What’s in a Word?
A country like the USA with 50 states, covering approximately 3.8 million square miles, has an amazing amount of accents and colloquialisms to contend with.
We have many words or phrases that mean different things in different states or regions. Like carbonated beverages in certain parts of the country are called sodas and other areas say pop. Or Minnesotans say hot dish while I always heard it as casserole.
It makes me wonder how people a couple hundred years from now (will people be around then?) would interpret some of our colloquialisms. Let’s say they see the words ‘you betcha’. Would they think those who used that phrase would be betting all the time? That Minnesotans were constantly gambling?
Chicagoans had a word for a living room that was frunchroom (could always tell someone from Chicago by that word). I envision studiers of language in the future trying to figure out what type of activity ‘frunch’ was and why it needed its own room.
In general, knowing the context and the way words were intended when used in the society that they were written adds greater depth to understanding. It gives an awareness to what was intended by the word(s) and by the writer.
I believe any good writer would support the concept of the importance of each word they chose and the importance of how it was intended. As a matter of fact, Mark Twain (American author & humorist) who was a master at using words said:
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug”
The more I study the Bible in context of when it was written, the more I understand what God was expressing to us.
Here is a rabbit trail on the importance of context:
Someone once said to me how horrible Jesus treated women. Obviously, this person never read the Bible. Here is where context is very important. When Jesus came into the picture women were treated no better than cattle. They were disposable. Even if a woman was raped, she was killed for being an adulterer while the man might walk away. Jesus lifted women up. He treated them with love, respect and care.
One example in John 8:3-11 was when a woman was brought to Jesus for being an adulterer. Their tradition required her to be stoned, but Jesus stopped the killing. He bent down and wrote in the sand, looked at the crowd of self-righteous men stating who that was without sin should throw the first stone. Guess what? They all walked away knowing they all were sinners, Jesus looked at the woman and asked her if anyone had condemned her, she said no one. He said neither did He. He said to go and sin no more.
I could give you more examples of how Jesus lifted woman up above their situations into equality with men. But that is not what this post is about. If you would like to understand that more, put it in a comment and I will connect with you so we can discuss it.
Back to my studying. I have been studying the Old Testament more and more. I am seeking the meanings originally intended of words in Hebrew so that I can understand in context what the writer meant.
These meanings were second nature to the Hebrews and brought a depth to the Bible stories. Those stories were generally memorized, not read by most (can you imagine memorizing the whole Old Testament??).
I’ve found that some things I might pass over as simple may turn out to be very complex.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no intentions of becoming a Hebrew scholar, but I do want to understand my God’s letter to us (the Bible) better.
Studying the original meaning of words gives me greater insight to the God who created me and a greater understanding of the love He has bestowed on me. Here is an example of what I have learned about a very commonly used blessing.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 ESV
There is a lot in this verse that we miss (at least I did) without the knowledge of Hebrew meanings. I will only pull out four of the words that I feel changes the whole way I view this blessing.
Keep – in Hebrew the word is shamar. It means to keep, guard, watch over. The same word is used in Psalm 121:4-5 as a guard who never slumbers.
Face – The Hebrew word is panim. It is plural; means presence. To have God’s face is to have our Triune God Himself present and near.
Gracious – The Hebrew word is chanan. It means unearned favor; favor freely given. The stoop of a superior to give the gift the other could never demand.
Peace – The Hebrew word is shalom. This word we commonly know means peace but it means so much more. It comes from the root shalem — complete, whole, finished, sound. It’s the word for a wall with no gaps, a debt paid in full, a body with no wound. Not the absence of conflict but the presence of wholeness. Nothing broken, nothing missing, everything in its right place.
(I love how the Old Testament points directly to Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, “our dept was paid in full”. Sins were forgiven. Now that gives true peace…shalom.)
With all that in mind, I see Numbers 6:24-26 as more than a quick blessing imparted at the end of our church service. I see it as a deep, sincere prayer for the person you are bestowing it upon.
Now when I pray it, I am praying that the Lord’s presence be with them, that the Lord will guard and watch over them…knowing He never slumbers. I am praying He will freely pour His favor on them making them whole, complete with everything in its right place for them, and knowing their dept is paid in full (by Jesus).
****Note my newfound Hebrew knowledge is from an app called Hebrew for Christians which is actually a part of an app called Substack. Parts of the definitions above are direct quotes because I could not paraphrase them well enough to express the meanings as well as they did. ****
“Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.” Psalm 121:4-5
“The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to Him (Jesus), “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:3-11 ESV