hebrew language
TRANSCRIPT
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Introduction Shortly after my mission for the LDS Church (I returned in mid-August 1972), I began having a problem with sleeping at night. I had insomnia. That may not be unusual for some people, but it was for me. I had a clear conscience, and was doing what I thought was right before God and my fellow man. Yet, as I would lie down at night, I could not sleep. I had many things pass through my mind on those sleepless nights. Among those things that came to my mind was that I should consider going into the US military. Now, to me this seemed a strange idea. It was during the time of the Vietnam War and I had a brother serving in the Army, who strongly discouraged my considering military service. Further, no where in my patriarchal blessing had it indicated or hinted at doing such a thing. And, I considered those blessings a guide and director for my life. I soon gave up that idea and moved onto other things to woo or ease my restless spirit. I finally hit upon the idea of going to California and try to bring the Gospel to my Dad‟s younger sister. So, I dropped out of school, quit my job, etc. and went to Yuba City, near Marysville, north of Sacramento. My aunt and her husband accepted me into their home. It soon became apparent that although they were glad to have me as a relative, that I was infringing on their lifestyle. I did not know what to do or where to turn. I prayed about my situation and decided to go back to school at the local community college. That was in January of 1973. I also became very active in various callings in the Church. In March my bishop called me into his office. He inquired as to my career plans. I expressed to him an interest in becoming a teacher, preferably as a Seminary or Institute teacher for the Church. He then said that I had been on his mind for over three weeks. He said that he had felt that the Lord wanted me to go into the Service and he felt that this was like a calling from the Lord. He wanted me to seriously consider it. I began speaking to recruiters from the various military services. Soon however, I had a „wake up‟ call in my life. I went home one day in April and I had a note on my bed that told me that I had two weeks to get out of the house. They didn‟t care where I went or what I did, but that I needed to leave (with no explanation as to why). I suspected that my strong convictions as a newly returned missionary for the Church had much to do with their decision to have me leave. I didn‟t even have a job, much less money to get a place to stay. Yet, I applied my faith and prayers. I found a job the day before I was to be out of their home and with an advance on my first check, I got a place to stay in a rundown furnished apartment. Whatever I had been thinking about before this, soon fled my mind, as I focused on providing the basic necessities of life. About a month or so passed away and my insomnia returned. I had entirely forgotten my previous experience, as well as, the good counsel that my bishop had given me. I felt my life was in such a complete mess, that I gave none of those things a thought. I
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kept having this gnawing feeling that there was something I was forgetting or that there was something I was supposed to do, but I didn‟t know what it was. One afternoon I called the director of the LDS Institute at the local college, brother Lowell Tingey. Brother Tingey was also serving as a councilor in the stake presidency. He and I had worked together at the institute, where I had served as the president of the LDS Student Association. He came over and invited me to go for a ride in his car. I told him my situation and about my insomnia. I didn‟t mention the things the bishop had said, for that had completely fled my thoughts and memory at that point. Then, he spoke and gave me counsel. He said “Brother White, I feel impressed to encourage you to go into the military service. Yes, I realize that there is a war on, but that is what I feel.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, I was reminded of the counsel from my good bishop, etc. Previously, I had spoken to the Marines, the Army, and the Air Force recruiters and I was nonplussed with their responses to my inquiries about enlisting. So, this time I decided to speak to the Navy people. I took a series of tests and a physical exam and soon found myself in Basic Training in San Diego, California. Shortly thereafter I was scheduled to have an interview about getting a security clearance, which was required for one of the career fields for which I was being selected (Air Traffic Controller). While I was awaiting my interview, I spoke to a fellow from my same training company about what career field he was pursuing. He said that he was going to be a linguist and travel around the world, etc. The things he said greatly interested me. During my interview with the officer, I expressed an interest in this field and the officer said that he would set me up for a Foreign Language Aptitude Test (FLAT). Because of noise and interruptions, I did not complete the test and didn‟t expect much to come of it. However, when the results came back I found out that I had successfully passed the exam. When I received my orders in late September, I was directed to report to Washington D.C. to learn HE. I had no idea what any of this meant or what language this code indicated. So, I asked. I was being sent to the Foreign Service Institute to learn modern Hebrew. Wow, was I excited. In my high school days I had studied Latin and Spanish, but who would have thought that a Mormon boy from Arizona would get to learn Hebrew, and at government expense? When I arrived there it was a few weeks until the course started. When it did, I found that all of my teachers were native Israelis and all of them Jews. I was soon introduced to the language, culture, and religion of this fascinating people who have survived the trials and adversities of thousands of years. It was an incredible experience, which opened my eyes to a much greater understanding of the Gospel and the Holy Scriptures. This paper is about Hebrew and perhaps through my writings, you can have a greater appreciation for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This paper is not
