The Meaning of Hebrew Words and Scripture
More and more believers today study the Bible and wonder, am I getting the complete understanding of the Hebrew words?
We have a sea of knowledge at our fingertips. We can connect with Israel and Hebrew speakers easily. Most of us a have a Bible at home—or even several. If you have travelled to Israel, you know how much a trip like that enhances your comprehension of Scripture.
All the blessings above are unique to our generation. And imagine how much deeper you could dive into the Word of God with basic understanding of Hebrew! To get you started, in the coming weeks we want to introduce you to seven Hebrew words every Christian should know. But before we share what they are, let’s answer the question WHY.
Hebrew Language and Hebrew People
With the use of the Hebrew language God revealed Himself to mankind. This ancient tongue held the greatest spiritual truths that guided our lives through the ages. And every generation discovers them anew.
It is hard to believe that only scholars and religious practices used the language of the Bible for centuries. Today, it is the official language of a country and the native tongue of about five million people.
Did God really speak Hebrew to the first people He created? We cannot know that for sure (but we do know that the story of creation was written in Hebrew). Nevertheless, there is a very strong argument for it. That is, the names of the first people that appear in the Bible have a specific meaning in Hebrew.
Hebrew Name Meanings
The first man was called Adam, which in Hebrew simply means “man”. At the same time, the word adama means earth or soil. Which, coincidentally, that is what God made Adam out of. The name of the first woman, Chava (in English usually Eve or Eva), comes from the word chai – Hebrew for life.
Is that of any significance? Well, it may affect how you interpret some other parts of the Bible as well. Although the New Testament was written in Greek, the context remains the same. The setting and the culture was still very hebraic.
Hebrew Names and Titles
Take for example the fact that “son of man” describes Jesus in the Gospels. In Hebrew you say, Ben Adam. Which means, yes, “son of man”. But the Hebrew connects it also with the idea that Jesus was “son of Adam”. It sounds consistent with when the apostle Paul calls Jesus in his letters – the second Adam.
But here also we could look at the Hebrew and draw another conclusion. If Jesus was the second Adam, could He also be called “the second man”, as the head of mankind? Because if man was the crown of God’s creation, that would make Jesus – the second, perfected man – the true crown of creation!
And since we are talking about names. Let us not forget that the name Jesus was not a foreign-sounding word to Mary and Joseph. His name in Hebrew is Yeshua, which literally means “Salvation.” It was a powerful word, but it was not unfamiliar.
It is thus that much more poignant whenever the word salvation – yeshua – appears in the Old Testament! The Old Testament and the New Testament are full of special Hebrew names.
Did Jesus Speak Hebrew?
Jesus was born with a Hebrew name and in a hebraic culture. Does that mean He spoke Hebrew as well? Many biblical stories could suggest that Jesus in fact spoke (or at least understood) three languages!
Despite being brought up in a small village and a humble family, He would have been exposed to more than just His mother tongue. It is generally believed that Jesus spoke Aramaic in His everyday life. It was the common tongue of the people in the region at the time.
Some of Jesus’ statements in the Gospels were recorded in Aramaic, which means His disciples knew it and used it as well. Nevertheless, it is also very likely that the Jewish (as well as Samaritan) families of that day continued to use Hebrew.
We read that young Jesus debated the scholars in the Holy Temple for several days. Those conversations likely happened in Hebrew, considering this was the language of the Holy Scriptures. Additionally, Jesus addressed the apostle Paul in Hebrew when He appeared to him on the road to Damascus.
On top of that, we need to be mindful of the fact that Jesus lived in cities full of foreigners. He encountered Greeks and Romans on His path, as we know from the Gospels.
It is safe to assume that He must have known some Greek or even Latin. It is quite unlikely that His conversations with the Roman commander or Pontius Pilate were in Aramaic.
How did Hebrew Survive without a Country?
After the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people, Jewish scholars began calling Hebrew a sacred language. As the descendants of Israel moved through foreign lands, they adapted and used local languages in daily living.
In modern history, the Jewish people made several attempts to revive Hebrew as a spoken language. But in the modern age, languages that mixed Hebrew with local languages were much more popular.
These included Yiddish in Eastern Europe (merged with German) or Ladino in the Iberian Peninsula and present-day Turkey (merged with Spanish).
Eliezer Ben Yehuda and the Hebrew Language
Over the centuries, Hebrew survived mainly as a literary and liturgical language. Like Latin, Ancient Greek or Classical Chinese, Biblical Hebrew existed only in writing.
That is, until a young Zionist from Lithuania, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, decided to emigrate to Jerusalem and use Hebrew with everyone he met.
Although it did not come easy, most of the inhabitants, in many cases thanks to their religious upbringing, were able to communicate with Ben Yehuda. With time, the young idealist managed to convince rabbis and teachers to use Hebrew in schools to teach not only religious subjects, but all of them.
More and more Jewish people were choosing to return to their Promised Land. There, they realized that choosing any Western language for communication could create unnecessary conflicts. Hebrew proved to be the one common thread…
Bringing Modern Hebrew into Life
Ben Yehuda was truly the father of modern Hebrew. The fruit of his great dedication and persistent work is a seventeen-volume New Hebrew Dictionary, first of its kind, published in 1908. By 1922, British Mandate leaders recognized Hebrew as the official language of the Jews in the land.
Finally, in 1948 Hebrew was proclaimed the official language of the new state: Israel.
Today, there are families in Israel who have spoken Hebrew already for three or four generations. It is remarkable that a language, which was just a dream a hundred years ago, millions now use every day.
The people of Israel speak the language of God’s mysteries today, although many are oblivious to it. Nevertheless, God continues to reveal His truths to us.
And one of such revelations is comprehension of Hebrew! The foundational words like Adam and the rich ones like Yeshua (Jesus) – they all invite us to discover the depth of God’s word.
Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know
We know the Bible can be confusing and you want to get more out of it. Which is why we want to teach you selected Hebrew words that will transform the way you read the Bible. Join us at IsraelU to learn seven Hebrew words that every Christian should know!
