is immutable and cannot be lacking or have even a dot or stroke added to it, as He taught, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you" (Deuteronomy 4:2). "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" (Matthew 5:18). God's Word not only forbids us from revising His Word, even by just a dot or stroke—not even the smallest thing—but we must be extremely careful when contemplating and following it. The Lord says, "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). We must study carefully and diligently from beginning to end, not taking one or two Bible verses to teach others; we must understand clearly the context and the Lord's intended meaning; we must not insert our own ideas into Scripture and teach others accordingly! "Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart" (Psalm 119:1-2).

Let us rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us, helping us understand His Word clearly, follow it carefully, and help our brothers and sisters live to glorify God's Name! We ask the Holy Spirit to grant us wisdom and enlightenment, to help us understand accurately what He wishes to teach us; to give us the ability to apply it correctly and righteously before God; so that we may not deviate from His intention, but follow God's way; and may our lives demonstrate the power of God's Word and His eternal love to all those around us! Amen!

His Word forever lives, unchanging, Meditate day and night, wholeheartedly, Follow carefully, without deviation, His Name is glorified, let us trust! The Commandments, His Orders, are perfect, The All-powerful Truth guards our hearts, Leading us to walk in His holy will, Rejoicing to proclaim to all nations!

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