AlHaTorah Search מעם
Exodus 25:1-9
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
- setting h4394. מִלֻּא milu’
Over the next several entries for LogAndSpeck, I hope to show you some things I am learning about the tabernacle, the sanctuary. (No promises that they will be consecutive, as you know I get led in other directions sometimes.) The first thing I want to point out is that it will not always be clear from the beginning of an entry that it is about the sanctuary. The title here, does not immediately lead you to recognize that this is a related topic. As is typical in my study, I have been led to many different and important pieces of background, that hopefully will come together at the conclusion. So, we launch into some background work. There is a lot of “meat” in this entry, not for “milk drinkers.”
Throughout this “series,” keep this Exodus 25 passage as a foundation for the discussion. The direction in this particular blog is the idea of being with God, having God dwell in our midst, as we discussed somewhat in blog entry 79. First we look at מעם.
Tanakh (50 results)
1. Bereshit 24:27 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֹּאמֶר בָּרוּךְ י״י אֱלֹהֵי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָזַב חַסְדּוֹ וַאֲמִתּוֹ מֵעִם אֲדֹנִי
אָנֹכִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ נָחַנִי י״י בֵּית אֲחֵיאֲדֹנִי.
Genesis 24:27
27 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”
from being with my master
2. Bereshit 41:32 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְעַל הִשָּׁנוֹת הַחֲלוֹם אֶל פַּרְעֹה פַּעֲמָיִם כִּי נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר מֵעִם הָאֱלֹהִים
וּמְמַהֵר הָאֱלֹהִים לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ.
Genesis 41:32
32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
from being with God
▸ BDB All Results: עִם מִן
מִן
GLOSS from; of; on account of; beside; above; than; since
PARSING Hebrew, particle, preposition
עִם
GLOSS with; towards
PARSING Hebrew, particle, preposition
p.299 -מ that which emanates from an object or person
- there are no variants
3. Bereshit 44:29 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וּלְקַחְתֶּם גַּם אֶת זֶה מֵעִם פָּנַי וְקָרָהוּ אָסוֹן וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת שֵׂיבָתִי בְּרָעָה שְׁאֹלָה.
Genesis 44:29 from being with my face/presence
29 But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’
4. Bereshit 44:32 (Mikraot Gedolot)
כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת הַנַּעַר מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר אִם לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כׇּל הַיָּמִים.
Genesis 44:32
32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him (back) to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’
from being with my father (from the personal influence of my father, i.e. being in his presence)
5. Bereshit 48:12 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיּוֹצֵא יוֹסֵף אֹתָם מֵעִם בִּרְכָּיו וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְאַפָּיו אָרְצָה.
Genesis 48:12 from being with his ברך (also ברך is blessing)
12 So Joseph (h3130. יוֹסֵף yôsêp̱) brought them from beside his knees, and he bowed down with his face to the earth.
One really should read all of chapter 48. Much happens here. Two important things I point out. First, in verses 5 and 6, Israel adopts Manasseh and Ephraim as his own, though they are born of an Egyptian mother. The next is that Israel gives the second-born, Ephraim, the blessing (and responsibility) of the firstborn knowingly.
Another comment before we move ahead on מעם (you see it is like a keyword, bringing out many important factors in its passages). Notice the EDBH definition for שׂכל, “absorb information and adapt to needs.” We will get to looking at the word iniquity under AlHaTorah verse 39 below. “Absorb information and adapt to needs” could potentially be taken in a worldly way or a Godly way. Some clarity is needed. It could be like iniquity, adapting to the situation, or it could be listening to God (this is where the “absorb information” part comes in). I looked for any occurrences of iniquity עוןh5771 and שׂכלh7919 together. It occurs once, in Daniel 9:13:
Notice the words here that occur in Exodus 34:6-7 (under AlHaTorah 39 below), transgressions, sins, iniquities. See what verse thirteen says “we have not entreated the favor (h2470. חָלָה ḥâlâ) of the LORD (יהוה) our God.”
