Hi Friends,
So I’ve been accumulating hebrew idioms for the past couple of months and decided it would be nice to put them on here. I found that taking a hyper-literalist hermeneutic can have it’s downfalls, especially regarding idioms that have a specific meaning in their original context. Through years of translations and opinions, they have lost their intended meanings. It is important to note that the ones I have here are copied from other cites and I haven’t edited anything so it may have a fair few errors. Probably don’t agree with some stuff, but thought that people might enjoy it nonetheless. If anyone has any other idioms, then please share them - I really enjoy hebrew idioms.
Biblical Idioms
Similarly, “Save one’s soul.” 1. Most commonly, save one’s physical life (but often misunderstood or even mistranslated). 2. Eternally save the non-physical part of one’s person. Strictly speaking, the scripture doesn’t say we have a physical part and a non-physical part, so this misunderstanding arises partly from the Western way of thinking about ourselves as a body with a separate soul.
The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).
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Who shall declare his generation? – Acts 8:33 The KJV says: “In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.” "Who will declare his generation?; is an idiom meaning roughly in English;His line was cut off;. In other words, Meshikha has no living relatives or descendants…and that’s the context of the passage being quoted in Isaiah. In Semitic thought, generation is inextricably linked with genetic line, offspring. It’s not like the English which means only an age or period of time. When Mattai and Luqa recorded the geneaology of Meshikha, it stopped with him. There is no one after him, and no one today is related to him. This is the meaning of the Isaiah’s prophecy - who will speak of his descendants (generations) ? [Isaiah 53:8 – Chris]. Isaiah teaches us that the Messiah would be cut off without any descendents or line of continuation…no generations.” – Paul Younan
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High mountain – Matthew 4:8 / Luke 4:5 The KJV says (Matthew 4:8): “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;” The KJV says (Luke 4:5): “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” “The term ‘high mountain’ is used figuratively. It means the high point in human physical aspiration. This temptation was a far greater one than the previous two. This is because the devil, deception, negative thought- anything contrary to the truth-offered Jesus the greatest rewards known to man in order to beguile him, and thus divert him from his great mission. Satan here offered everything which human imagination can comprehend and embrace. It offered the kingdoms of the world and all their glory and splendor. Satan took Jesus on a high mountain. This means he took him to the summit of his highest human imagination, and he made all these offers to him, if Jesus would but fall down and worship him. It is interesting to know that the Mount of Temptation is in a wasteland hundreds of feet below sea level. There are no kingdoms or large cities nearby, but small hamlets, sheepfolds and Arab camps. The only town close to it is the humble little town of Jericho.”
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To go – John 12:11 The KJV says: “Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.” “One word that the Greek translators often misunderstood was the Hebrew word Klh and the Aramaic word lz0 which normally mean to go or to depart but is used idiomatically in Hebrew and Aramaic to mean that some action goes forward and that something progresses more and more.
One case where the Greek translator misunderstood this word and translated to literally is in Jn. 12:11: Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away (!?!?!?!?), and believed on Jesus. (KJV) Certainly Yochanan’s intended meaning was: because many of the Judeans, on account of him, were trusting more and more lz0 in Yeshua” –
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Son of peace – Luke 10:6 The KJV says: “And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.” “The Aramaic "Bar Shlama" literally means "son of peace", but idiomatically this is an expression which means "harmony" or "agreement," in other words, the opposite of contention. But since the Greek literally translates "son of peace", this is evidence that it was translated from an Aramaic original. Zorba rendered the phrase literally because he did not understand its idiomatic meaning.”
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Slow of heart and heart burn – Luke 24:25 / Luke 24:32 Note: This example from Luke 24:32 also fits in another category, that of semi-split words (aka mistranslations). This example in Luke 24:32 is not only an example of an Aramaic idiom, but also of a mistranslation.
To have a heavy heart is an idiomatic expression in Aramaic. The word “heart” in Aramaic often really means “mind”, to have a heavy heart means to have a sluggish mind. This should not be confused with the English idiom of a “heavy heart” meaning to be sad, or the idiom “burning heart” which means to feel inspired. The talmidim were hearing the Master expound the Scriptures and commenting to each other about how slow of understanding they were compared to Messiah.”
- How your breath should depart – Luke 12:11-12 This amazing example not only showcases another idiom, but also has some clever wordplays. The KJV says: “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”
(1) The Greek translators did not know what to do with the phrase how your breath should depart, since this is an Aramaic idiom which means "how to compose your speech (ie, speak properly) The Greeks translated this phrase "how (Pos) or what (Tis) you are to speak, which does not make sense in the context, since it is preceded by an or…the way the Greek version reads is: do not be anxious (Merimnao) about how or what you should say in your defense. Whereas the Aramaic reads: do not be anxious about how to compose your speech or what you should say. In other words, don’t worry about the way you speak or the content of that speech.
(3) An allusion to the dual-meaning of the word Rukh…spirit and breath, and how Maran Eshoa plays on this duality, is noticed in the very next verse (verse 12) For the Holy Spirit (Rukha d’Qudsha) will teach you what to say. In other words…don’t worry about your rukha breath, the Rukha d’Qudsha (the Holy Spirit) will teach you. In the Greek, the allusion to & Breath (verse 11) and Spirit (verse 12) is simply…missing.” –
2.1. The Poor in Spirit – Mt 5:3 3
The word blessed does not convey the full meaning of the word makarios (μακάριος)[1], which also means happy. The corresponding Hebrew word Jesus must have used is ‘esher (רשא)[2] and means “”blessed”, “happy” and “fornunate” all at once, so that no one English word is adequate.” (Stern 1999:23). With “the poor in spirit” Jesus refers back to Isaiah 66:2 “the poor and contrite in spirit” (KJV). The Hebrew word for “poor” is ’aniy (ינע)[3], meaning not only poor, but also humble and lowly. Newer translations already use the word humble in their translations (e.g. NIV). Before going into the problems with the second half of the verse, we will look at another beatitude.
2.2. Persecution or Pursuit – Mt 5:10
The eighth beatitude reads “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” in the NIV. There are four mistranslations in this one sentence:
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In the previous verses Jesus has described what a person of God’s kingdom looks like and He has not changed the subject. The Greek word diuku (διώκω)[4], as well as the Hebrew word radaf (ךדר)[5], can both be translated either with persecute or pursue, the latter being far more common for the Hebrew word, and the first for the Greek word. The Bible translator chose to translate diuku withpersecute because of the following two verses that deal with persecution. Bivin & Blizzard comment that the sudden shift of the pronoun from the third person to the second is “a clear indication that these verses were not originally a part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, but a part of another context or story. They were probably placed after Matthew 5:10 by the editor of Matthew’s source because of the word “persecution”, which appears in both passages.” (1994:77)
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The word righteousness in Hebrew, tsedeq (קרצ)[6], is a synonym for salvation (which appears only 7 times in the gospels), which would be a more accurate translation in this verse.
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The word αύτός[7] translated theirs gives the reader the wrong impression, since we do not possess the kingdom. The best translation would be “of (such as) these”, the same term Jesus used when saying that the Kingdom of God is for such as those children coming to Him.
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The kingdom of heaven has been misunderstood as referring to Jesus’s second coming since He said that “the kingdom of God is near you” (NIV), which implies for us that it is close but not here yet. However, while the Greek word eggizo (έγγίζω)[8] means “about to appear, almost here”, the Hebrew equivalent qarab (ברק)[9] means the opposite, that it has arrived, it is here. That is clearly seen in OT passages like Genesis 20:4 where Abimelech “had not come near” Sarah, i.e. had not had sexual relations with her. Secondly, the word heaven refers to God Himself, being one of the synonyms for God.
Taking these mistranslations into account, Matthew 5:10 should therefore read similar to this: “Blessed are those who pursue salvation, for such as these are in the kingdom of God.”
2.4. How to Treat Your Neighbor – Mt 5:39
The first half of that verse reads “do not resist an evil person” in the NIV. When we consider the Hebrew perspective, we find out that Jesus was quoting a well-known proverb from the Old Testament, found in Proverbs 24:19 and Psalm 37:1, “do not fret because of evil men”. Jesus is teaching us how to treat people we are in relationship with; not to take revenge and get back at them. Now we can also understand the second half of the verse: “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Jesus uses a parallelism to emphasize again that we should not slap back at someone who insults or embarrasses us. This verse has nothing to do with Mt 5:21, meaning, that we should not defend ourselves when threatened, as it has traditionally been interpreted.