Dive into the first word (and more will follow)! Do you know what the Hebrew word Shema means? Read about it here and watch the IsraelU video below:
7 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know: Free PDF Download
With the use of the Hebrew language God revealed Himself to mankind. This ancient tongue held the greatest spiritual truths that guided our lives through the ages. And in each generation, they are discovered anew.
We know the Bible can be hard to understand and you want to get more out of it. Which is why we want to teach you seven Hebrew words that will transform the way you read the Bible.
Articles Related to Hebrew Words You Should Know
- Yeshua: The Meaning of the Hebrew Name of Jesus
- Member Highlight: The Bible Society in Israel
- On the Biblical Hebrew Alphabet and the Hebrew Language
- Does Nations Liking Modern Israel Fulfill Biblical Prophecy?
- Names of God in the Bible – What Do They Mean?
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one [echad] LORD.”
Oddly, one of the most monotheistic verses in the Bible is used by some trinitarians in an attempt to prove a plurality in God. This text is quoted by devout Jews at least twice a day and they are strictly monotheistic. They see nothing in this verse to imply that God is more than one person. Yet, this verse is used by some trinitarians to support the idea of a plural God.
The word in question is the Hebrew word echad, which was translated “one.” The Hebrews see this as a word that denotes complete singularity, while some trinitarians see it as a word that denotes plurality in a “compound unity,” such as three in one. Some trinitarians claim that echad represents “unified oneness” as opposed to the Hebrew word, yachid which, they say, represents “numeric oneness.” Some trinitarians claim that if Moses wanted to indicate that God is numerically one he would have used the Hebrew word yachid instead of echad. Plugging in the plurality idea into Deuteronomy 6:4 would make it read, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our [Gods] are [a unified group] Lord.” Let us examine how echad and yachid are used in the Bible so we can understand what God is trying to tell us in Deuteronomy 6:4.
Echad
Echad is the Hebrew word most commonly used to describe something that is one. Almost every time you find the English word “one” in the Old Testament it was translated from the Hebrew word echad. Echad was used 952 times in the Old Testament. It was translated “one” 687 times. Every language has a word to signify “one” in the sense of counting. In Spanish it is “uno,” in German it is “ein,” in Latin it is “unum,” in Hebrew it is “echad.” When you go to www.translate.google.com and type “one” in the English side and select Hebrew on the translated side it will translate it as echad. The reason for this is that echad simply means “one.” The New American Standard Hebrew Lexicon defines it as, “a primary cardinal number; one.” The Brown-Driver-Brigg’s Hebrew Lexicon says, “one (number).”
There are trinitarian commentaries and lexicons that contain definitions of echad suited to fit their preconceived idea that God is a plural God made up of a compound unity, but that does not make these definitions true. There is a saying among Bible students that says, “Context is king.” This means that the context of how a word is used in the Bible is more valuable than any man-made definition of that word. When writers of the Hebrew Bible wanted to distinguish something as “one,” as opposed to “two” or “three,” they used the word echad. Let us look at a few examples.
When Esau was tricked out of his father’s blessing he complained to his father, “Hast thou but one [echad] blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept” (Genesis 27:38). Here we find that echad literally means “one,” not “two” or more.
When Joseph’s brothers came to him for food they said, “We are all one [echad] man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies” (Genesis 42:11). Surely these brothers were not saying that they were the sons of a group of men, but rather one and only one. They did not have to use the word yachid to clarify that this “one” man was “only one” man. This idea was naturally inherent in their use of the word echad.
After Joseph accused them of being spies he said, “Send one [echad] of you, and let him fetch your brother” (Genesis 42:16). Joseph was not suggesting to send a group of men back for their brother, but only one.
Joseph’s brothers said to him, “We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [echad] is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 42:32). When they said, “one is not” they were talking about Joseph, pretending that he had died. Joseph was the only one of the twelve that was missing, and they used echad to explain this.
When God explained to Moses how to build the Ark of the Covenant, He said, “And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one [echad] cherub on the one end, and the other [echad] cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof” (Exodus 25:18, 19). This is a simple math problem, 1+1=2. There are two total cherubims, and one of them is called echad.
When the Bible describes the daily sacrifices of Israel it says, “Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one [echad] lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even” (Exodus 29:38, 39). Again, one is literally one, and two is literally two. Echad is the Hebrew word for one.
When Moses finished building the altar and dedicated it, the Bible says, “And his [Nahshon’s] offering was one [echad] silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one [echad] silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering” (Numbers 7:13). Again we see a simple math equation, one charger plus one bowl equals “both of them.” Echad is not a compound unit here either. The bowl and charger are single items, just as the sacrifices mentioned above are single items.
Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one [echad]; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one [echad] will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone [echad] when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one [echad] be warm alone? And if one [echad] prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). It is very clear that Solomon was making a distinction between one person and two persons by using the word echad. Notice that the word echad is also used here for “alone.” Echad definitely carries the idea of absolute singularity. Trying to insert a “compound unity” definition in this verse would render it meaningless.
Another text that clearly shows the singularity of echad is Deuteronomy 17:6, which says, “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one [echad] witness he shall not be put to death.” Echad could not possibly mean more than one in this verse, since it is set in contrast to two and three.
There are well over six hundred similar examples, and for the sake of conserving space and not wearying you further, we will confine it to the few listed here. The word echad has a plural form that Moses could have used if he had intended for us to believe God is a unified group. We find the plural form of echad in Genesis 29:20, which says, “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few [echad in its plural form] days, for the love he had to her.” Moses could easily have explained that God is a compound unit or group of Gods if he wanted us to believe this, but He simply said, “The Lord our God is one Lord.” This comes just two chapters after he said, “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him” (Deuteronomy 4:35), and just one chapter later God said, “Thou shalt have none other gods before me” (Deuteronomy 5:7).
The context requires that we take the word “one” in Deuteronomy 6:4 to mean “one” in its absolute singular sense rather than a unit or group. Despite the fact that even a brief Bible study on the Hebrew word echad reveals that it literally means “one,” a theology professor wrote that in Deuteronomy 6:4 Moses “employed the plural ‘echad (one among others in a joined or shared oneness)” (Woodrow Whidden, The Trinity, coauthored by Jerry Moon, and John Reeve, Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 2002). This statement is not true at all. There is a plural form of echad as we saw in Genesis 29:20, but Moses used the singular form in Deuteronomy 6:4. To suggest that Moses was trying to indicate that the one God of the Bible is really “one among others” would mean that there could be dozens of Gods. It is sad when people take a word and try to make it mean the opposite of what was intended by the author. In the same paragraph as the above statement, the author says, yachid “means ‘one’ in the sense of ‘only,’ or ‘alone’” (Ibid.) Yet, echad carries this meaning as well.