The word means to humble oneself, make oneself weak, give control over, make oneself pliable. It is what King Saul did not do in 1S13:12, inquire of the LORD, but took matters into his own hands.
A different verb, שאל is used, but David did well to inquire of the LORD (יהוה) before acting. (2S2:1, 5:19, 5:22-25, 22:9-10)
6. Shemot 8:8 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה אֶל י״י עַל דְּבַר הַצְפַרְדְּעִים אֲשֶׁר שָׂם לְפַרְעֹה.
Exodus 8:12 from being with Pharaoh
12(8H) Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh.
7. Shemot 8:26 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה וַיֶּעְתַּר אֶל י״י.
Exodus 8:26-30 🤔🤔🤔 later we look more at “abomination”
26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us? 27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.”
28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.”
29 Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”
30(26H) So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.
from being with Pharaoh
[[ why would the Egyptians want to stone Israelites for sacrificing the “abomination” of the Egyptians to יהוה?
Exodus 8:22 BHS
22 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה לֹ֤א נָכוֹן֙ לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות כֵּ֔ן כִּ֚י תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם נִזְבַּ֖ח לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ הֵ֣ן נִזְבַּ֞ח אֶת־תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֛יִםלְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א יִסְקְלֻֽנוּ׃
Many times I have gotten the sense that “abomination” does not mean what we think it means••• here is another instance that doesn’t quite “connect.” If the Egyptians would be upset with the Israelites for a sacrifice, would it not be for something that was important to Egyptians? 🤔
תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת
▸ BDB
תּוֹעֵבָה
GLOSS abomination
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct
▸ h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ; or תֹּעֵבָה to’ebah; feminine active participle of h8581. תָּעַב ṯâ‘aḇ; properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol: — abominable (custom, thing), abomination.
▸ h8581. תָּעַב ṯâ‘aḇ; a primitive root; to loathe, i.e. (morally) detest: — (make to be) abhor(-red), (be, commit more, do) abominable(-y), x utterly.
AV (22) – abhor 14, abominable 6, abominably 1, utterly 1;
]]
Details below. For now, continuing with מעם:
8. Shemot 9:33 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעִיר וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו אֶל י״י וַיַּחְדְּלוּ הַקֹּלוֹת וְהַבָּרָד וּמָטָר לֹא נִתַּךְ אָרְצָה.
Exodus 9:33 from being with Pharaoh
33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the LORD; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.
9. Shemot 10:6 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וּמָלְאוּ בָתֶּיךָ וּבָתֵּי כׇל עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבָתֵּי כׇל מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא רָאוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וַאֲבוֹת אֲבֹתֶיךָ
מִיּוֹם הֱיוֹתָם עַלהָאֲדָמָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיִּפֶן
וַיֵּצֵא מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה.
Exodus 10:6 from being with Pharaoh
6 They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.'” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
10. Shemot 10:18 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֵּצֵא מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה וַיֶּעְתַּר אֶל י״י.
Exodus 10:18 from being with Pharaoh
18 So he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.
11. Shemot 11:8 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְיָרְדוּ כׇל עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה אֵלַי וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לִי לֵאמֹר צֵא אַתָּה וְכׇל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלֶיךָ
וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אֵצֵא וַיֵּצֵא מֵעִםפַּרְעֹה בׇּחֳרִי אָף.
Exodus 11:4-8
4 Then Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. from being with Pharaoh
12. Shemot 21:14 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְכִי יָזִד אִישׁ עַל רֵעֵהוּ לְהׇרְגוֹ בְעׇרְמָה מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לָמוּת.
Exodus 21:14 from being with my altar
14 “But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.
13. Shemot 22:13 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְכִי יִשְׁאַל אִישׁ מֵעִם רֵעֵהוּ וְנִשְׁבַּר אוֹ מֵת בְּעָלָיו אֵין עִמּוֹ שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם.
Exodus 22:14
14(13H) “And if a man borrows (anything) from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good.
