Once we have a basic understanding of the Hebrew alphabet, vocabulary, language and philosophy, we can now begin to interpret the Bible from an Ancient Hebrew perspective rather than from a Western one.
Most
people are familiar with the English translation of the Aaronic blessing.
Yehovah bless you and keep you: Yehovah make his face to shine
upon you, and be gracious to you: Yehovah lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Notice
that many of the words in this translation are abstract words, including; bless, keep, gracious, countenance and peace.
Each of the Hebrew words behind the English in this passage, is filled with
images that are lost when translated into the English language. When we examine
each of these words from their original cultural and linguistic perspectives,
the message in this passage comes alive.
Bless
The
Hebrew verb ברך (Barakh, Strong's #1288) means to
kneel as seen in Genesis 24:11. However, when written in the piel form,
such as it is in Aaronic blessing, it means to show respect (usually translated
as bless). However, as "respect" is an abstract word, we need to
uncover its original concrete meaning, which we can do by examining other words
related to this verb. One such related word is the noun ברך (berekh, Strong's #1288) meaning "knee."
Another related Hebrew word is ברכה (berakhah,
Strong's #1293) meaning a gift or present. From this we can see the concrete
meaning behind the piel form of the verb barak. It
is to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. The extended
meaning of this word is to do or give something of value to another. Elohiym "respects"
us by providing for our needs and we in turn "respect" Elohiym by
giving him of ourselves as his servants.
Keep
The
Hebrews were a nomadic people raising livestock. It would not be uncommon for a
shepherd to be out with his flock, away from the camp, over the night. In order
to protect the flock, the shepherd would construct a corral of thorn bushes.
The shepherd would then guard over the flock and the corral would be a hedge of
protection around them. The Hebrew word for a thorn is שמיר (shamiyr, Strong's #8068) and derived from the verb שמר (shamar, Strong's #8104), which literally means to guard
and protect and is the word used in the Aaronic blessing.
Face
In
the painting above you can "read" the faces of each of the people
within the painting. The face reflects the many different moods, emotions, and
thoughts of the person. The Hebrew word פנים (paniym,
Strong's #6440), means "face," but is always written in the plural
form (the ים suffix identifies this word as plural),
reflecting this idea of multiple faces of each person. This word can also mean
“presence” or the “wholeness of being” of an individual.
Shine
The
word אור (or, Strong's #215), as a noun means
"light" and as a verb, as it is used here, means to "give
light" or "shine" and is equated with bringing about order as
light illuminates or reveals what has been dark.
Gracious
Most
theologians will define “grace” as “unmerited favor,” but notice the
abstractness of these words. The Hebrew verb translated as gracious in the
Aaronic blessing is the verb חנן (hhanan,
Strong's #2603) and is often paralleled with other Hebrew words meaning
healing, help, being lifted up, finding refuge, strength and rescue. From a
concrete Hebraic perspective this verb means to “provide protection.” Where
does one run to for protection? The camp, which in Hebrew is חנה (hanah, Strong's #2583), a word related to חנן (hhanan).
Grant
The
Hebrew verb שים (siym, Strong's #7760), literally means
to "set down in a fixed and arranged place."
Peace
When
we hear the word peace, we usually associate this to mean an absence of war or
strife. However, the Hebrew word שלום (shalom,
Strong's #7965) has a very different meaning. The root of this word is שלם (shalam, Strong's #7999) and is usually used in the
context of making restitution. When a person has caused another to become deficient
in some way, such as a loss of livestock, it is the responsibility of the
person who created the deficiency to restore what has been taken, lost or
stolen. The verb shalam literally means to make whole or
complete. The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of
being in a state of wholeness, or being without deficiency.
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