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intended in any way to be a reflection upon the Church and its teachings, nor is it intended to be complete. When we read the scriptures from our modern western perspective, the original meanings of the words within the text are lost to us. Perhaps by writing this paper, I can help someone else gain an insight or understanding that was not there before. Our Heavenly Father gave the original language and its alphabet to Adam and Eve, our First Parents; who in turn passed it on to their children. In doing so, God also provided a means to teach the Gospel to His children. Father also provided that His children should keep a written record, so that His people could keep His commandments. The people were able to preserve a record of God‟s commandments and dealings with them, in their written records. (I Nephi 4:14 – 16) It is because of the sacred record that has been passed down to us, that we in the Last Days are blessed to look forward to the Coming of the Son of Man in great glory. And, for those who have eyes to see, in the alphabet itself, you will see deep or sacred meanings to things that are taught in Holy places.
Related scriptures:
(Pearl of Great Price)
Moses Chapter 6:
5 And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of
Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of
inspiration;
6 And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was
pure and undefiled.
46 For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given
by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.
Moses Chapter 7
13 And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies
came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled,
and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were
turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and
all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power
of the language which God had given him.
The Book of Mormon
Ether Chapter 1
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34 And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of
the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound
us that we may not understand our words.
35 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had
compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared
and his brother were not confounded.
36 Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will
turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.
37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had
compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.
Ether Chapter 3
22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up,
that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be
read.
23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with
the things which ye shall write.
24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will
cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things
which ye shall write.
Old Testament – Zephaniah, Chapter 3
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name
of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
The scriptures indicate that before the flood there was only one language spoken among men. When God organized the earth into existence he used a language. When he spoke to man he used the same language. When the first man Adam gave the animals their names he used the same language, which he had learned from God. Adam spoke in this language to his wife Eve (Chava – the „ch‟ is pronounced with a hard „kh‟ sound as in the name of the composer Bach) and taught it to his children. His children then taught it to their children and down through the generations until the time of the Tower of Babel, at which time God came down and caused a confusion of their tongues or languages.
It is interesting to note that the Tower of Babel occurred around 3,000 BC, about the same time that the Sumerian and Egyptian cultures arose. The Hebrews, Sumerians and Egyptians all used a similar style of pictographic writing. Is it
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possible that all or many of these pictographs come from the original Adamic language prior to the Tower of Babel?
ALPHABET
22 Letters, No Vowels
The Hebrew language is comprised of 22 letters, five of which are known as double or mother letters, as they have two distinct written forms: when beginning a word and when placed at its ending. These letters are Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pey, and Tzadi. Also Hebrew is written from right to left, the opposite of English. The right hand was considered the hand of authority. It was also used in handshakes for completion of an agreement. The left hand was used for the basal functions of the human body. For example, the name Benjamin means “Son of the right hand, or son of righteousness.” Yemen, in the southwest corner of Arabia, comes from this same word, meaning the home of the righteous.
Let us look at the "aleph", the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, to see the evolution from ancient Hebrew to our own modern English alphabet.
Approximately 3,000 BC, the original Hebrew picture (paleo-Hebrew) for this letter was the head of an ox. Between 2,000 and 1,000 BC, the picture was simplified. The Greeks adopted the Hebrew alphabet around 800 to 600 BC for their own use, but reversed the picture and the Hebrew aleph became the Greek alpha. Between 600 and 200 BC the Greek alphabet evolved into what is very close to the modern Greek alphabet. The Romans then adopted the Greek alphabet sometimes with a few changes of their own. The English alphabet uses the Latin (Roman) alphabet.
Let us look at the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the „Bet‟, which follows a very similar progression.