- Not clear here if it is “from (its) being with his neighbor” or if it means, the man being connected with his neighbor, then borrows•••
14. Vayikra 4:27 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאִם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת תֶּחֱטָא בִשְׁגָגָה מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ בַּעֲשֹׂתָהּ אַחַת
מִמִּצְוֺת י״י אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵעָשֶׂינָה וְאָשֵׁם.
Leviticus 4:27-29 NKJV
27 If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing (something against) any of the commandments of the LORD (in anything) which ought not to be done, and is guilty, 28 or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. 29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.
Leviticus 4:27-29 Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) more discussion later
27 `And if any person of the people of the land sin through ignorance, by his doing [something against] one of the commands of Jehovah [regarding things] which are not to be done, and hath been guilty–28 or his sin which he hath sinned hath been made known unto him, then he hath brought in his offering, a kid of the goats, a perfect one, a female, for his sin which he hath sinned, 29 and he hath laid his hand on the head of the sin-offering, and hath slaughtered the sin-offering in the place of the burnt-offering.
15. Devarim 18:16 (Mikraot Gedolot)
כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלְתָּ מֵעִם י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּחֹרֵב בְּיוֹם הַקָּהָל לֵאמֹר לֹא אֹסֵף
לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת קוֹל י״י אֱלֹהָי וְאֶת הָאֵשׁהַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת לֹא
אֶרְאֶה עוֹד וְלֹא אָמוּת.
Deuteronomy 18:15-16 from being with יהוה
15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst (h7130. קֶרֶב qereḇ מִקִּרְבְּךָ֤), from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again(h3254. יָסַף yâsap̱) the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’
- מִקִּרְבְּךָ֤ See note Drawing Near, and especially study on בקרב from AlHaTorah – this is not yet on the website, but note p.233 קרב come close. From this root comes the word קרבן, qorban, the offering brought to the LORD.
16. Devarim 23:16 (Mikraot Gedolot)
לֹא תַסְגִּיר עֶבֶד אֶל אֲדֹנָיו אֲשֶׁר יִנָּצֵל אֵלֶיךָ מֵעִם אֲדֹנָיו.
Deuteronomy 23:15-16 from being with his master
15 “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He may dwell with you in your midst בְּקִרְבְּךָ֗, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.
- בְּקִרְבְּךָ֗ See notation just above about Drawing Near
17. Devarim 29:17 (Mikraot Gedolot)
פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה אוֹ מִשְׁפָּחָה אוֹ שֵׁבֶט אֲשֶׁר לְבָבוֹ פֹנֶה הַיּוֹם מֵעִם י״י אֱלֹהֵינוּ לָלֶכֶת לַעֲבֹד אֶתאֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם הָהֵם פֶּן יֵשׁ
בָּכֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ פֹּרֶה רֹאשׁ וְלַעֲנָה.
Deuteronomy 29:14-19 from being with יהוה
14 “I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, 15 but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today 16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, 17 and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); 18(17H) so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.
18. Shofetim 9:37 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד גַּעַל לְדַבֵּר וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה עָם יוֹרְדִים מֵעִם טַבּוּר הָאָרֶץ וְרֹאשׁ אֶחָד בָּא מִדֶּרֶךְ אֵלוֹן מְעוֹנְנִים.
Judges 9:37 from being with the טַבּוּר of the ארץ
37 So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”
navel
Ezekiel 38:10-13
10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell (h3427. יָשַׁבyâšaḇ) in the midst (h2872. טַבּוּר ṭabbûr) of the land (h0776. אֶרֶץ ’ereṣ). 13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?'”‘ see what the tribe of Dan did in Jg18, esp. note 18:27
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Exodus 28:17-21
17 And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows (h2905. טוּר ṭûr) of stones: The first row (h2905. טוּר ṭûr) shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row(h2905. טוּר ṭûr); 18 the second row (h2905. טוּר ṭûr) shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row (h2905. טוּר ṭûr), a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row (h2905. טוּר ṭûr), a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.
- See discussion below about homorganic consonants and Vav being a labial together with ב and פ – easily missed. Thus טבר and טור are cognates.