3.1. The Fulfillment of the Law – Mt 5:17-18
Many (unconscious) replacement theologians misinterpret these verses because they believe the law is no longer relevant. However, Jesus said He came to fulfill it, which does not mean it was lacking something but that the coming of the Messiah completed the picture. The law now “existed as God originally intended” (Bivin & Blizzard 1994:113). But to know what Jesus really means with “fulfill” and “destroy”, we must go back to the Hebrew culture. “To destroy the law” meant misinterpreting Scripture, while “fulfilling the law” meant correct interpretation – they were technical terms of rabbinic argumentation. What we therefore see in our passage is that Jesus, having been accused of “destroying”, i.e. misinterpreting, the Tanakh (the Torah and Naviim), gives his counterargument that He is actually “fulfilling”, i.e. correctly interpreting it, and actually establishing the correct interpretation of the Tanakh. Stern goes back to our first interpretation by concluding that these verses
“enunciate three ways in which the Torah and the Prophets remain necessary, applicable and in force. The remainder of Chapter 5 gives six specific cases in which Yeshua explains the fuller spiritual meaning of points in the Jewish Law. In fact, this verse states the theme and agenda of the entire Sermon on the Mount, in which Yeshua completes, makes fuller, the understanding of his talmidim concerning the Torah and the Prophets, so that they can more fully express what being God’s people is all about.” (Stern 1999:26)
3.2. Man’s Righteousness – Mt 5:20
This verse has always been difficult to understand – how can anyone be more righteous than the Pharisees! We will have to correctly understand the words “righteousness” and “kingdom of heaven” which have been treated in 2.2. above. At the time of Jesus the word for “righteousness” dikaiosune (δικαιοσύνη)[16] had another meaning besides deliverance and salvation, which was almsgiving. Since almsgiving was the most important of the three components of righteous living, which were prayer, fasting and almsgiving, it was often synonymous with the word righteousness. Jesus therefore says that the people’s giving must surpass that of the Pharisees’, if they do not want to miss God’s righteousness (now salvation).
3.3. The Kingdom of Heaven – Mt 11:12
This verse has been hard to understand and wrongly interpreted to this day; even the Jewish commentary of the Bible has not been able to solve the mystery[17]. Professor David Flusser discovered the key to understanding it through an old rabbinic midrash. This verse alludes to Micah 2:13 One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the Lord at their head (NIV). This verse pictures the shepherd taking the stones of the pen away in the morning, therefore “breaking open the way” for the sheep to get back out, which is the Hebrew word parats (ץרפ)[18]. While the breach-maker and the king are the same in Micah 2:13, rabbinic interpretation says that the breach-maker is Elijah and the king the Messiah. Jesus, hinting at that, is therefore saying, “The Kingdom of heaven […] is breaking forth […] and every person in it is breaking forth […] individuals within the Kingdom are finding liberty and freedom.” (Bivin & Blizzard 1994:86). Jesus is here declaring himself to be the Messiah, John the Baptist being Elijah. Jesus is the shepherd who leads the sheep out and onto the green fields.
3.4. Binding & Loosing – Mt 16:19
This verse has traditionally been quoted as binding up the enemy or loosing God’s blessings. The Hebrew words for “bind” ‘acar (רא)[19] and “loose” pathach (חתפ)[20] both have several meanings. Over time they also acquired an additional meaning that is often found in rabbinic literature: bound in the sense of prohibited and loosed in the sense of allowed, relating to the interpretation of the Torah, as to what was prohibited or allowed, e.g. to do on the Sabbath. While it is obvious that these are meanings intended in this verse, the Greek translator used different words literally meaning bindand loose. Jesus was giving Peter the authority to make decisions and rules, which the young church would need (see Acts 6:1-6, Acts 15). As Stern puts it, Jesus makes Peter “both (1) shammash(“steward”) […] with the keys, and (2) dayan (“judge”), who, as the one who can prohibit and permit, establishes new covenant halakhah” (1999:54).
“My God, My God! Why have you deserted Me?” (Matthew 27: 46), assuming that Yeshua was quoting Psalm 22:2(1). A proper translation of the expression, however, reveals that this is an incorrect rendering of the Aramaic. Assyrian Peshitta Bible translator Alexander Victor notes that sh’vaktani “means ‘left me’ in the sense of the purpose for which Jesus was left on the cross. It absolutely does not mean ‘forsaken’ in this usage.”
the use of the word "Heaven" as a euphemism for "God" (Mt. 5:3; 21:25, Lk. 15:18; Jn. 3:27). In fact, the use of the term ‘heaven’ to represent God is very common in John.
Yes in John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do."
Clearly the Jewish people being condemned here by this apparent quote of Yeshua, were not literally the off-spring of the (literal) Devil, but were being labeled as such because they were behaving in sinful and unbelieving ways, the origins of which were being laid at the ‘feet of the devil’, so that the devil was their ‘father’.
Proverbs is a rich source of idioms, including "A good wife, who can find? (Proverbs 31:10). A good wife is the Hebrew-language superwoman. King Solomon praises this woman because she tends the home, acts as breadwinner, oversees her children’s education, advances her husband’s social status and attends to 1,001 other tasks. Perhaps if Solomon had known this woman, he would not have needed 1,000 wives (I Kings 1:3).
To bind and loose (forbid and permit, according to Torah); uncircumcised ears/hearts (lack of commitment to Yahuah); make a wide mouth (sneer); slept (died); to receive another heart (change the mind); lifted up his eyes (saw); hate (avoid, or prefer less than another); your right eye (your will, decision, or fixed goals); stumbling block (deterrent, obstacle); throat an open grave (speak deceitfully); enlarge space (set free); under the ban (may mean either dedicated only to Yahuah, or be completely destroyed); stiff neck (obstinate); kiss the son (show loyalty, render pure homage); bronze forehead (brutish, unhearing); remove the foreskin of your heart (commit yourself); hard-hearted (stubborn, unyielding, lacking compassion); gird up loins (be ready); open the womb (give birth); kidneys (guts, inner courage); flowing with milk & honey (fertile); living water (Torah observing, love); green tree (fruitful, righteous, obedient, and loving one); dry tree (rebellious, unfruitful, hateful one); seed (offspring, descendants); bind and loose (forbid & permit); bury my father (collect my inheritance); evil eye (stingy, miserly); poor in spirit (humble, selfless, or mourning one); eagles gathered together (messengers, the weed-reapers at the harvest of the Earth); right hand (might, strength); higher-calling (those selected as the bride, first-fruits, at the first resurrection); old wine (men’s teachings); new wine (Truth, freeing a person from men’s teachings). One cannot serve two masters. Fall into a ditch (be taken away by deceptive teachings).
In the Hebrew culture, Pharisees understood the “bosom of Abraham” as another way to refer to the grave, where everyone was in the “same boat.” Although Yahuah never goes into detail about those in sheol, we must acknowledge it is a field of little human knowledge, yet under His complete control.
***The dead are not consciously aware of anything, but resting, or sleeping. The dead “know” nothing (being unconscious) - their next conscious thought will be when they are in the presence of Yahusha:
“We are of good courage, and are well pleased rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Master.” 2Cor 5:8
At the first resurrection, a “changing of the guard” will occur as the beast and the false prophet will be the first (and only ones) to enter the lake of fire.
Camp in Revelation 20:9 should have been translated as army and then the next word is kadosh which means holy. This is a holy army, i.e. an angelic army. It is not an army of saints or believers. Saints is also translated from the Hebrew word kadosh. The Word of God is speaking of angels whenever this word saints is used in reference to armies. So if your Bible says army of saints it is really an army of angels. When referring to believers in Yeshua, it should be translated as believers.
City in Hebrew is ‘eer and means a protected place. In Scripture it always refers to Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is watched by the watchers (angels). So the word city cannot be applied to Babylon.
Come actually means “my purpose is” whenever Yeshua said it.
Day of the Lord is really Day of Yahweh, and is not only speaking of Judgment Day, for there have been several Days of the Lord. In Scripture, Day of the Lord refers to anytime the Lord brings judgment to Israel. The final Day of the Lord will be when Yeshua returns, and reveals Himself to Israel - it is then He will bring judgment to the rest of the world who harmed Israel.