Echad is Absolutely Singular
Echad was translated “alone” or “only” several times in the Bible. The Bible says, “Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone [echad] God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God” (1 Chronicles 29:1).
“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone [echad], and blessed him, and increased him” (Isaiah 51:2)
“Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only [echad] officer which was in the land” (1 Kings 4:19)
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only [echad] evil, behold, is come” (Ezekiel 7:5)
Echad is a word that carries strict singularity along with the idea of alone and only. It is not necessary for God to use yachid to indicate His singularity. The fact is, there are several other verses that add strict modifiers to indicate the absolute singularity of God, some of which are in close proximity to Deuteronomy 6:4. (See Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 5:7; Isaiah 44:8; 45:5, 14, 18, 21, 22; 46:9; Joel 2:27; Mark 12:29-34; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, etc.) If, when the Bible says, “the Lord is one Lord” it really means “the Lord is a united group of Lords” then all the other verses that add modifiers to indicate “only one” would have to be reinterpreted. The fact is, Moses had words available to him to signify unity if that is what He wanted to say. He could have used the word yachad, which means, “to be united” (Genesis 49:6), but he did not use it because he did not want us to think God is a group of united persons.
Many Trinitarians seek to find a plural meaning for echad by quoting Numbers 13:23, which says, “And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one [echad] cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.” Some Trinitarians assert that because the word echad is used here, referring to a cluster of grapes, that the word echad means “one made up of parts, a unit or a group.”
If the above verse would have said, “one [echad] cluster of grapes” when in reality it meant that there were several clusters of grapes, then the argument would hold some validity. If the verse would have said, “one [echad] grape,” when in reality it was referring to a whole cluster of grapes, then we would know that the word echad means more than just one. Yet, the verse mentions only one “cluster of grapes.” The noun that echad refers to in this verse is what is a unit or group, not the word echad.
Echad is used for “ONE cluster of grapes” (Numbers 13:23), “ONE company” (1 Samuel 13:17), “ONE troop” (2 Samuel 2:25), “ONE tribe” (1 Kings 11:13), “ONE nation” (1 Chronicles 17:21). In each case the plurality exists in the noun rather than in the adjective “one.”
Another verse used to attempt to show a compound unity in the word echad is Genesis 1:5, which says, “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first [echad] day.” It is argued that since a day is composed of two parts, the dark and light portions, that the word echad has the meaning of compound unity, or one composed of parts. Again, this argument is unsound. Echad still means one in this verse. The compound portion of the statement, “first day” is not “one,” but “day.” The following verses speak of “the second day,” “the third day,” “the fourth day,” etc. Is it going to be argued that “second” and “third” are also compound unity words just because they are followed by the word “day”? I can say, “one egg” or “one dozen eggs.” The meaning of “one” in these statements is exactly the same in both cases. I could also say, “two eggs” or “two dozen eggs.” Any compound unity in a statement that uses the word “one” is to be found in the word following “one” rather than in “one” itself.
The primary verse that Trinitarians refer to for support for their assertion that echad means more than one is Genesis 2:24, where it says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one [echad] flesh.” Trinitarians sometimes use this verse to try to prove that echad does not mean one. However, the verse did not say that a man and a woman would become one human, nor did it say that they would become one person nor one being. Though the man and the woman would become one flesh, they would still be two persons, two beings, and two humans. Neither would they be joined together to become one body of flesh. Rather, they are to become one family.
In seeking for an understanding of the term “one flesh,” we must not conjecture about the meaning of the word “one,” but rather we should seek for the meaning of the word “flesh” as it is used in this verse. Even in this verse, one still means one, and only one.
The verse is not trying to indicate that there are “two fleshes,” but one flesh. We find in the Bible an explanation of one flesh to show that it signifies a close family relationship. Joseph’s brothers said of him, “Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content” (Genesis 37:27). Paul called his Jewish brethren, “my flesh” (Romans 11:14) to indicate their close blood relationship. The Bible even translates the Hebrew word רשׂב (basar) that was translated “flesh” in Genesis 2:24 as “kin” in Leviticus 18:6 and 25:49. The New American Standard Bible translates it “blood relative.” With this understanding for “flesh” it is clear that the expression “one flesh” in Genesis 2:24 means that the two married people are to be considered as closely related as “blood relatives.” They become one family, not two families, but one. One still means one in this verse. Any compound unity resides in flesh rather than “one.”
One Means One
The Hebrew word echad functions exactly the same in Hebrew as our English word “one.” I could say, “My wife, children, and I make one family.” The word “family” indicates more than one within it, but the word “one” still means one. If you offer to pay me “one hundred dollars” for a day’s labor, it would be wrong for me to expect to receive two hundred or more dollars just because the word, “hundred,” that follows “one” indicates plurality within it. If I came to you the next day and you agreed to buy my wristwatch for “one dollar,” it would be illogical for me to expect you to pay me three dollars. It would not help my case for me to claim, “You used the word ‘one’ in a plural sense yesterday, so I expected that you would give me at least two dollars for my watch because one is plural.” It is easy to see how illogical my position would be if I followed this line of reasoning. If I were to try to take you to court to sue you for the extra money I feel entitled to, the judge would dismiss my case immediately because it is based on a false premise.
The above argument is very easy to dismiss as illogical. Yet, when the same type of flimsy argument is used to support the trinity, by the use of the word echad, many people accept it as gospel truth. Even theologians grasp onto this reasoning and repeat it in their works, until it is so often repeated that it takes on the appearance of fact. We must not rest content with man-made theories that have no basis in reality to support our belief in a doctrine. The fact that trinitarians have to go to such lengths to seek for support of the trinity is virtually proof that it is not true. When a person needs to grasp at straws to support their position it is a good indication that their position is not worth holding up.