Both the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian language writing systems have a very similar picture of the Ox's head and the house.
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NUMBERS
The ancient cultures did not have a separate numbering system as we do today, but instead used their alphabet to double as their numbering system. The (Israeli) Jews still use this same system today. The aleph represented number 1. Sometime between 1500 and 1000 BCE the Babylonian culture adopted the Hebrew alphabet for their Aramaic language. Over the next couple of hundred years the aleph began to take a little different shape. Around 200 BC the aleph transformed to a letter, which became our number one.
Let us look at the second letter of Hebrew alphabet, the „Bet‟ as it would have appeared around 3,000 BC, which then follows a very similar progression and became our number two.
The following is a chart containing both the ancient and modern Hebrew characters or letters and their meanings.
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Ancient Name
Ancient Hebrew
Ancient Sound
Literal Meaning or
Picture Meaning
Modern Name
Modern Hebrew
Modern Sound
Al
A Ox head Strength, Power, Leader, Priesthood, first
Aleph א A
Bet B, Bh Tent floor plan
Family, House, In, into, man’s first home
Beit ב B, V
Gam G Foot Gather, Walk, to go forth, to have faith, to lift up
Gimel ג G
Dal D Door
Move, Hang, Entrance, a covering or protection, to conceal that which is Holy or sacred
Dalet ד D
Hey H, E Man with arms raised
Look, Reveal, window, Breath (of life/Spirit of God), hands upraised in prayer in thanksgiving to God, revelation
Hey ה Soft H
Waw W, O, U Tent peg Add to, Secure, Hook, nail, peg
Vav ו V, O, U
Zan Z Mattock Cut, cut off, to plow and prepare
Zayin ז Z
Khets Hh Tent wall, fence, hedge
outside, separate, divide, (other) Half , Eve – mother of all living, private
Chet ח KH
Thet Th basket, a snake
Surround, Contain, Mud. All things in one great whole, ring/circle
Tet ט T
Yad Y, I Arm and closed hand
Work, Throw, Worship, Arm extended with hand in cupping shape, to make, a square
Yod י Y
Kaph K, Kh Open palm
bend, open, allow, tame, receive, hand open in cupping shape, to receive, to cover
Kaf כ K, Kh
Lam L shepherd’s staff
Yoke, To, To bind together, to connect or seal, to combine or join, tongue
Lamed ל L
Mem M Water Chaos, Mighty, Blood, Messiah, Water of Life
Mem מ M
Nun N Seed, movement
Continue, Heir, Son, Serpent, activity, life
Nun נ N
Sin S Thorn Grab, Hate, Protect, A Samech ס S
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reminder that the trials of life are meant to teach, not merely to punish.
Ghan Gh Eye
See, Watch, Know, experience, God knows or sees all things, All Seeing Eye of God
Ayin ע Silent, glottal stop
Pey P, Ph Mouth blow, scatter, edge, speak to God, be open, word, lip
Pey פ P, Ph
Tsad Ts Man on his side, fish hook
wait (upon the Lord), chase, catch, to conform (or bow down) to the bounds that the Lord has set, to be righteous, harvest, desire
Tsadi צ Ts or Tz
Quph Q Sun on the horizon
Condense, Circle, Time, behind, last, (notice sun stones on temples)
Quph ק Q
Rosh R Head of a man
first, top, beginning, leader, highest
Resh ר R
Shin Sh Two front teeth
sharp, eat, destroy, gnashing of teeth
Shin ש Sh, S
Taw T Crossed sticks
mark, monument, covenant, sign (of the cross/serpent on pole), token
Tav ת T
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Ancient Hebrew Root Word Study
God
Picture/Hebrew letter: The head of a bull or oxen
Culture: A nomad had within his herds and flocks, many types of animal livestock -
sheep, goats, camels, donkeys and cattle. Of all these animals, the bull was the strongest
and most powerful. To harness this strength, a yoke would be attached to the bull and a
load such as a wagon or plow could be attached to the yoke.
Meaning: A strong and powerful one
Pronunciation: "A" (as in "father")
Additional comment: Represents the beginning or creation of all things, the power of
God, the Holy Priesthood.