To destroy the law was a term used by the Pharisaic sages when discussing the interpretation of Scripture. To destroy meant violating a Biblical commandment to the Pharisees and/or interpreting Scripture incorrectly.
The phrases Do not resist evil or Do not resist one who is evil were translated incorrectly. They should have been translated as Do not fret because of evil doers, or Do not be vexed by evildoers, or Don’t try to get even with evildoers (trying to outdo them by doing evil yourself).
Ears to hear (hearing the Kingdom of Heaven) and eyes to see (seeing the Kingdom of Heaven) always refers to the Kingdom of God. If one has ears to hear Torah, and eyes to see God’s miracles, one has witnessed the Kingdom of God!
Yeshua died on Passover, was buried on the first day of Unleavened Bread, and was raised from the dead on the Day of Firstfruits - in other words, Yeshua fulfilled (made perfect) God’s Spring Feasts (He gave His Spirit on the very last of the Spring Feasts, Shavuot - or Pentecost in the Greek). Easter was a Roman pagan holiday celebrating the fertility of the Roman god Eastre (or Isis).
Eat the scroll as found in Ezekiel chapter one, and in Revelation chapter ten, means to take in the word into your heart, so you can then speak it out.
Echad is the Hebrew word meaning One or Unity but it means much more than that. It is an all encompassing word, so when one says “Yahweh our God is Echad” they are in fact saying “Yahweh our God is One Omnipotent, Omniscient - a seven-fold Spirit!” When witnessing to Jews never bring up the Trinity for God is Echad to them. The Trinity is not only incorrect, for it is no where in the New Testament nor in the Hebrew Scriptures, but we must not limit God. Revelation states there are Seven Spirits of God (or the seven-fold Spirit of God) - the menorah represents the seven-fold Spirit of God. Although He is Echad, He can manifest Himself seven different ways - most likely many more than that!
Establish My Covenant are the Hebrew words kumit el-berit which literally means to carry out or perform MY covenant. There are many other meanings to the English word establish, but most take it to mean to bring into existence. This has caused many to believe that God created a new covenant at every turn, when in fact He did not. He simply added to His original Covenant that was already in place (or revealed a part already included in His Covenant).
Evil is the English word translated from the Hebrew word Ra. But Ra means much more than just evil. It is the opposite of Shalom. It means that nothing makes sense or fits. It means complete chaos, in that where there is an absence of Shalom, there is disorder in society, injustice, bribery, corruption, illness, conflict, lack, hatred, abuse, violence, pain, suffering, hopelessness, immorality, a lack of freedom, and all other negative forces.
Fornication and adultery always represent idolatry to God in the Bible. But if one is worshiping their sexual exploits, they are putting sex before God, making it in fact, idolatry.
Fulfill is not an accurate word, but does not mean to bring an end to something, not even in English. When our Bibles state Yeshua fulfilled something, He didn’t come to make an end of it, He came to make it more complete and perfect. To fulfill the law means to preserve or sustain Scripture by properly interpreting it. Matthew 5:17-19 is a debate among sages. Someone had suggested that Yeshua was destroying the Torah. He was politely accused of misinterpreting the Scriptures so as to nullify their intent. Yeshua, just as politely, disagreed, using the usual technical terminology for such situations.
Gnashed with their teeth means to speak with hypocritical mockery.
The Good News of God is the Hebrew word Besorah, which literally means “what comes from the destruction of the Son.” But remembering that Hebrew is a multi- layered language, Besorah has a much deeper meaning. The Good News of God is that the Kingdom of God has come to the earth - Yeshua literally brought the Kingdom of God to His people!, His Spirit is here now, which means He is here now - the Kingdom of God is here on earth now! Yeshua’s Spirit literally dwells inside each true believer, which in turn means that the Kingdom of God resides inside each true believer! We are indeed the Temple of God - housing not only His Spirit, but also His Kingdom!
The word hate is sane (saw-nay) in Hebrew, and miseo in Greek. Both actually mean to love less or secondly.
Humble is an idiom for repentant.
“I AM the Alef and the Tav” is what Yeshua actually said in Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13. He knew Greek, but he did not speak in Greek to his disciples, nor did Yochanan write in Greek. This statement means pretty much nothing in the Greek, but in Hebrew it is an eternal statement, and means so much more. When Yeshua said this, He was stating that He is God!
The Alef is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the Tav is the last letter of the alphabet. Not only is Yeshua stating that He is in fact the Hebrew alef-bet and everything in between, in essence He is stating He is the Word of God. These two letters also spell a word in Hebrew - “et.” It is not a word that can be translated into English though. It points to the direct object of the verb in every single sentence - and since Yeshua is the Alef and the Tav, He is in every single Hebrew sentence!
Idolatry is what this struggle between mankind and God is all about. Mankind’s sinful tendency is always to go after other gods. Anything that takes up more time and comes first in a person’s life, is their god - and they are practicing idolatry. Idolatry is rebellion against God.
The saying “in the Spirit and on the Lord’s Day” is a Hebraism meaning in the Spirit - it was common in ancient Hebrew conversation to double up on something, and in this case these two sayings, often together, simply meant being in the Spirit.
“I will give you rest” - Yeshua spoke these words in a way that only God speaks - we receive His perfect rest when we are in sync with His will - keeping His commandments, listening to His still soft voice and obeying Him.
To Keep is the Hebrew word Shamar, which means to destroy the chaos man. So keeping God’s commandments will destroy the rebellious (or chaos) man. To Keep also means to guard with your heart all the commandments of God.
The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven was what Yeshua gave to Simon Peter. What it meant was that Yeshua had given Peter the authority to find scriptural solutions for problems the early congregations would encounter after His death. The Hebrew leaders were called upon by their community to interpret Scripture, settle disputes and find answers in times of crisis (many Hebrew words have many different meanings, which sometimes confuse the meaning of verses.
Lawlessness is the Greek word anomos which means without the Law or without Torah. Matthew 7:23, Hebrews 1:9, 2Thessalonians 2:7, 1John 3:4 - all of these state in some way that lawlessness is sin. But to mistake this word for simply meaning one who does wrong will be very dangerous, for those who practice lawlessness are truly those without Torah - those who reject Torah. Our Bibles even call the antimessiah the lawless one - one without Torah (or the Law).
Light is symbolic of deliverance or salvation, and Torah.
Living creatures (NKJV) or beasts (KJV) in Revelation are the same word in the Greek, but are actually the same Seraphim as in Isaiah 6:2 - the one and only four archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael. There is no correct Greek word for Seraphim, which are flaming angels.
The Locusts in Joel and Revelation should have been translated as living beings or Tefilim, for this very same word is translated as living beings in the NKJV and beasts in the KJV. These living beings are angels - and not always the good kind. In the case of the Locusts, seeing as how they are coming up from the abyss, I’d say these are evil devils - or better yet, the Tefilim that will be released for the end of the age judgment. The Tefilim that caused all the problems before the flood (causing God to flood the earth), will be released again to cause havoc on the earth one last time.
The Mark on Cain was an omen (Genesis 4:15). The Mark in Revelation is a Tav, the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It means ownership, to seal, to make covenant, a sign, a mark or a cross. In ancient Hebrew this letter was written in the shape of a cross or an X. In Ezekiel 9:4 & 6, the Mark is also a Tav. This Mark is a spiritual mark.
The Mark of the Beast is a spiritual mark - it is NOT something that will be implanted, nor is it something you can take unwillingly.
New song actually is an idiom for Restored Covenant. The Hebrew word for new, is chadashah, which actually means to restore to a previous condition. In relation to the New Covenant, it is not a new covenant as we know the word new. It is the Restored Covenant of God, as in restored to its previous condition. God’s Covenant with His people cannot be voided or superseded - but it can be added to (or more accurately, God revealed a part that the Hebrews did know about yet).
The Oil and the wine in Revelation 6:6, in their simplest context, are Olive Oil and New Wine (wine that has recently been pressed, but not yet fermented and is a sweet wine). But in the rich symbolism of Revelation, Olive Oil always represents the Light or Spirit or Torah; and the New Wine represents those who have not been corrupted by sin. The Oil and Wine is speaking of souls of men - spirits of men, or the anointed ones: those who have the Spirit of God living within them and belong to Yeshua. Oil and Wine speaks of true believers.