The Hebrew word echad in its singular form, as in Deuteronomy 6:4, means one and only one in every case. There is not even one example of echad in its singular form meaning more than one, even though it is used over 900 times in the Bible. When God inspired Moses to say, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one [echad] Lord,” He meant just that. There is one, and only one, “Lord our God,” and not a unity of three gods.
In case the evidence examined is not enough to settle the matter, Jesus gave us a divine commentary on this verse that we can be certain is truthful. Jesus quoted this verse in Mark 12. A Jewish leader approached Him and asked, “Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question” (Mark 12:28-34).
Notice the exchange here. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4, and then the scribe commented on this verse, “…there is one God; and there is none other but he…” Here we find that this Jew understood Deuteronomy 6:4 to mean, “There is one God; and none other but he.” In case trinitarians are uncertain whether echad indicates exclusive singularity this Jew used very precise and exclusive language. Three statements indicate singularity. He said, “There is one God” and “there is none other” and “he.” This Jewish leader understood that God is a singular individual being and none other but He. When we compare this verse with John 8:54 we find an interesting connection. Here Jesus was dialoguing with the Jewish leaders when He said, “If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God.” When a Jew says “God” they are referring to the Person Jesus identified as His Father, and this verse demonstrates that Jesus knew that the Jews had this understanding. In Mark 12:32 it is certain that the scribe understood Deuteronomy 6:4 to be referring exclusively to God, the Father, as the one and only God, beside whom “there is none other.”
When Jesus heard this, the Bible says, “Jesus saw that he answered discreetly [or wisely].” Jesus recognized that this man answered well, and then Jesus said, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” Jesus did not correct this man for his understanding, but instead complimented him for his good answer. Here is divine approval for the understanding that echad literally means one and only one in Deuteronomy 6:4.
In contrast to Jesus Christ’s commentary on Deuteronomy 6:4, notice what some commentators say about it:
“This does not mean Jehovah is one God, …” (Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:4)
“The three-fold mention of the Divine names, and the plural number of the word translated God, seem plainly to intimate a Trinity of persons, even in this express declaration of the unity of the Godhead” (Matthew Henry Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:4)
“One in Three, and Three in One. Here are three words answering the three persons” (John Trapp’s Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:4)
It is amazing what some people can read into the Bible that is not there. There is no way that Moses or any of his contemporaries would have understood Deuteronomy 6:4 to have reference to a trinity or any more than just one Person. The only way a person could find that theory in this text is if they already had the preconceived idea before reading it. This is something that could not have happened until the Catholic Church formulated the doctrine in the fourth century AD, just as prophesied in Daniel 11:36-39.
The New Testament has just as strong language to signify the singularity of God as is found in the Old Testament. Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Jesus called His Father “the only true God,” and Paul wrote, “As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Corinthians 8:4-6).
Yachid
Trinitarians would have us believe that if Moses had wanted us to believe God is only one numerically single individual that he would have used the word yachid instead of echad. Yet, this is definitely not the case. We have already seen that echad is equivalent to our English word “one.” Yachid means, “only, only one, solitary, one, unique, only begotten son” (Brown-Driver-Brigg’s Hebrew Lexicon). Yachid is only used 12 times in the Bible, 8 of which refer to only begotten children. The remaining 4 instances are used to mean “solitary” or “lonely” in a negative sense. It is much more likely that if Moses had wanted to indicate that God is one singular individual he would have used echad rather than yachid, and that is precisely what he did.
In any language the word for the numeral “one” is widely used. We find the English word “one” in the Old Testament over 1,000 times. The majority of those times it was translated from the Hebrew word echad. Yachid, on the other hand, is only used 12 times and most often refers to only begotten children. The fact that this word is not used in reference to God, the Father, is not surprising at all. To argue that since this word is never used for God then He must be a plural being does not make sense. To argue from the lack of evidence is not a wise premise. The fact is, there are many verses that employ very exclusive singular terms for the Father, such as “one God,” “none other,” “none else,” “beside me there is no God,” etc. It is not necessary to conclude that since God did not use a particular word to indicate His singularity that He must not be a single Person. There are lots of single items or persons in the Bible that are not described by the use of yachid. Are we to conclude that they are not singular because the obscure word we want God to use is missing? If God, the Father, wanted to indicate that He is “only begotten” or “lonely,” then we could expect Him to use yachid. Certainly we would not expect God, the Father, to want to convey these ideas about Himself, so we should expect that He would not use yachid to define Himself.
There is absolutely no biblical basis to claim that since echad is used instead of yachid to define God’s singularity that He must be more than one Person. The biblical evidence is of more value to discover the truth than any man-made commentary or dictionary definition. The facts are clear, “There is but one God, the Father” (1 Corinthians 8:6).
Abram was called “Abraham the Hebrew” in Genesis 14:13, which is the first time that the word is used in the Bible. Where did this term come from, and what does it mean?
What is a Hebrew? The word “Hebrew” in the Hebrew language is עברי (Ivrie). The root letters are used to mean cross over, or pass through. Today in Israel, we can use the word to talk about moving houses, transgressing laws, going through some difficulties, crossing the road, crossing over a river, and so on. Traversing, passing, or crossing over, essentially. In the Bible, it seems to have primarily referred to those who traversed rivers. The symbolic meaning of this should not be lost on us who love the Word of God!
It is speculated that Abraham earned the name “Ivrie”, or “One that has traversed” to be referring to the fact that he came from the other side of the river. He and his family had traveled from close to the river Euphrates, crossed over into Haran, and then God called him back over the river again to the land which we now know to be Israel. He also had an ancestor with that name (עבר – Eber, Gen. 11:14) which might explain the link, but either way, the association between these Hebrews (עברים – Ivrim, plural) and the crossing of rivers appears a few times in the Bible.