Picture: A Shepherd‟s Staff or crook
Culture: The staff was used to direct a sheep toward the correct direction, or the curved
end could be used to pull the sheep toward him. At times it was also used to chastise a
disobedient sheep. With the staff in his hand, the shepherd would lead his sheep to
pastures, water and the fold in the evening. Anciently kings used a staff as a token of
their power or authority to rule and reign. (A side comment – a shepherd is NOT a
sheepherder. One leads and calls, the other follows and gathers).
Meaning: Authority, power
Pronunciation: "L"
Additional comment: Means to connect, to bind together (to seal on earth and in
Heaven.)
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Picture, Hebrew Letter: Strong Authority (or God)
Culture: Two bulls were often yoked together (a staff on the
shoulder) in order to pull a load such as a wagon or a plow. An older,
more experienced bull (leader in authority) would be teamed up
(yoked) with a younger, less experienced bull in order to lead the
younger and teach him.
Meaning: a powerful one, which leads. An alternative meaning, to connect Heaven and
Earth, to bind or seal on Earth and in Heaven.
Pronunciation: "AYL"
Additional Comments: "AL" can also apply to the great power and authority, which
created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 14.22), the one we call "God". A Hebrew saw
the creator of heaven and earth as an "AL" because the creator was the ultimate in power
and strength.
The ancient Hebrew also saw himself as the younger (the son of God) less experienced
bull that is yoked to "AL" (God) in order to learn how to walk just as He does. Hebrews
usually used qualifying descriptions when referring to "AL" the almighty God such as;
"AL (pronounced AYL) the Most High, The Creator of heaven and earth." (Gen 14.22),
"the great AL, mighty and awesome" (Deu 10.17). Qualifiers are also used when
referring to other gods such as "foreign AL" (Ps 81.9).
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The Tent
The tent was divided into two parts. The main
section, behind the tent door, is the men's
section. The other (more private and sacred)
section is the women‟s section, with a wall
dividing the two parts. The only person allowed
into the women‟s section, is the father of the tent
(or little boys). Notice the similarity to the
Pictographic Hebrew letter "beyt" - . The
word "beit" is not only the name of a letter, but
is also a common Hebrew word meaning,
"home" or “room.” This letter is a representation
of the floor plan of the tent, or the "home" of the nomadic Hebrew shepherds.
The entrance to the tent was covered by a curtain, which hung down from the top of
the entrance. The Hebrew word "dal" means to "hang down" and is the root for the
word "dalet" meaning "door". This word "dalet" is also the name of another Hebrew
letter - , a representation of the tent door. The door of the tent is the most
important part of the tent, not because of its appearance, but its function as the
entrance into the tent. "He [Abraham] was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the
day grew hot" (Genesis 18:1). The door of the tent also served as a covering of the
sacred inwards parts of the home.
The door of the tent may also be equated with the throne of a king. In the Hebrew
culture, the father of the family is the "king", the one who holds full authority over
the family. The father will often sit at his tent door much like a king will sit on a
throne. All family legal matters were performed at the tent door. Here he watched
over his household as well as watch over his flock and for passing travelers. The
nomadic rules of hospitality are very strict and complex.
The king anciently, was considered not only the „ruler,‟ but the preserver of the
peace, the protector, he was to preside (just as the sun rules or „presides‟ over the
day) over the people, not to be tyrant or dictator, although some kings (and fathers)
do.
Tents are constructed of black goat or camel hair. "Dark am I ... dark like the tents of
Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon." (SS 1.5). The hair is spun into strands
which are then weaved together forming panels approximately 2 feet wide and the
length of the tent. Over time, the panels begin to bleach from exposure to the sun and
are periodically replaced. Very little is discarded as much work is invested in their
materials including the tent. The pieces of the tent, which are removed are recycled
into walls or mats. The Bedouin nomads of the Middle East still live in these kinds
of tents. When I lived in Hail, Saudi Arabia we saw a place that made these tents for
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the Bedouins.
Another Hebrew letter derived from the tent itself is the letter "chet", (pronounced
like khet) a word meaning "wall" or “fence”. This letter in the ancient pictographic
script is , a picture of a wall as can be seen in the above picture.