One jot or one tittle are actually two of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and ***should have been translated as such, “Not one yod or vav…” The yod is the smallest letter, and the vav is the second smallest. And of course, all of the Hebrew letters were used to not only write the Torah, they were used to create the earth and all that is on it, including mankind. Torah given by God to Moshe will never cease to exist - until the Renewed Heaven and Renewed Earth come to be
Open the eyes (of the blind) is actually one of two Hebrew words: galah or paqach, both meaning to reveal the truth or to cause to be observant, respectively. It has nothing to do with causing the actual blind person to be able to see. But their minds can be opened to know the Truth of Yeshua.
The word Poor is an idiom for repentant.
Psalm 73:9 “They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walks through the earth” is an idiom meaning to act better than everyone else.
The Right Hand also represents Jerusalem to Hebrews. To forget Jerusalem is to forget God - their right hand always reminds them of Jerusalem - of God. You will find this phrase sprinkled throughout Revelation - it is highly significant wherever it is placed. It also represents ‘taking the righthand road’ which is the straight and narrow road.
Satan is not the devil’s name, it is a title, and it is actually a Hebrew word. God stripped the devil of his name - and it was NOT Lucifer (a Latin word mistakenly translated as such). The literal meaning of satan (saw-tawn) is adversary.
The Sea is not the sea as we know it. It is not the ocean, and it is not the ocean that will no longer be, as is mentioned in Revelation 21:1. The Sea that will no longer be is actually the Brazen, or Bronze or molten Sea that was in the courtyard of the Tabernacle and also the two Temples. It is also called the Bronze Laver or Basin in some translations, and it was made of mirrors (Exodus 38:8).
The priests would wash themselves in the Sea, before and after the sacrifices were killed. They could see themselves in the mirrors of the Sea - to see their own unrighteousness and uncleanness and sin. It was a place where they searched their hearts to make sure they were repentant and clean before entering the Tabernacle or Temple. For if they had any uncleanness in themselves, they would not live in the presence of Yahweh. In Revelation 4:6 we see this Sea - it is what Yahweh Yeshua is using today to choose His bride. It is a type of “looking glass” that He uses to see who is His - and who is not.
Torah is our mirror (or Sea) today - a mirror we can look into to see our own unrighteousness and sin. The Sea represents Torah too, for it is the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26 & Revelation 22:1) which keeps us walking with Yahweh. And it is what will pass away and not be present in the New Heaven and the New Earth (Matthew 5:18). The Sea is referring to Torah.
Shaliachim is the Hebrew word for messengers. These are not angels, as it is translated in most versions of our Bibles. The Shaliach of any given congregation was a leader in his Messianic congregation, and when something important came to him (or her), they were to stand before the congregation and read it to them. In the case of Revelation, Shaliachim were instructed to read the whole letter to the specific seven congregations. Shaliach is also the equivalent to the Greek word used for Apostle. Both shaliach and apostle mean a messenger sent out - they represent the One Who sent them - God.
Shalom is usually translated as ‘peace,’ but it really cannot be translated into English with a single word. In Hebrew this word has much more meaning. It means to be complete - when there is Shalom, there is tranquility, justice, sufficient food, clothing, housing and divine health.
Take My yoke upon you means the keeping of the commandments, and Yeshua was speaking only as God speaks when He said this. By calling this yoke My yoke, Yeshua was making a shocking statement. The keeping of commandments was referred to as a ‘yoke,’ but a teacher of Torah would never have made the claim that this yoke was ‘his.’ This was a statement only Yeshua could make!
To take upon themselves the yoke of the Torah means a disciple accepting God’s reign over one’s life, to live according to His will - keeping God’s commandments. To take on the yoke of a teacher of Torah was a disciple placing himself in a position of total obedience and dedication to his teacher. It was the disciple’s desire to become just like his teacher. When the disciple’s desire is to pull the same load as his teacher, the best way to do it is to willingly bind himself to the teacher’s yoke and cart. The Teacher in this case is Yeshua.
Temple Services are sprinkled throughout Revelation. One must study the Hebrew Temple services to recognize what is actually going on in many sections of Revelation. These chapters are not to be ignored or written off as being just worship, for that is not what is going on at all.
Year is the Hebrew word shanah which means to repeat, or do a second time. It can also mean an age (a period of time), or perhaps a year’s time, when referring to a period of time. But when referring to something in God’s timing, it is the Hebrew word moed, which means “appointed time” or “season” as in God’s Feasts - everything in the Bible surrounds God’s Feasts and Himself.
Ze nigmar! is a Hebrew statement that was spoken by the high priest during the Passover Temple services. It means, “It is finished!” or “It is over!” It is a one-purpose-only Hebrew statement made only by the high priest during the Passover sacrifices - and he would say it twice during the Passover Temple service. The high priest would sacrifice the first Passover lamb at 9am, and he would say “Ze nigmar!” - precisely when Yeshua was nailed to the cross. Then he would sacrifice the last Passover lambs at 3pm, and for the second time that same day say, “Ze nigmar!” - precisely when Yeshua died on the cross; only seconds before Yeshua Himself said those same words, “Ze nigmar!” We find it twice in Revelation - in 16:17, and again in 21:6.
Killing
2.3. Killing – Mt 5:21
Many English Bibles read Mt 5:21 “you shall not kill”, which is a quote from Exodus 20:13, where the word ratzach (חצר)[10] is used, meaning murder, and not harag (גרה)[11], meaning kill. That command clearly prohibits murder, but not killing in defense. However, while the Greek also makes this distinction and uses the word murder (φουευο)[[12]]
Individual Word Studies
A
Adamah - Ground ( אדמה ) This word comes from the parent root meaning blood (one of the ten plagues remembered at Pesach), and also gives us a meaning red from the rich red-coloured soil of Israel. Another well-known related word is adam meaning man from the blood in his veins.
It’s also because Adam was taken from the adamah (ground) and his dam (blood) will return to the adamah. Poetic, no?
Ahava - Love ( אהבה ) In our Western culture love can be no more than the ‘emotion’ we feel for each other. But the Hebrew meaning is much deeper. The verb (le’ehov) means to provide for and protect as well as to have an intimacy of action and emotion. Jesus said Torah is summed up by LOVE God and your neighbour (Mt 22: 36-40), not in a simple emotional sense, but in our very action.
Interestingly, Hebrew doesn’t have a separate word for to like, which can be rather inconvenient, as we can no longer say, love them, but I don’t really like them - perhaps God did that for a reason?
Ah-mehn - Amen ( אָמֵן ) The most famous Hebrew word! From the root aman (ah-mahn), meaning secured in place. Isaiah 22:23 says fasten him as a nail in a secure [ah-mahn] place. The noun, amen (ah-mehn) is used Biblically when saying I am firmly agreeing with what has been said and the verb to believe in today’s Hebrew is le-ha’amin (להאמין) So. the next time you say amen, best to think about what you are agreeing to!
Anav - Meek ( עָנָו ) In Mt 5:5 Jesus quotes Psalm 37:11 the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. But meekness is not passive, as Wesley’s gentle Jesus, meek and mild hymn suggests. Biblically, it’s more like a stallion in reins: raw power, but harnessed and controlled. It’s a Messiah-King who, about to be crucified said, Do you think I can’t call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than
twelve legions of angels?– Mt 26:53.
Ani – Poor ( עָנִי ) In Greek, poor (ptochoi, πτωχοὶ) is one who is destitute. But Blessed are the destitute in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3) doesn’t make sense. When translated back into Hebrew, however we get the word עָנִי. It can also mean destitute, but more literally means bent low, or humble. As such, Jesus was actually saying (in Hebrew!) that the Kingdom belongs to the humble.
Av – father ( אב ). The first letter, aleph-א, used to be a picture of an ox, a sign of strength. The second letter, bet-ב, was a picture of the tent or house where the family lived. When put together they mean the strength of the house and hence the father. Our G-d is a perfect parent, a strong Father who loves us all, and the whole Jewish people. One day, we shall be called Home to strength and security the Father’s House.
Avraham - Abraham ( אַבְרָהָם ) The name Abraham is constructed of the words אב (av, father) and המון (hamon, many), since Abraham was the father of many peoples. He is the first of the three fathers of the Jewish people whose name was altered from Abram to Abraham by God who said, No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. (Genesis 17, 5)
Ashrey - happy / blessed is ( אַשְׁרֵי ) This Hebrew word occurs 44 times in the Hebrew Bible and is the ancient equivalent of calling somebody fortunate or lucky in the modern world. This state of being is not, however, the result of simple fate or happenstance, but has a decided emphasis in being in a right relationship with God.