Joshua gives us this account of events and a clue to how the descendants of Jacob/Israel became known as Hebrews – Ivrim – those who had traversed:
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many… “‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea… Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand… “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (verses from Joshua 24:3-15)
Abraham the first Hebrew
As you can see, there are several mentions of watery crossings: Abraham coming from beyond the River Euphrates, the dramatic Red Sea crossing of the Exodus, and then the entry into the Promised Land as they crossed over the River Jordan. These Hebrews, these Ivrim, have sure done a fair amount of traversing! You can see why the Egyptians might have called them Hebrews – ones who came from beyond the river – and why Abraham was the ultimate Hebrew. As if to emphasise the point, the Hebrews went through not one but two rather miraculous water crossings; the first and most famous one being the parting of the Red Sea, but also when they finally reached their destination, the Jordan River piled up on either side as the priests set foot on the river bed, and the Hebrews crossed over on dry ground into their inheritance in the Promised Land.
But what is wonderful about this passage in Joshua is that it lines up the idea of leaving behind a life of idol worship and crossing over into worshiping the One True God of Israel.
“Put away the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.
For Joshua the symbolism was clear: on one side of the river is idol worship, but we have left that life behind when we crossed over to the other side. Now we will serve the Lord.
The astute will notice that just as the blood of the Passover Lamb preceded going through the waters of the Red Sea, just as the blood sacrifice is offered on the altar outside the tabernacle before the priests come towards the Holy Place and wash themselves with the water of the giant laver, blood and water feature in our salvation in the same order: the blood of Yeshua and the water of baptism. When we come through the waters of baptism, we publicly declare that we are leaving our old lives behind, beyond the river, and are crossing over into a new life of serving God alone.
Hundreds if not thousands of believers come from all over the world to be baptised in the River Jordan, but each one of us who has received forgiveness, thanks to the blood of the Messiah, has crossed over from death to life – from darkness to light. We have left our old life “beyond the river” and gone through the other side, into a whole new life.
…We will serve the Lord
We can intentionally put away the ‘gods’ that we used to serve – whether it was money, attention, success, validation, distraction… leaving all these ‘gods’ behind in the region beyond the River that we passed through, from death to eternal life. We have joined the Ivrim who have crossed over! Let’s declare with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.
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Angel/Messenger/Sent One: malak- (masculine noun) (Strong’s 4397)
Root: מֲלְאָךְ
Sounds like: mal-awk
Angels we have Heard on High is a song that gets a lot of air play this time of year. It brings us to that glorious moment in the Bible announcing the Messiah’s arrival on earth:
Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the City of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is Messiah the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests!”
Messenger of Good News
This angel was a messenger of Good News and this is what the word malak means. Malak is a Messenger or Sent One and in certain instances translators have used the word Angel. But the truth is, anyone can be a malak. Often this word is used in the Bible to describe human messengers as political or military tools. For example, Jezebel used a messenger to deliver her threatening message to Elijah the Prophet:
1 Kings 19:2
So Jezebel sent a messenger [malak] to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!”
However, malak was also used to describe those who were SENT from God, whether from the earthly realm or the heavenly realm. In the book of Haggai, the prophet was actually called a malak (messenger) of YHWH rather than a prophet of God:
Haggai 1:13
Haggai, messenger [malak] of YHWH, delivered YHWH’s message to the people, saying: “I am with you,” declares YHWH.
Haggai the prophet was a messenger of YHWH, delivering His words to the people, but Haggai was not an Angel in the traditional sense. Why is this word translated in English, sometimes, as Angel?
The Angel that bears His Name
Messengers from the Kingdom of God were divine Sent Ones and these were the ones that translators commonly used the word “angel” for. When YHWH sent Moses on his way to the promised land He sent a particular malak, that didn’t just bring a message. This angel lead and protected:
Exodus 23:20-21
Behold, I am sending an angel [malak] before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.
This is the only expressed time that YHWH mentions an Angel who bears His Name. That is significant and deserves contemplation. A name is a very personal thing. Who was this angel? How closely was he connected to YHWH? What name did they share? Was this a form of YHWH… a familial connection?
This angel also had authority and YHWH expected the people to heed all the words of this angel. This was the only angel we hear of that bore YHWH’s name, but we do know the names of two other Angels: Michael and Gabriel.
In the Tanakh these two Angels were found, named, only in the Book of Daniel (chapters 8-12). In the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament) they showed up in a few more books. Michael can be found in the book of Jude and the book of the Revelation. Gabriel is found in Luke chapter 1 (which we will look at, momentarily). Other named angels that you may be familiar with, such as Raphael or Uriel, are not found in the Bible, as we know it, and come from external sources.
The most frequent Messenger found in the Tanakh is commonly translated as Angel of the LORD (malak YHWH) or, less frequently, the Angel of God (malak ha-Elohim). In these examples English translators have chosen to use the word “Angel” over “Messenger”.
The Angel of YHWH shows up all over the place. When Abraham willingly offered to sacrifice his son Isaac, it was the Angel of YHWH who stopped him:
Genesis 22:15-18
And the Angel of YHWH [malak YHWH] called to Abraham from heaven a second time, saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares YHWH, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
This messenger/angel spoke on YHWH’s behalf, and had Good News for Abraham.
In another instance, when the Angel of YHWH visited Gideon, there was a back and forth discussion between Gideon and sometimes YHWH, sometimes the Angel of YHWH. The discussion ended and Gideon made a realization:
Judges 6:22-24a
When Gideon realized that it was the Angel of YHWH [malak YHWH], he said, “Oh no, Lord YHWH [adonai YHWH]! I have seen the Angel of YHWH [malak YHWH] face to face!”
But YHWH said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
So Gideon built an altar to YHWH there and called it YHWH is Peace [YHWH Shalom].
This fear of seeing the Angel of YHWH face to face was frightening for many Hebrew people in the Old Testament. Gideon feared it, Jacob feared it (Genesis 32), Moses feared it (Exodus 3), Samson’s parents feared it (which we will see shortly), and Isaiah feared it (Isaiah 6). They fully expected to die after seeing either YHWH’s face, or the Angel of YHWH’s face.
The Angel that bears His Face
Isaiah later went on to talk about a certain Angel called Malak Panaw… and it is the only time we come across this phrase in all of scripture. Most translations call this angel, the Angel of His Presence, but a more accurate translation of malak panaw is The Angel of His Face. The Hebrew word panaw means his face or his countenance:
Isaiah 63:7-9
I will make known YHWH’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all YHWH has done for us— even the many good things He has done for the house of Israel according to His compassion and the abundance of His loving devotion.