- The focus of these people is on solidifying basic needs. What actually got me started on looking at מעם was several times seeing מעם הארץ.
- I encourage you, if you have not, to go back to one of the earliest Posts, 04. Interpretation Overview, and listen to Robert Strauch’s 12 minute video on lifting meaning out of Scripture. And I want you especially to notice his comment about paying very close attention to the little words, words like prepositions, that make a huge difference. Two witnesses I will mention here; first the attention we have been placing on the prefix –ב recently as “in,” as “in the house of,” or being the place in which we live. The second witness, I encourage you to note here in this study of מעם. Notice in Judges 9:37, there are two groups of people, one from the center of the land, and one from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree. The same simple preposition in English is used in one place for מעם and in the other place using the prefix –מ. p.299 -מ that which emanates from an object or person. Are they the same? Is –מ the equivalent of מעם? I propose that they are not. I propose that מעם is more intense. I ask you to go to the beginning of this discussion and look at the EDBH entry for עמם. Look particularly at the usage “living in social relationship with.” מעם is the prefix –מ plus עם. One level is the influence of “that which emanates from a person or object” and one is what “emanates from living in social relationship with.” When it says מעם יהוה, from being with יהוה, it is talking about “knowing God” and not just knowing about God. It means intimate knowledge, being in relationship with. (Again, my interpretation. Please discern for yourself.)
19. Shemuel I 2:33 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאִישׁ לֹא אַכְרִית לְךָ מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי לְכַלּוֹת אֶת עֵינֶיךָ וְלַאֲדִיב אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְכׇל
מַרְבִּית בֵּיתְךָ יָמוּתוּ אֲנָשִׁים.
1 Samuel 2:30-33 from being with my altar
30 Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altarshall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
20. Shemuel I 10:9 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְהָיָה כְּהַפְנֹתוֹ שִׁכְמוֹ לָלֶכֶת מֵעִם שְׁמוּאֵל וַיַּהֲפׇךְ לוֹ אֱלֹהִים לֵב אַחֵר וַיָּבֹאוּ כׇּל הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא.
1 Samuel 10:9-13 from being with Samuel
9 So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 Then a man from there answered and said, “But who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 And when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
21. Shemuel I 16:14 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְרוּחַ י״י סָרָה מֵעִם שָׁאוּל וּבִעֲתַתּוּ רוּחַ רָעָה מֵאֵת י״י.
1 Samuel 16:14-16 from being with Saul
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
22. Shemuel I 20:9 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹנָתָן חָלִילָה לָּךְ כִּי אִם יָדֹעַ אֵדַע כִּי כָלְתָה הָרָעָה מֵעִם אָבִי לָבוֹא עָלֶיךָ וְלֹא אֹתָהּ אַגִּיד לָךְ.
1 Samuel 20:9 from being with my father
9 But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined bymy father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”
23. Shemuel I 20:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְלֹא תַכְרִית אֶת חַסְדְּךָ מֵעִם בֵּיתִי עַד עוֹלָם וְלֹא בְּהַכְרִת י״י אֶת אֹיְבֵי דָוִד אִישׁ מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה.
1 Samuel 20:14-15 from being with my house
14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; 15 but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” (And see the way David took in Mephibosheth)
24. Shemuel I 20:33 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיָּטֶל שָׁאוּל אֶת הַחֲנִית עָלָיו לְהַכֹּתוֹ וַיֵּדַע יְהוֹנָתָן כִּי כָלָה הִיא מֵעִם אָבִיו לְהָמִית אֶת דָּוִד.
1 Samuel 20:32-33 from being with his father
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?” 33 Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
25. Shemuel I 20:34 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיָּקׇם יְהוֹנָתָן מֵעִם הַשֻּׁלְחָן בׇּחֳרִי אָף וְלֹא אָכַל בְּיוֹם הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי לֶחֶם כִּי נֶעְצַב אֶל דָּוִד כִּי הִכְלִמוֹ אָבִיו.
1 Samuel 20:34 from being with the table
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully. (The table, especially the king’s table, was a very important place of gathering and interacting. Leaving it is a big statement.)