According to the psalmists, for example, the fortunate& person is the one who knows God (e.g. Psalm 33:12; 144:15), longs to be in his presence (e.g. Psalm 65:5[4]; 84:5[4]), knows what God wants and makes choices based upon that knowledge (e.g. Psalm 112:1; 119:1-2), cares about justice for others (e.g. Psalm 106:3 ), and has compassion for the poor (e.g. Psalm 41:2[1]). Importantly, your happiness is not dependent on perfection in these things: “Fortunate is the one whose wrong is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1).
B
Baruch – Blessed ( בָּרוּךְ ) The word blessed is closely related to berech (ברך knee) and brachah (ברכה blessing). Physiologically, the knee is one of the weakest parts of the body, and it’s certainly true that in our weakness, His blessing and strength is found. So, in Hebrew, humbling (kneeling) ourselves before Him and receiving His blessing are closely related in word and deed. Baruch Hashem (Bless the Name).
Do the Rabbis say we should bless God one hundred times per day? Well, the Talmud, in Menachot 43b, takes Deuteronomy 10:12: Now, Israel, WHAT does God, your God, ask of you? To walk in His ways… and to serve Him and because the Hebrew word mah (what - מָה) sounds like the Hebrew word for 100 (me’ah - מֵאָה) it asserts that Now, Israel, a HUNDRED does God, your God, ask of you – namely, we should bless God at least 100 times per day.
Betach – trust ( בטח ) In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust. The word trust here is better translated to cling, as with the closely related word avatiyach (watermelon, אבטיח – see the shared root letters?). Even though it’s huge (just as our worries can seem), it still clings to the vine for its nourishment. We may not see God, but cling to Him, for He’s our strength and our life-nourishment.
Beyt Knesset – Synagogue ( בית - כנסת ) The Greek Sunagogen(συναγωγὴν) means a gathering together, which is similar to the Modern Hebrew Beyt Kneset, literally house of assembly. Kneset isn’t in the Bible, but its root כנס (kns) is, meaning bunch together or assemble. The word כנסת (keneset) is also used in Modern Hebrew for the Israeli Parliament and knesiyah (כנסייה) is the Modern Hebrew for church.
Interestingly, archontos in Matthew 9: 23 is often wrongly translated to synagogue ruler&, but the word synagogue is nowhere to be seen! Also, the Synagogue of Satan references in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 don’t have to mean synagogue, but are better translated as Assembly of Satan [i.e. the Accuser].
C
Chata - Sin ( חטא ) When an archer misses his target, we say he’s missed the mark, which is exactly the sense of the Hebrew chata. God has provided man with the target (his Torah, from the word Yarah, to throw/shoot), and when man does not hit that target he "misses God’s mark. Paul refers directly to this Hebrew concept when he says for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).
Chavah - Eve / Life-giver ( חָוָה ) This word comes from the primitive root of the same spelling (different pronunciation) - chavah; which means to live by implication to declare or to show the way of life, or even life-giver. As such, Chavah, as the first woman was given this as her name, Anglicised to Eve – &Adam named his wife Eve (Life) because she became the mother of every living person. (Genesis 3:20)
Chayil - Noble Character ( חַיִל ). Proverbs 31:10 says, A woman of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies, but did you know the Hebrew for noble character is חַיִל ‘chayil’, which is better translated as might, strength, power, valiant - as would be used to describe a warrior in an army. So it’s not a passive characteristic at all, but rather a dynamic, honourable one.
Women of God! Be released now to fulfil all the potential you have in Him! Men of God! Don’t hold back any of His children in reaching their amazing Kingdom destiny.
Cheleq - Portion ( חֵ֫לֶק ) Whom have I in the heavens but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength [Heb. צוּר - tsoor] of my heart and my portion [חֵ֫לֶק - cheleq] forever. (Psalms 73:25-26).
In these verses, we see two words that have a strong connotation of home in the original Hebrew. We read that God is our strength, where we see the translators taking the Hebrew word for rock, but not just as a hard, strong object, but also as a place where we can take refuge and shelter, such as a cave or When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock [Heb. ha tzoor] and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. (Exodus 33:22)
We also see the Hebrew word cheleq, which is often translated as portion, but comes from the root meaning segment of land. In other words, God is literally saying to us, No matter how weak and frail you are feeling, I AM the place of strength where you can take refuge, the place from which to base your life – I AM your portion of land.
E
Echad – One ( אֶחָד ) From the root to unite, is best translated as ‘unit,’ part of a whole in community. As a tree is composed of roots, trunk, branches and leaves, it also exists with other trees in a forest. So, we can conclude that the Shema is not speaking of YHVH as ‘one and only’ but as a unity of parts. The Rabbis assert that YHVH is yachid (יָחִיד), which is better translated as solitary (see Genesis 22:2 and 6).
Interestingly, the Shema itself (a central prayer within Judaism) is a prayer of complex unity as it combines sections of three passages of scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21 and Numbers 15:37-41. Rambam (Rabbi Moses Ben Maimonides, 1135 – 1204 CE) in his Thirteen Articles of faith focuses on the singularity of God, but one can strongly argue that this was purely in opposition to Christian thinking at the time.
Christian thinking itself had been heavily influenced by Platonistic thinking, which stated that nothing could be perfect unless it was singular. In addition, Rambam was developing his theology in the context of opposition to a Christianity that had a recent and terrible history of forced conversions as well as many and varied atrocities committed during the Crusades.
Ein Sof - without end ( אין סוף ). For God is not just big - He is infinite. If He were only big, then the things that are small would be further from Him and those that are big would be closer. But to the Infinite, big and small are irrelevant terms. He is everywhere and He is found wherever He wishes to be found. May Ha Shem be found in the global events, and in the details of your life today.
El Al (Yes, the name of Israel’s National Airline). Did you know that El Al (אל על ) literally means to the skies? The term El Al is taken from Hosea 11:7: And My people are in suspense about returning to Me; and though they call to the skies, none at all will lift himself up.
Emunah – faith ( אמונה ) Our Western view of faith puts emphasis not on us, but on the other person, i.e. I have faith in you. But the Hebrew speaks of active belief/support which puts the emphasis on what YOU do (e.g. Exodus 17:12 where Aaron and Hur emunah/support Moshe’s arms to secure victory). So, if you even have a mustard seed of support faith (Matthew 17:20) in YHVH, be active with it.
Eved – slave / servant ( עבד ) This word is often translated servant but a better translation is actually slave – and the clues are all in the Hebrew spelling itself. The noun comes from the verb root avad, which means to be enslaved (see Exodus 1:13 – So Mitsrayim [Egypt] ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves.)
The original pictographs that give rise to our modern Hebrew characters give enormous depth to our understanding of this word. The letter ayin was an eye (meaning experience); the beyt was a house; and delet was a door. Put them all together and you have experience the door of the house – and now look at the experience of becoming a slave in Exodus 21:6, then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
H
Halleluyah – Praise the LORD ( הַלְּלוּיָהּ ) Let everything that has breath praise YHVH. Halleluyah (Psalm 150:6). There are two parts here: praise us(הַלְּלוּ, hallel-oo) and yah (the short name of God, YHVH). Interestingly, hallel’s root (הָלַל) means to shine or make a clear sound. Thus, our praise should be like a clear and obvious boasting, make a show, and even (for the youth) to rave about Him!
Hamas - the future of Hamas. God’s Word is fantastic! Isaiah 60: 18 says No longer will violence (Hamas, חָמָס ) be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation (Yeshua (Jesus), יְשׁוּעָה) and your gates Praise. God knows all things, and Israel will win out in the end, for His name’s sake.
I
Israel ( יִשְׂרָאֵל ) itself is a combined word form from sarah (שָׂרָה - to persist, exert oneself, persevere) and El (אֵל – shortened from ayil, which means mighty strength). So when you put the two together, that’s how we get to an English understanding of the word Israel as God the Almighty persists and strives with.
Ivrit - Hebrew ( עברית ) The Hebrew language is named after those who spoke it, the Ivrim Hebrews This name comes from Ever (עבר), the son of Shem (Gen 10:21), meaning a region beyond from Avar (עבר), to cross over. The rabbis say that Ivrit is Leshon HaKodesh (לשון הקודש), The Holy Tongue, and that it was …the original and only language given to Adam, until the time of the Tower of Babel.