For He said, “They are surely My people, sons who will not be disloyal”; and so He became their Saviour.
In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Face [u-malak panaw] saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the everlasting days.
Who was this Sent One of YHWH’s Face? Could this be a representative of the Messiah to come? This Sent One was afflicted, but He redeemed the people. He had love and compassion for the people, and He saved them. God, through the angel (or Sent One) that bears His Face, became their Saviour.
Angels and Babies, Oh my!
One of the most consistent instances where we encounter the Angel of YHWH is in the announcement of a birth. In fact, the first time an Angel/Messenger appeared in the scripture he spoke to an Egyptian woman, not a Hebrew man as one would expect. The Angel of YHWH found the Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, who had run away from the harshness of her mistress Sarai. The Angel told her to return to Sarai, and that she would be rewarded:
Genesis 16:11-13
The Angel of YHWH proceeded:
“Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for YHWH has heard your cry of affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” So Hagar gave this name to YHWH who had spoken to her:
“You are the God who sees me [ata El-roi],” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!”
It was the Angel of YHWH who made the announcement to Hagar, but Hagar recognized it as YWHW Himself who had spoken to her. She named Him “the God who sees me,” [El Roi] and beautifully claimed, “I have seen the One who sees me”.
In Judges 13 we are introduced to the wife of Manoah. The Angel of YHWH came to her and told her that even though she was barren, she would conceive a son. Manoah’s wife went and told her husband the news:
Judges 13:6-7
Then the woman went and said to her husband, “A Man of God came to me. His appearance was like the Angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask Him where He came from, and He did not tell me His name. But He said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
Manoah and his wife continued to interact with this “Man of God” only to discover that it was the Angel of YHWH. Here was Manoah’s response after he came to this conclusion:
Judges 13:21b-22
…Manoah realized that it was the Angel of YHWH.
“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
However, they were spared and Manoah’s wife conceived and gave birth to Samson. But the question remains: was this an Angel/Messenger of God, or God Himself. Manoah seemed to think they had seen more than YHWH’s messenger. They had SEEN God.
In the New Testament it was the angel named Gabriel who announced the birth of John the Baptist to his father, Zechariah:
Luke 1:13-15
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
The birth of John the Baptist mirrored that of the birth of Samson. These men were never to take wine or strong drink and both were filled with the Spirit of God even from the beginning of their existence in the womb.
According to Luke it is the Angel Gabriel who also announced the birth of Jesus to Mary:
Luke 1:28-33
The angel appeared to her [Mary/Miriam] and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”
This proclamation was very similar to the announcement that Hagar received from the Angel of YHWH (“Behold you will conceive and give birth to a son”). Both Hagar and Mary celebrated that God sees, or looked upon, them. The first lines of Mary’s song of praise pointed this out:
Luke 1:46-48
Then Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour!
For He has looked with favour on the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed.”
Throughout Jesus’ life He was surrounded by angels. They announced his birth and they ministered to him after he was tested by Satan in the desert. After Jesus suffered on the cross it was angels that rolled the stone from his tomb and announced his resurrection.
One of the most touching moments between Jesus and an angel occurred the night before his crucifixion:
Luke 22:41-44
And He [Jesus] withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them [the disciples], where He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
This messenger from God came to give strength to Jesus at the most vulnerable moment in his lifetime. We can expect this same kindness from YHWH. He does send angels to bring good news and to strengthen us when we deal with harsh news. Angels may very well be among us and we may have even been in contact with angels without knowing it:
Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
There certainly are Angels, Sent Ones from God, from the heavenly realm. But nowhere in the Scriptures are they identified as having wings. There are heavenly creatures, seraphim and cherubim, that are described as having wings, but they are not used as messengers. For the most part they surround God in heaven and continually praise him (see Isaiah 6) or they assist Him in some way (see 2 Samuel 22:11 & Ezekiel 10).
We Can All be Malaks
We cannot be seraphim or cherubim, but we can be a malak. Anyone who shares the message of God, or feels like they are sent to do something on God’s behalf, IS a malak!
Psalm 103:20-21
Bless YHWH, you His angels [malak-aw], mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless YHWH, all you His Hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.
Jesus/Yeshua was a malak. He was a Messenger and a Sent One to do the will of his Father. We should all be malak’s for God, obeying His voice, taking action with His word, sharing God’s love and message of hope, forgiveness and life everlasting.
Next week: King/Kingdom
Listen to this blog post which will, at a future date, be added to The Explanation Podcast
Biblical Hebrew words can have multiple meanings and nuances. Each shade of color adds to the full picture.
Multiple meanings for practically every single Biblical Hebrew word is the first key to get your head around. This is something impossible to see in your native language. Red is ONE word, but it comes in umpteen shades. Likewise, a Biblical Hebrew word can, and generally does, have various nuances, multiple meanings.
(Bible Course Unlock Bible Meaning with the 7 Keys to Master Biblical Hebrew, Key 1)
Straight away we see the limits of Bible translations. They are very helpful, but they are incomplete for one excellent reason.
The original words of the Bible, mainly in Hebrew and Greek, have more meaning than what we can render in any word-for-word translation. It is red, but what shade of red?
How can I affirm this? Take any translation, let’s say in Hebrew, you’ll see that a SINGLE original word translates into MULTIPLE foreign language words.
If word-for-word translation were so simple, every single Hebrew word would have only ONE and always the SAME translated counterpart. In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are about 8700 unique Hebrew words. In theory, we should be able to translate them with 8700 words in another language. Well, not only can you not do that, but it is impossible to do that.
We do have such mechanical or simple translations but, even there, they have appendices to expand on these single words. The fact is, each word has more than one simple meaning. Some Biblical Hebrew words have fifty different translations. Yes, you read that correctly, fifty different renderings as we’ll see. That’s multiple meanings.
You need to ask the fundamental question:
How can ONE Hebrew word have FIFTY varying translations? And beyond that, the much deeper question, why does ONE word have multiple meanings? We’re not just talking about words, these words signify actions, emotions, descriptions, feelings. They represent real-life reality. Biblically, they include everything spiritual, all the way to eternal life.