The size of the tent will depend on the size and wealth of the family. The wealthier
families will have separate tents for the wife or women, such as Abraham had for
Sarah. As the family grew, additional panels were added to increase the size of the
tent. "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold
back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes" (Isaiah 54:2).
The goat/camel hair tent is unique in that it is perfectly suited for the desert regions
of the Middle East.
Heat
A tent provided shade from the sun. During the strong heat of the day, the father
would often sit at his door watching his family; livestock and the road for travelers
(Genesis 18.1, 2) The walls of the tent could be lifted to allow the breeze to pass
through the tent.
Cold
The black tent absorbs heat keeping the tent warm. A fire is also built just inside the
door for warmth.
Rain
Like any other cloth, there is space between the hair fabric. Light coming through the
black roof appears as stars in the night sky. "He stretches out the heavens like a
canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in" (Isaiah 40.2). When the hair
fibers get wet from the rains, The fibers expand, forming a watertight roof.
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Wind
Strong ropes, secured by pegs driven into the ground, supported
the poles, which held up the tent. "I will drive him like a peg (or
nail – allusion to the crucifixion) into a sure place; he will be a
seat of honor for the house of his father" (Isaiah 22.23). The word
"sure" in the previous passage is the Hebrew word "aman" and is
often translated as "believe" and related to “amen” which means “let it be done.” .
The walls of the tent are laid on the top of the ropes allowing the wind to pass over
the tent. The Hebrew letter "vav" (or waw) - is a representation of the pegs used
to secure the tent. The word "vav" is also a word in the Hebrew language meaning
"peg".
The Nomadic family consisted of the beit (house, family), mishpahkhah (clan or
extended family) and matteh (tribe). The family, children, parents and grandparents,
all resided in one tent or group of tents. The clan consisted of the extended family,
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc, all residing in one camp and may contain as
many as 50 to 100 tents laid out in a circular pattern. When the clan becomes too
large for one area to support, the tribe splits into two clans (see Genesis 13). All the
clans (all being descended from one ancestor) may cover hundreds of square miles
making up the tribe and have one family name. As an example, The house of Moses,
of the clan of Levi, of the Tribe of Israel.
Chanan is a Hebrew word („ch‟ pronounced as the „ch‟ in Bach) often translated as
"grace" but in Hebrew is understood as a "camp". The camp, as seen above, is a
place of beauty, love, warmth and comfort.
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Hebrew Word Studies
Believe
The Hebrew language developed in a nomadic agricultural culture. Because of this,
much of the language is centered on this lifestyle. The more we understand their way
of life and culture, the more we can understand their language. This benefits us, as
students of scripture, because we can better understand the author's message if we
better understand his language.
In our culture, concepts, words and ideas are taught by using other concepts, words
and ideas. Often this is a very difficult task to accomplish. Since the Hebrew
language is a task-oriented language, teaching these concepts, words and ideas are
much easier.
The subject we are going to cover here is a prime example. If you wanted to teach
your children what it means to believe, how would you do it? If you think about it, it
is very difficult thing to do.
The Nomads
In Genesis 4:20 we read about the first Nomad Jabal, a descendent of Adam through
Cain.
"And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as
have cattle."
We know that Jabal and his descendents were nomads from the simple fact they
lived in tents and raised livestock. A tent (ohel in Hebrew) is a portable shelter for
the purpose of moving from one grazing place to another. The Hebrew word used in
the above for cattle is "miqneh" which actually means any livestock. This could be
cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. When the livestock consumed the edible vegetation
in one area, the herder would then pack up his tent and his belongings and move on
to better grazing land.
Probably the most famous nomad in the scriptures is Abraham. He traveled a great
deal throughout the land of the Middle East or Holy Land, living in tents and raising
livestock.
The Tent
The tent is a very important part of the nomad‟s life. By looking at the many words
derived from this shelter we have tangible, hands on tools with which to teach our
children the basic concepts in the scriptures. We will be looking at a tent stake. For
those who have camped before, you are probably familiar with these stakes. What is
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the most important factor when placing your tent stakes? The ground. If you drive a
peg or stake into soft ground, the tension on the rope will pull the stake right out.
You need very firm ground to hold it in. The ideal ground would require a hammer
to beat the stake in. In ground like this the stake will remain secure in its position
even in a strong wind. Let us now look at a passage of Scripture that uses this
"concept".