Note that Hebrew is normally called Yehudit (יהודית) in the Bible because Judah (Yehuda) was the only surviving kingdom at the time.
L
Lechem - Bread ( לחם ) In ancient times (and maybe even today), bread was made in a similar manner to a fist fight - namely by placing dough on a table and then repeatedly kneading, hitting, rolling back and forth, picking up and turning over, and so on… Interestingly, the Hebrew noun for bread (lechem, with a guttural ch) comes from the root lacham, which means to fight.
Jesus is our bread of life, (John 6:35) the true bread from the heavens, (John 6:32) and he even came from Bethlehem, which is a contraction of two Hebrew words beyt (house) and lechem (bread) – literally the house of bread.
Genesis 3:19 says, By the sweat of your brow you will eat your lechem until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. Maybe the sweat comes because we have to fight the ground for the crops, fight the grain to remove the husk from the seeds, fight the seeds to turn them into flour and fight the dough to make the bread?
Lev - heart ( לֵב ) "Test me, O YHVH, and try me, examine my heart and my mind (Psalm 26:2). Obviously the Psalmist is not asking YHVH for a medical examination of his myogenic muscular organ! It’s from lebab (לֵבָב), meaning the inner man, thus lev is figuratively used for our feelings, will, thoughts and even intellect. So here the Psalmist is actually asking God to examine every detail of his being, nothing hidden. See our word study on the gut as well.
M
Meyah – gut ( מעה ) The translation heart in Psalm 40:8 your Torah is within my heart is not actually lev (לב), the correct Hebrew word. David actually said, your torah is within my meyah - guts. He was so excited about God’s word that it moved his guts, his very being. I pray that our guts would churn at hearing the word like David’s did!
Interestingly, in Hebraic thought, the mind is in the heart, not the brain.
Mi-kha’el – Michael ( מיכאל ) This Hebrew name has 3 parts: mi (who); khah (like); and eyl (one of power, hence God), literally Who is like God? This is asked in Ps 113:5 – Who is like YHVH our God, the One who dwells on high?; where we also see the name in its long form MI KHAmokha Yhvh ELoheinu. It’s no surprise then that the Archangel who defends Israel (Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7) carries this name!
Minchah – offering ( מנחה ) This noun is from the verb yanach (ינח), meaning to deposit a pledge for safekeeping. It’s also one of the three main prayer times (shacharit – morning); michah (afternoon) and ma’ariv (evening) observed today, which match the 3 daily sacrifices in the Temple. It’s also the time (3 o’clock) when Peter (still Jewish!) was praying and received the vision of the unkosher food in Acts 10.
N
Nahar - River ( נהר ). As we were on the Jordan River today, let’s look at river in Hebrew. It is literally a giver of life, both now and in the Ancient Near East. Not only does it provide water to the people, but its annual flooding in days gone left behind water in the surrounding land for the crops, and thus food too. That’s why the Hebrew word nahar can be translated as river or flood. and thus food too. That’s why the Hebrew word ‘nahar’ can be translated as river or flood.
Nefesh - Soul ( נפש ). A person is a unity of different parts: the mind, thought, emotion, personality, body, blood, organs, etc. Nefesh is often translated as soul, but a more complete Hebraic meaning is the whole of the person" as in a being, person or entity. The root, naphash, means to refresh as in restoring the whole of the person to its wholeness through rest and nutrition.
No’ach - Resting ( נוֹחַ ) The noun – no’ach – means a resting, and is also the Hebrew name Noah, who’s Ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat. Adding the feminine ah suffix and the m prefix, the word menuchah is formed, meaning place of rest. May Shabbat be a resting place for you (Hebrews 4:9), and that yeNaChamanu (ויְנַחֲמֵנ - this one
will comfort) will be Messiah Yeshua, for you and for the Jewish people.
O
Olam – Eternal ( עולם ) Often translated as everlasting or eternal, (both alien concepts in Hebrew thought), its root means concealed, thus the sense of being unseen in place, time or space. So, ברוך אתה יהוה אלהינו מלך העולם, baruch atah YHVH, eloheinu melech ha’olam means blessed are You YHVH our God, king of all time and all that is unseen. Amazing! For there is nothing in time or space that escapes Him.
Ozen - Ear ( אוזן ) Our Hebrew translators often try to ‘fix’ the text for us to understand it better in English. However, the original Hebrew is often more interesting, such as in Numbers 11:1 which should read the people were murmuring and it was bad in the ear of YHVH rather than He was displeased. Also, the Hebrew for a balance is ‘mozen’, so maybe our forebears knew the inner ear helps our sense of balance!?
P
Pardes – Paradise ( פרדס ) This word is usually translated “paradise / forest / park / garden”, which hints at the Hebraic definition of “an ideal place of rest and sustenance.” PaRDeS is also an acronym for an ancient form of interpretation - P’shat (plain), Remez (hint), D’rash (searching) and Sod (hidden). These methods can also be seen in the NT and can help make the Word a real “paradise” of rest and sustenance.
Q
Qedem – East or Distant in Time ( קדם ) In Hebrew thought, space and time are the same. So, the present time relates to where you are now; and a distant place assumes a distant time (past or future). That’s why qedem is used for both space and time, e.g. he drove the man out, he placed on the east (קדם) of Eden cherubim.(Genesis 3:24) and I thought of the former days, the years of long ago (קדם). (Psalm 77:5)
R
Ra’ah - See ( רעה ) The verb ra’ah means see and is used frequently in the Bible. The participle form of ra’ah is ro’eh and can mean seeing (as an action) or seeing one (as the one who makes the action). This is where we see the direct connection with God as our shepherd - one who sees (or watches over) all things regarding the flock (YHVH Ro’eh). Isn’t God, and His Hebrew language, awesome!?
Raphah - Be Still ( רָפָה ) Tehillim (Psalms) 46:10 says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Here, the Hebrew verb, raphah (רָפָה), is often translated be still, or stop striving." But, as ever with English translations (as good and valuable as they are), they can never quite communicate the depth and subtlety of the original language. This Hebrew word means to slacken off, to leave alone, to become weak and even to fail. Interestingly, it comes from the same root as the Hebrew for doctor (rophe), which is rapha (רָפָא) - to cure, cause to heal, repair or to make whole.
So by understanding Hebrew better, we can see that God is saying relax, be weak, stop so that you can have some time out to recover, rest and repair. But to what end…? So that we can know that He is God, and this is not knowing in our intellect, but rather יָדַע – knowing by intimate experience and informed acquaintance. When we become less, we can get really personal with the Creator of the Universe and witness Him at work.
Reh-oo-vane - Reuben ( רְאוּבֵן ) From ra’ah (see) and ben (a son), thus see a son. The first born of Jacob through Leah, hence also the first of Israel’s 12 tribes. The etymology also allows two other possibilities: either raa beonyi, meaning he has seen my misery; or also yeehabani (he will love me), both of which fit Leah’s words in Genesis 29:32, because YHVH has seen my misery, surely my husband will love me.
Ruach - Wind ( רוח ) In Hebrew, wind can be many things – it blows clouds in the sky; the breath of man; and also the breath of God. In Hebrew thought your breath is your character or essence – it’s what makes you, YOU. It’s often translated as spirit, but this is an abstract term that diverts us from the deeper meaning of the Hebrew word – that the ruach of God is his very essence, it’s what makes Him, HIM. So, for example, now try reading these passages in a new light:
- Genesis 41: 38, So Pharaoh asked them, Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the essence [ruach] of God?
- Numbers 24: 2, When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the essence [ruach] of God came upon him.
- Psalm 77: 3, I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my essence [ruach] grew faint. Selah.
- Ezekiel 37: 14, I will put my essence [ruach] in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I YHVH have spoken, and I have done it, declares YHVH.
- Matthew 3:16, As soon as Yeshua was immersed, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the essence [ruach] of God descending like a dove and lighting on him."
- Acts 8: 17, Then Kefa and Yochanan placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy essence [ruach].
S
Satan – adversary ( שָׂטָן ) The Hebrew is usually prefixed ה (ha) identifying a noun, not a name – so it’s best translated as the adversary. Even where satan could be a proper name (1 Chronicles 21:1), it actually turns out that the adversary is YHVH Himself (2 Samuel 24:1). He’s certainly a fallen angel, named Morning Star (hence Lucifer, but the Latin isn’t found anywhere in the Bible), the correct Hebrew is Heilel ben Shachar (Isaiah 14:12).