This is a serious matter. We’ve got to get it right and not let misunderstandings around words get in our way.
Before we answer that question, we need to clarify a point regarding translations. In the last post, I quoted my Biblical Hebrew professor, “All translations are interpretations.” This statement is correct, but does that mean we have to call into question either the scholarship or the sincerity of these translators? Absolutely not, on both accounts. The King James translation, as with most versions, is the work of accomplished language and Bible scholars. With each translated word, they are doing their utmost to stay faithful to their understanding of the meaning of the original text. In no way, am I contesting their erudition or their probity. In fact, the multiple translations testify to their comprehension that single Biblical Hebrew words have multiple meanings.
That said, the answer to that question “how can ONE Hebrew word have FIFTY varying translations?” is the reason I wrote this course, Unlock Bible Meaning with 7 Keys to Master Biblical Hebrew.
This course is just a concise answer to the above fundamental question. It really is a preview to The Explanation book series, where you’ll discover myriad examples of these seven unspoken, even unrecognized, characteristics of Biblical Hebrew. The Explanation will expand this course to include many more examples related to each of the 7 Keys.
You may not be aware of some examples I evoke here. All the more reason to read this document and increase your general knowledge. A friend of mine told me recently that he was playing a quiz game with some of his buddies. A Bible-related question came up, and he answered it, to the surprise of everyone there! He told me he knew the answer because of a conversation we’d had. You never know when this information will come in handy. Not that that’s your chief motivation.
I’ll even say that most people with some knowledge and interest in the Bible are not aware of these seven keys and definitely not of this study method to unlock Bible meaning. Not convinced? Ask a spiritual individual if they know that a single Hebrew word can have up to 50 translations. Ask them if they know why and especially what the implication of this has for Bible understanding.
I designed this course as a workbook filled with authentic examples that you can look up and study online as we progress. You need not do the practical exercises, but you will appropriate this Bible study method and learn faster if you do.
The goal of this course is not just to teach you the 7 Keys, but to help you be proficient in their use. You need them for your lifetime Bible study. When a Bible passage is unclear to you, you need a method to verify its meaning. Studying the multiple meanings of the original word can help you solve seeming discrepancies. It’s not the only method, but it will help.
Let’s dive into the first key, One Biblical Hebrew word can have multiple meanings. And, immediately, you can use the Bible study tools that are available to see this for yourself.
Davar = 50 translations in English
The first example of multiple translations for one Biblical Hebrew word is davar. You’ll find it in Exodus 34:28. Go over to https://UnlockBibleMeaning.com and search for ten commandments.
Ten Commandments. Search at UnlockBibleMeaning.com
- Switch the display from the King James Bible to the Strong’s Concordance view.
Ten Commandments. Switch to Strong’s Concordance.
- Click on the Strong’s number (H1697) to the right of commandments to see Strong’s information in the right column.
Ten Commandments. Click on H1697.
Frequently, throughout this book, we will look at this presentation of Biblical Hebrew words. On the right side of the screen the first paragraph, after the H1697 you’ll always find a commentary by Strong. We will refer to this often. This is a resume of the Biblical Hebrew word and its usage in scripture. I shall explain its value and relevance in more detail later.
Here you can see dabar summarized by word, a matter or a thing and cause.
Following the KJV (King James Version of the Bible), after Strong’s commentary, we see all the translations of this one word, used by the translators. For dabar, you can count about 50 translations. Notice the variety of translated words. We shall discuss this extensively.
There are words preceded by an x and a +. These words are additional translations in the Revised Standard Version, and the American Revised Standard Version. We will not refer to these translations, although they can add a note of modernity to the 1611 A.D. original work.
Below each Strong’s entry notice << Prev(ious) 5 | Next 5 >>.
Ten Commandments. Click on Next 5.
By clicking on Next 5 you’ll display the next five Strong’s entries. For the time being, just notice that basically every single Biblical Hebrew word has at least a couple and often many more translations into English. Verify this first key regarding multiple meanings by clicking on these previous and next links. Check words before and after H1697. Most words have multiple translations. Understanding this is the first key to mastering Biblical Hebrew.
You need not learn any Hebrew at all with these tools. The translations suffice to understand the meaning of each word.
- First, you’ll be getting used to the idea that each Biblical Hebrew word has multiple meanings and translations; this is a new concept.
- Second, you’ll learn why this is so.
- Third, and most importantly, you’ll determine how to conciliate all these translations for just one word.
There are excellent reasons for this multiplicity of translated words. The translators were right in the choice of multiple foreign-language words for one Biblical Hebrew word. Consider each translated word as a piece of the word-puzzle to assemble.
When you connect all the pieces together you see the bigger picture of each word; that’s when deeper and fuller meaning of the Bible comes into focus.
That’s our goal in this course. The Biblical Hebrew vocabulary and grammar are not our focus (although we’ll get a little of that). We’re on a thrilling journey to harvest profound comprehension of the Bible.
Back to our example of dabar, which everyone is aware of because of The Ten Commandments. The Hebrew word used in this context for commandment (Ex. 34:28) is davar. (the b and v are interchangeable depending on how it’s written. That’s the grammar and rules of pronunciation that you can learn elsewhere if you wish). The Bible uses dabar about 1400 times.
Here is the list of over 50 words and phrases used as translations in the King James Bible:
act, advice, affair, answer, because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, commandment, counsel, decree, deed, due, duty, effect, errand, evil favored, hurt, language, manner, matter, message, thing, oracle, portion, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, sake, saying, sentence, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, speech, talk, task, thing (concerning), thought, tidings, what(-soever), which, word, work.
Why can one simple word have multiple meanings? What is the implication of this?
Nimrod’s devar(im)—Nimrod’s cause(s)
Let’s look at the first verse in the Bible that uses H1697, dabar.
Genesis 11:1
And the whole earth was of one language (H8193 – saphah), and of one speech (H1697 – davar).
We read and see the word speech (davar) as a synonym of language and quickly move on from there. These words are not synonyms, by any means. This is a limitation of translation.
When you go over to www.UnlockBibleMeaning.com and switch to the Interlinear Bible or Strong’s Concordance view, you see that there are two different numbers and words. For its first usage in the Bible this word, dabar, is associated with the tyrant Nimrod and his worldwide kingdom.