Isaiah 22:23 "I will drive him like a peg (or nail) into a sure place, he will be a seat
of honor for the house of his father."
Here we have the stake (peg/nail) being driven into a "firm" or sure place. The
Hebrew word translated as "firm" here is the verb "aman" which literally means, "to
be firm or sure". When setting up our tent, we desire to find a spot where the ground
will be firm.
Believe
This verb "aman" is used 110 times in the Old Testament. Let us now look at another
passage using this same verb and see what it says.
Genesis 15:6 "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness"
The word "believed" is the very same Hebrew verb "aman". The picture we have
from this is that Abram was firm in his devotion to God. Just as a stake planted in
firm ground supports the tent even in a storm, Abram will support (or follow) God
even in the storms of life. The question we now ask is how did Abram remain firm?
The verse just previous to this states:
Genesis 15:5,6 '[God] took [Abram] outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and
count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your
offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as
righteousness.'
We usually read this to mean that Abram believed God's promise in verse 5. The
problem with this is that the Hebrew verb "aman" means more than just knowing
something to be true. Why did God give this promise to Abram?
Genesis 26:4,5 "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth
will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my
commands, my decrees and my laws (Torah in Hebrew)".
God made this promise to Abram because he was firm in his obedience to God. The
Hebrew in Genesis 15:6 does not say Abram believed God, it says he was firm in
(obeying) God. From Genesis 26:5 we see that he was firm in his obedience to God
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and his Torah.
How to use a Bible and Concordance
In order to make a proper interpretation of the Biblical text one must view the text
from an ancient Hebrew's perspective rather than from our modern western
perspective. Even if you do not know Hebrew there are resources available to assist
you in your studies of the Hebrew text behind the English translation.
Some of the resources you will need are an English translation of the Bible and a
concordance with Strong's dictionary keyed to the translation you are using such as
the Strong's Concise Concordance. .
To demonstrate this study process let us research the word "rejoice" as found in the
King James Version. To begin we look up the word "rejoice" in the concordance.
Below is an example of what you will see in the concordance (The verses listed
below are only a portion of what is actually found in the concordance). The left
column is a portion of the verse containing the word "rejoice" (identified as "r"). The
middle column is the verse location and the right column identifies the Strong's
number assigned to the Hebrew word translated as "rejoice" in that verse.
REJOICE (192)
ye shall r before the LORD your Lev 23:40 8055
ye shall r in all that ye put Deut 12:7 8055
so the LORD will r over you to Deut 26:83 7797
will again r over thee for good Deut 30:9 7797
R, O ye nations, with his people Deut 32:43 7442
with fear, and r with trembling Ps 2:11 1523
I will r in thy salvation Ps 9:14 1523
We will r in thy salvation, and in Ps 20:5 7442
Be glad in the LORD, and r Ps 32:11 1524
Let mount Zion r, let the Ps 48:11 8055
yea, let them exceedingly r Ps 68:3 7797
Let the heavens r, and let the Ps 96:11 8056
I will r, I will divide Shechem Ps 108:7 5937
r in Rezin and Remaliah's son Is 8:6 4885
even them that r in my highness Is 13:3 5947
as thou didst r at the Eze 35:15 8057
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The first thing we notice in this study is that the King James Version uses the word
"rejoice" 192 times (this number is located after the heading "Rejoice"), but it is an
English word used to translate several different Hebrew words. In your notebook you
will record each of the Strong's numbers.
The next step is to look up each of these numbers in the dictionary in the back of the
concordance. Below is what you will find in the concordance for each of these
numbers. When we look up the number "1523" we find that the Hebrew word is
"guwl" and means to "spin round" (concrete) and is translated in the King James
Version as "rejoice", "glad", "joyful", "joy" and "delight" (abstracts). The concrete
meaning of the word is what we are looking for as this would be the more ancient
Hebraic meaning of the word and gives a better understanding of what this word
implies. Next, go through each of the numbers in our notebook and write in their
concrete meanings.
guwl {44x}, a primitive root; properly toגול .1523
spin round (under the influence of any violent
emotion), i.e. usually rejoice, or (as crying)
fear:- rejoice {27x}, glad {10x}, joyful {4x},
joy {2x}, delight {1x}.
giyl {10x}, from 1523; a revolution (ofגיל .1524
time, i.e. an age); also joy:- rejoice {3x}, jou
{3x}, gladness {2x}, exceedingly {1x}, of
your sort {1x}.