Examples of where the word satan means adversary as in one who stands against another include 1 Kings 11:14, And YHVH raised up an adversary (satan) against Shlomo, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal house in Edom.
At other times this name is translated as a proper name such as in Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before YHVH, and the adversary (satan) also came among them.
And here, the adversary actually turns out to be YHVH, as recorded in Chronicles 21:1 Adversary (Satan) stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel. and then repeated in 2 Samuel 24: 1, Again the anger of YHVH was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.
Shabbat - Sabbath ( שבת ). The verb form is shavat, meaning cease or stop. Interestingly, to sit is lashevet (לשבת) with the same shin-bet-tav root. It’s first used in Genesis 2:2 where God ceased from his work. The noun form is Shabbat, often translated Sabbath. It’s also the name of the 7th day in the Jewish week – the other days are simply 1st Day, 2nd Day, etc…
Shachah – Worship ( שָׁחָה ) Shachah means bow down (normally with face to the ground) (see Numbers 22:31). But, when it’s an action toward God, the translators only say worship, which stops us seeing the proper Hebraic context. We’d be better off removing the word worship from our Biblical vocabulary and replace it with bow down. The act of bowing is, of course, an eastern custom to challenge our western ways.
Shalom aleichem – Peace be upon you ( שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם ) The correct response to this greeting is Aleichem shalom (Upon you be peace). Interestingly, it’s in the plural, so can be used for a group of people, but also includes every part of one’s humanity: body, spirit and soul. Shalom itself means completeness or wholeness, so what we’re actually saying is may you have completeness in every aspect of your humanity.
Note, this same Shalom aleichem dynamic can be seen in Luke 10:5 when Jesus sends out the 72 disciples in pairs, and the exact words are used when the resurrected Yeshua came and stood among them and said, Shalom aleichem! (John 20:26).
Shemen – oil ( שמן ) Today, oil symbolizes wealth, and it seems that nothing has changed over the millennia. In the ancient Middle East, olive oil was used for various purposes from light to health to food (see our post here on Tzayit, olive). The verb form is shaman meaning to be fat and interestingly the parent word is שם (shem, name or character), which reminds us that our wealth is in our character, not what we own.
Shamayim – Heavens ( שָּׁמיִם ) The plural of an unused root - to be lofty. In Hebrew thought, there are THREE heavens: the visible sky; the higher ether of the stars and planets; and the spiritual realm above (the heaven of heavens). This 3rd heaven is also found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, and Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in the plural heavens (Hebrew Matthew 6:10). One day we will go home to be with Him there…
Shem - Name ( שם ) In English, a name is simply an abstract title for a person. In Hebrew, however, it is soaked with deeper meaning: e.g. Adam (from the earth); Amos (troubled); Dani’el (God is my judge); Eliyahu (Elijah, YHVH is my God); Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah, sent by God); Ruti (Ruth, my companion) and Yeshua (God’s salvation). Interestingly, anti-Semitism in modern Hebrew is anti-Shemi, literally anti-My name.
So, when we link berech / baruch (see above) with shem, we can see that Baruch ha Shem (Bless the Name), literally means Bless YHVH, which itself is the third person singular of the verb to be (h-y-h in consonants) and means HE IS in Hebrew.
So we do not worship any old god, but we worship the God of Israel; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - HE - WHO - IS - the eternal, everlasting, mysterious, creator of the universe, the divine power that is, was, and will be to come. Check out more modern and Biblical Hebrew name meanings - it’s amazing what you may find out…
Shim’on – Simeon ( שמעון ) This name, for Leah’s second son and Israel’s second tribe, is derived from the Hebrew verb שמע shama, to hear attentively and intelligently. In Genesis 29:33 Leah, Ya’acov’s wife says, Because YHVH has heard (shama) that I was hated, he gave me this one [son] also – hence the name שמעון Shim’on, heard. From here we get
the Anglicised names Simon and Simeon.
Shofar ( שופר ). A ‘trumpet’ made of a ram’s horn. The word is closely related to ‘shafar’ (beautiful or comely) from the Akkadian ‘sapparu’ (a fallow deer). When blown properly you will know why this description is so apt, and why it was variously used in battle; as a call to repentance; and to herald important news and events. It’s now sounded in the synagogue during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur.
Sholeach – Apostle ( שולח ) The participle of the verb shalach (שלח, to send) meaning sent one (pl. shlichim, שליחים, sent ones). In Halacha, this person is an agent who performs an act of legal significance – but always for the benefit of the sender, not for himself. Thus, the Apostles in the New Covenant were shlichim sent ones acting as significant Torah-legal agents - not of themselves but of YHVH.
Shorashim – Roots ( שורשים ) He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green… it never fails to bear fruit.Jeremiah 17:8. From sharash (the bottom, or heel) it can literally mean root (of a plant), and more figuratively the start point from where you gain security and sustenance. Interestingly, Hebrew is almost entirely based on a system of 3-consonant roots upon which each word and verb is built.
Shuv - Turn back ( שוב ) Means to return to a previous state or place. See Genesis 3:19 where adam (man), who comes from the adamah (ground) will shuv (return) to the adamah (ground). This verb is often used for repentance - turning from a wrong direction to head back in the right direction. Teshuvah is a 40 day repentance season before Yom Kippur - to focus on making our relationships right between God and men.
God certainly makes the deal easy for us to understand,…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn [yaSHUVu] from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7: 14)
The tradition is that the forty days of Teshuvah came from our experience at Sinai (notice that Yeshua also spent 40 days in the wilderness, (Mt 4:1ff). Rashi said Moshe Rabeinu (our teacher Moses) ascended Mount Sinai three times – each for forty days and nights… The first began 50 days after the Exodus on the 6th Sivan, when Moses first received the Ten Commandments (at the time of Shavuot). When he came down from the mountain and saw everyone worshipping the Golden Calf, he smashed the tablets (Ex 32:19) – on 17th Tammuz. A 40 day period.
The second starts on the 19th Tammuz when Moshe prayed to God on behalf of Israel (until the 29th of Av). A 40-day period.
Then, finally, God called Moses (the following day) on 1st Elul to go up to receive the new set of tablets. He came back down on 10th Tishri (Yom haKippurim), with both the second set of tablets and also the certainty of God’s forgiveness for the people. The third and final 40-day period.
Sod - Secret ( סוד ) Are Amos 3:7’s secrets only known to prophets? Not at all. Rather, this is close counsel (see Psalm 55:14), like John reclining at Jesus’ side on nomad’s cushions at Passover. It’s a discussion not needing to shout, borne in intimate relationship. It’s the side-by-side, still, quiet intimate prophetic voice of God that’s heard here, not the voice of the earthquake, thunder or fire.
Sod is the last of four Hebrew words used in the mnemonic פרדס PaRDeS: פשט peshat, רמז remez, דרש derash, and סוד sod. The word pardes פרדס itself is connected to the English word paradise / orchard (in post-Biblical Hebrew it means esoteric philosophy). It’s used as a descriptive word for the Word of God, and how it can be interpreted with different methods to experience its full beauty – just like a walk through an orchard paradise.
Here’s a little more on the other PaRDeS words:
- P 'shat – פשט: the plain, simple meaning
- R emez – רמז: the hinted meaning
- D erash - דרש: 'the interpretation or exegesis and
- S od - סוד: commonly the hidden or secret meaning but see our definition, above, suggested intimate counsel
Soleach - Forgive ( סולח ) This verb is the base for the Israeli phrase slichah& (סליחה), meaning forgive / excuse me. It’s often used in the Tanach, closely linked to sholeach -send (שולח) and shocheach – forget (שוכח).
T
Torah ( תורה torah) One of the most misunderstood words in the Hebrew Bible! It’s usually translated as law, which by definition is a set of regulations established by a government enforced with the threat of fines or imprisonment. But it actually means teachings- a set of instructions given by a teacher or parent in order to foster maturity and is enforced with discipline and encouragement.
Tov - Good ( טוב ) From an Hebraic perspective, ‘tov’ is practical and functional, not just a simple statement of pleasure. A wrist-watch is to, not because it is aesthetically pleasing but because it works. If it breaks it is ra, bad or dysfunctional. In Genesis 1: 31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good (tov) - not tov as in simply pleasing but rather, that he saw it functioned perfectly.