Other translations of H1697 dabar suggest a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially a cause.
This is a course about unlocking Bible meaning by mastering the keys of Biblical Hebrew. In follow-up books of The Explanation series, I will go deeper into the details of Nimrod’s rebellion against God and how he enticed and swayed his followers to follow his CAUSE. Yes, at the time of the Tower of Babel, they all spoke one language, but that Tower was the focal point of their cause and their worship. I will expand this when we reach Genesis 10-11. Suffice to say, the concept of one cause (movement, goal, plan) reveals much more than one speech.
If you checked the Interlinear Bible, you’ll have noticed something in particular. The Biblical Hebrew states, “devarim echadim,” difficult to translate, because both words speech and one are in the plural. The word one is an adjective, so it has to agree in gender and number with the noun devarim, hence it’s plural but still translated one or unique. Consider this, when you compare Nimrod’s cause(s) (devarim plural) to God’s causes, His Ten Commandments (devarim plural). God has His Ten Commandments and Nimrod has his commandments, plural. God has His cause and Nimrod has his cause, singular.
The translation one speech occults the entire comprehension of this context. In English, it completely loses the plurality. In the French Segond Bible version renders the plurality, les memes mots—the same words. The French stays with the concept of speech with no sign of a singular cause or movement. In both cases, the translations provide only partial understanding. Poking into the Biblical Hebrew throws open a whole new vista of this important first usage of H1697, davar.
The Lord’s devarim—His words
A little further on, in Genesis 15, we find debar again, used in a context with Abraham immediately following his encounter with Melchizedek. Otherwise known as the King of Righteousness,
Genesis 15:1
After these things (H1697) the word (H1697) of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward.
Here is the verse where devarim refers to God’s commandments:
Exodus 34:28
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments (H1697).
And the final context we’ll discover with H1697, used twice, is in the Psalms where it confirms God’s speaking the heavens into their present existence, in Genesis 1. It is God’s Word that starts this momentous creation.
Psalm 33:4-6
4 For the word (H1697) of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
6 By the word (H1697) of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Let’s conclude this short elaboration of the Biblical Hebrew word dabar with a concept that might be new to you. You know that in the New Testament, in John 1, The Word refers to Jesus Christ (verses 1, 3, 14), “Who made all things.” I realize that the Word in John is in Greek and we’re studying Hebrew. We know there’s an intricate relationship between the Old and New Testaments. When we see debar translated word of Lord (Psa. 33:6), the instrument that spoke into Creation, we cannot but consider the relationship of this Word to Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Word. I leave you with this food for thought, which you can read about at this link.
We’ve dealt with ONE word, debar, with multiple meanings, how the Bible uses the same word in SO MANY CONTEXTS. Debar reveals some of its story. The multiple translations reveal the number of different nuances we can attribute to this Biblical Hebrew word. It adds both depth and additional impact to the passages where we find this word.
Whether it is two or twenty-five translations, they ALL come from ONE base and there IS a relationship between these words, even if it’s not clear at first sight.
Important
As you do this course, you’re seeing Biblical information you’ve maybe never seen or heard before. I do not intend to add to your confusion. It is necessary to see the pieces before we can construct or reconstruct them. Sometimes it is necessary to DEconstruct, and see the pieces before we can REconstruct. Our goal is ‘unlock Bible meaning,’ the 7 Keys are solely to help us see the pieces, the words more clearly. Please keep the following points in mind.
- Each word is part of a gigantic puzzle. Like a puzzle piece, the sides curve into unusual shapes. This is what’s happening with dabar with multiple meanings; commandments, speech, cause…
- All the puzzle pieces assemble into ONE magnificent picture. The Explanation calls this coherent completeness. All the pieces, with their variegated sides, fit together perfectly. They present God’s plan for humankind. The book Inventory of the Universe cataloged the pieces from a human observation point of view. This course gives us the study method to identify the pieces from a Biblical point of view.
- Assembling a giant puzzle takes time. Relax, meditate on the observable and Bible pieces you have. Don’t force the pieces into awkward explanations. Wait till you find other pieces that fit properly, just like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. True theology means assembling God’s Words, not our own, to produce His picture. It’s all the pieces in their respective places that will answer all the big questions in life from a Godly point of view.
Further Study
Light and Darkness
In the presentation of this course, I told you we’d see a much deeper meaning of the common English words like day and night, evening and morning, light and darkness. Let’s do it. Or rather, you can do it.
Go to UnlockBibleMeaning.com. Genesis 1 automatically displays. Switch to Strong’s Concordance and read Gen. 1:4. Click on H2822 for darkness and H216 for light. Read the translations, BEYOND just the physical meaning of shades of visibility or colors that light and dark describe.
With the multiple meanings of these words, you will understand the deeper meaning.
Do the same with night and day, evening and morning. You will see a pattern forming regarding deeper, more spiritual comprehension. The multiple meanings of these words unlock deeper spiritual insight.
Do the exercise, meditate on your findings. This meditation is vital for putting the puzzle together. Just like you don’t find the placement for pieces instantly. It’s the same with the relationship between the words of God’s plan. Take time.
Please realize there’s no lost or mysterious code. It’s understanding and meditating God’s Word, Word-for-Word, more deeply, more fully. This is true meditation. Psalm 119:148, “My eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in your word.” King David preferred meditating God’s Word than sleeping. We’re looking upward, above to God’s solution, not inward, below to a human solution.
Then, when you’re ready, when you see a deeper meaning, and ONLY when you reach that point, I encourage you to click on this link. Here you can compare your point of view to The Explanation‘s point of view.
Add your comments below to tell me how you did. Add anything you feel would help you make the meaning clearer. We shall use darkness and light, day and night, morning and evening as an exercise to illustrate most of these 7 keys. Each key adds a layer of depth of comprehension.
The next lesson is on Key 2. Contradictory Meanings. One of the least seen, and even lesser understood keys. Yet, it is essential, as you’ll find out.
This blog post is an excerpt from Key 1 of the Bible Course Unlock Bible Meaning with the 7 Keys to Master Biblical Hebrew.
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