,masows {17x}, from 7797; delightמשוש .4885
concrete (the cause or object) or abstract (the
feeling):- joy {12x} mirth {3x}, rejoice {2x}.
alaz {16x}, a primitive root; to jump forעלז .5937
joy i.e. exult:- rejoice {12x}, triumph {2x},
joyful {2x}.
alliyz {7x}, from 5937; exultant:- rejoiceעליז .5947
{4x}, joyous {3x}.
ranan {52x}, a primitive root; properly toרנן .7442
creak (or emit a stridulous sound), i.e. to shout
(usually for joy):- sing {20x}, rejoice {11x},
sing aloud {4x}, shout {4x}, shout for joy
{3x}, sing for joy {2x}, crieth {2x}, cry out
{2x}, shout aloud {1x}, misc. {3x}.
,suws {27x}, a primitive root; to be brightשוש .7797
i.e. cheerful:- rejoice {20x}, glad {4x}, greatly
{1x}, joy {1x}, mirth {1x}.
;samach {152x}, a primitive rootשמח .8055
probably to brighten up i.e. (figuratively) be
blithe or gleesome:- rejoice {95x}, glad {45x},
joy {5x}, joyful {2x}, merry {2x}, misc. {3x}.
sameach {23x}, from 8055; blithe orשמח .8056
gleeful:- rejoice {11x}, glad {4x}, joyful {3x},
18
merry {3x}, merrily {1x}, merryhearted {1x}.
;simchah {94x}, from 8056שמחה .8057
blithesomeness or glee (religious or festival):-
joy {44x}, gladness {31x}, mirth {8x}, rejoice
{3x}, rejoicing {2x}, misc. {6x}.
We now have a more concrete Hebraic understanding of these Hebrew words as seen
below.
1523 guwl spin round
1524 giyl revolution
4885 masows an object of delight
5937 alaz jump
5947 aliyz exalt (lift up)
7442 ranan shout
7797 suws bright
8055 samach bright
8056 sameach blithe, happy
8057 simchah religious festival
Notice that the Hebrew word "simchah" (#8057) is derived from "sameach" (#8056),
which in turn is derived from "samach" (#8055) being the primitive root to the other
two. All three of these words have the three letters S, M and Ch in common, the
original root and all three will be related in meaning. Therefore we can see that a
"religious festival" is a "bright" time and a time of blithe or glee. We also find a
similar relationship between "guwl" (#1523) and "giyl" (#1524), both meaning to go
around in a circle.
We can now do a study on the actual Hebrew words themselves. If we wanted to
study the Hebrew word "guwl" (#1523) we can look up every place in the Bible
where this occurs. To do this we look at the dictionary entry for this Hebrew word
and write down all translations for this word; rejoice, glad, joyful, delight. The
number in brackets after each word tells you how many times this Hebrew word is
translated with that English word. For example, the Hebrew word "guwl" is
translated as "joyful" 4 times. We can go back into the concordance and look up the
word "joyful" and scan down the right column looking for the 4 times the number
1523 appears as in the abbreviated example below.
JOYFUL (25)
king, and went unto their tents j 1Kin 8:66 8056
for the LORD had made them j Ezr 6:22 8055
And my soul shall be j in the LORD Ps 35:9 1523
19
to be a j mother of children Ps 113:9 8056
of Zion be j in their King Ps 149:2 1523
In the day of prosperity be j Eccl 7:14 2896
and be j, O earth Is 49:13 1523
make them j in my house of prayer Is 56:7 8055
my soul shall be j in my God Is 61:10 1523
We can now look up the verses above containing the word "guwl" (#1523) and read
them interjecting our new understanding of the Hebrew word behind the English
translation.
Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall "spin around" in the LORD: It shall rejoice in his
salvation.
Psalm 149:2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion "spin
around" in their King.
Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and "spin around", O earth; and break forth into
singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have
mercy upon his afflicted.
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall "spin around" in
my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me
with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.