Tsalach – Prosper ( צלח ). This verb means succeed by advancing forward in position, possessions or action. It’s often used in the context of a successful mission such as Abraham’s servant when going to his family’s homeland for a wife for his son (Genesis 24:40) and also in one of my favourite Psalms, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. Psalm 122:6
Tsoor - Strength ( צוּר ) Whom have I in the heavens but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength [Heb. צוּר -tsoor] of my heart and my portion [חֵ֫לֶק - cheleq] forever. (Psalms 73:25-26)
In these verses, we see two words that have a strong connotation of home in the original Hebrew. We read that God is our strength, where we see the translators taking the Hebrew word for rock, but not just as a hard, strong object, but also as a place where we can take refuge and shelter, such as a cave or When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock [Heb. ha tzoor] and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. (Exodus 33:22)
We also see the Hebrew word cheleq, which is often translated as portion, but comes from the root meaning segment of land. In other words, God is literally saying to us, No matter how weak and frail you are feeling, I AM the place of strength where you can take refuge, the place from which to base your life – I AM your portion of land.
Tzalmavet - Shadow of Death ( צלמות ) Hebrew rarely has two words put together to form one new word. This, however, is one of them. It combines the word tzal (צֵל), shadow and mavet (מָוֶת), death. Interestingly, the modern Hebrew for to photograph is letzalem (לצלם) - literally to make a shadow.
So the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) may be the very image of despair, danger or tragedy but it is not death itself.
Tzayit – olive ( זית ) God calls Israel a green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form (Jeremiah 11:16). The olive: tasty, healthy, nutritional, was used to anoint kings and high-priests, and has symbolised peace and restoration since the dove brought Noah an olive-branch after the flood. Olives also provided fuel for the Menorah in the Temple, and today olive leaves surrounding a Menorah is Israel’s national emblem.
Tzedakah – Acts of Righteousness ( צדקה ) Often translated charity, it’s actually based on the word tzedek (צדק) - correctness, fairness or justice (see below). Rambam said the second highest form of tzedakah is to give anonymous donations, but the highest is to give a gift or loan so the recipient can support himself instead of living off others.
But, remember Jesus’ words, and don’t make a show of it! (Matthew 6:1-3).
Tsedeq – Righteous Correctness ( צדק ). While the word ‘tsedeq’ is usually translated in the Bible as righteousness, the more concrete Hebraic meaning is correctness, in the sense of walking in the correct path. Today, our leaders are more focused on political correctness (correctness that appeases to the populous) than God’s Correctness.
Tselem - Image, statue, representation ( צֶלֶם ) This Hebrew word is used 32 times in the Hebrew Bible. The author of Genesis 1 uses the word to describe God’s relationship to humanity. We were made to be the “image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27). The word is most often used to describe the earthly statues of gods and goddesses.
People in the ancient world, however, did not view these statues as mere pictures of their gods/goddesses. Instead, they fed, bathed, clothed, and worshipped these statues, as if they were alive. They were divine manifestations on earth. This is the word that the author of Genesis 1 chose to describe humanity’s relationship to God. We were created to be the manifestation of God on earth.
Interestingly, in modern Hebrew, this same verb root and word is used for a picture or photograph.
V
Var – Pure ( בַר ) Who may ascend the hill of the YHVH? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean [naki] hands and a pure [var] heart…(Ps alm24:3-4) Var comes from barar (בָּרַר), meaning to purify, make bright, cleanse, polish, purge out our heart or inner being. It’s different from clean (naki, נְקִ֥י), which is more than just soap and water – it’s a deep-clean of our hands - our very life-actions.
Y
Yalad ( יָלַד ), - "to bear young, bring forth, beget. This is where the Hebrew words for boy (yeled, יָ֫לֶד) and girl (yeldah, יַלְדָּה) come from – it’s also the modern Hebrew for birthday – yom holedet (יום הולדת). By extension, it means to act as a midwife and is also used to show lineage (you can see it used in the Hebrew genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1).
The Koine Greek word used in Acts 13:33 is γεννάω (gennaó) from a variation of γένος (genos), which is defined as family, offspring. It literally means to cause to exist; to father or to sire, is the same Greek word as used to translate the Hebrew holid (mentioned above) as used in Shem Tob Ibn Shaprut’s Hebrew Matthew.
Yarey - Fear ( ירא ) The Hebraic meaning of this verb is to flow, which is closely related to the word yorehh (first rain) and ye’or (stream). When you are really afraid of something, you can feel your insides flowing. This makes the usual translation fear; rather understated. Remember, NEVER fear for you are NEVER alone, for Adonai Tzeva’ot, the God of Heaven’s Armies is with you.
Yehudi - Jew ( יהודי ), from Judah (Yehudah, יהודה), the 4th son of Jacob and also the region given to the tribe of Judah. Yehudah contains the letters of God’s name Y-H-V-H, making it an alternate name for Israelites. Your English NT will often read Jews (too general), so try Judeans, which more accurately refers to the Pharisaic sect known as the Judeans, who are closely related to modern Rabbinic Judaism.
A good example of where a distortion in our understanding of Jews in its original cultural and religious milieu can be found is, His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews (Ἰουδαίους – ioudaious), for already the Jews (Ἰουδαίους – ioudaious) had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Yeshua was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. (Yochanan 9:22)
Yerushalayim – Jerusalem ( יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ) This combination of two words: yeru meaning flow, as in a river, or the pointing of a finger to offer direction; and shalayim, from shalam meaning complete / whole (as in Shalom). When put together they mean something like pointing the way to completeness. Slightly ironic today, perhaps, but one day this city will be the home of the Sar Shalom - Prince of Peace, Amen.
Yeshua – Jesus ( ישוע ). The original meaning of Yeshua is linked to the verb ‘to rescue.’ This takes salvation to another level, as He seeks to rescue us from our sin. So, when we ‘feed the hungry’ or ‘visit the sick’ we should help ‘rescue’ them - we should search for those that need help and not just "give them a fish to feed them for a day, but teach them to fish so they can be fed for a lifetime.
Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement ( יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) The root for kippur is kafar (רפכ), from kofer, meaning to ransom / wipe clean – to atone by offering a substitute. The Tanakh’s use relates to the priestly practice of wiping clean by the sprinkling of blood, with blood itself seen as an ancient detergent-like cleanser.
The Talmud makes some amazing observations from the days of Jesus, where it records events that occurred around forty years before the 2nd Temple was destroyed (circa 30CE when Jesus was crucified). Tractate Yoma 39B states that, The lot for the Yom Kippur goat ceased to be supernatural; the red cord that used to turn white [as a symbol of God’s forgiveness] now remained red and did not change, and the western candle in the sanctuary refused to burn continually, while the doors of the Holy Temple would open of themselves.
And again, in the same tractate of the Talmud, the rabbis ask, Why was the First Holy Temple destroyed? Because of three wicked things: idol worship, adultery and murder. But in the second Holy Temple in which the Jewish people were occupied in studying the Torah, and doing good deeds and acts of charity, why then was it destroyed? The answer is because of hatred without a cause, to teach you that hate without a cause is equal to these sins, and that it is as serious a crime as the three great transgressions; idol worship, adultery and murder.
The Talmud itself doesn’t answer the question Whom did we hate? But the answer is certainly found in the words of Jesus, But this happened that the Word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. (John 15:24-25)
Z
Zamir - Song / Prune ( זָמִיר ) The root of this noun זמר is commonly used in biblical Hebrew to express the action of singing or playing a musical instrument and it is still used this way in Modern Hebrew.
However, there is a secondary meaning for this root in biblical Hebrew, to prune or to trim. It is explicitly used only three times in the Hebrew Bible with this meaning (Leviticus 25:3-4; Isaiah 5:6). Yet, there is one text in the Hebrew Bible wherein this root is seemingly employed with both meanings: “Flowers appear on the earth / The time of singing has come / The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12, NRSV). The Hebrew word for singing is our word, זָמִיר.
Despite the translation above, the poet appears to be intentionally exploiting both possible meanings for this root in order to parallel the second line with the first (flowers :: pruning) and the third (singing :: voice of the turtledove): “Flowers appear on the earth / The time of pruning/singing has come / The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land”.