26. Shemuel II 1:2 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ בָּא מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה מֵעִם שָׁאוּל וּבְגָדָיו קְרֻעִים וַאֲדָמָה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וַיְהִי בְּבֹאוֹ אֶלדָּוִד וַיִּפֹּל אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ.
2 Samuel 1:1-2 from being with Saul’s camp
1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
27. Shemuel II 3:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיִּשְׁלַח אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת וַיִּקָּחֶהָ מֵעִם אִישׁ מֵעִם פַּלְטִיאֵל בֶּן [לָיִשׁ] (לוש).
2 Samuel 3:14-16 from being with husband, from being with Paltiel
14 So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ishbosheth sent and took her from (her) husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned.
▸ h6409. פַּלְטִיאֵל p̱alṭîy’êl – Phaltiel = “God delivers”
son of Laish of Gallim to whom Saul gave Michal in marriage after his mad jealousy had driven David forth as an outlaw
28. Shemuel II 3:26 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֵּצֵא יוֹאָב מֵעִם דָּוִד וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וַיָּשִׁבוּ אֹתוֹ מִבּוֹר הַסִּרָה וְדָוִד לֹא יָדָע.
2 Samuel 3:26 here they got it
26 And when Joab had gone from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it.
29. Shemuel II 3:28 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִד מֵאַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיֹּאמֶר נָקִי אָנֹכִי וּמַמְלַכְתִּי מֵעִם י״י עַד עוֹלָם מִדְּמֵי אַבְנֵר בֶּן נֵר.
2 Samuel 3:27-28 from being with יהוה
27 Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “My kingdom and I are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
30. Shemuel II 7:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְחַסְדִּי לֹא יָסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי מֵעִם שָׁאוּל אֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי מִלְּפָנֶיךָ.
2 Samuel 7:12-16 from being with Saul – (the other two “from”s are –מ)
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”‘”
31. Melakhim I 2:33 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְשָׁבוּ דְמֵיהֶם בְּרֹאשׁ יוֹאָב וּבְרֹאשׁ זַרְעוֹ לְעֹלָם וּלְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ וּלְבֵיתוֹ
וּלְכִסְאוֹ יִהְיֶה שָׁלוֹם עַד עוֹלָם מֵעִםי״י.
1 Kings 2:29-33 from being with יהוה
29 And King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the LORD; there he is, by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” 30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said to him, “Thus says the king, Come out!'”
And he said, “No, but I will die here.” And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”
31 Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed. 32 So the LORD will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it. 33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the LORD.”
32. Melakhim I 11:9 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיִּתְאַנַּף י״י בִּשְׁלֹמֹה כִּי נָטָה לְבָבוֹ מֵעִם י״י אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּרְאָה אֵלָיו פַּעֲמָיִם.
1 Kings 11:9-10 from being with יהוה
9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded.
33. Melakhim I 12:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְלֹא שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל הָעָם כִּי הָיְתָה סִבָּה מֵעִם י״י לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר י״י בְּיַד
אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילֹנִיאֶל יָרׇבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט.
1 Kings 12:15 from being with יהוה
15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn (of events) was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
34. Melakhim II 25:19 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וּמִן הָעִיר לָקַח סָרִיס אֶחָד אֲשֶׁר הוּא פָקִיד עַל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים מֵרֹאֵי פְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ
אֲשֶׁרנִמְצְאוּ בָעִיר
וְאֵת הַסֹּפֵר שַׂר הַצָּבָא הַמַּצְבִּא אֶת עַם הָאָרֶץ וְשִׁשִּׁים אִישׁ מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ הַנִּמְצְאִים בָּעִיר.
2 Kings 25:18-21 from being with the solidifying of basic needs
18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers. 19 He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, five men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the chief recruiting officer of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. 20 So Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.
The English is a bit awkward, but perhaps think of it similar to Ezekiel 38:12 under טברabove, “focused on solidifying basic needs.” One may think of this in two ways (and I will leave the interpretation you), either/or, or both:
One way is the these are people very focused on the world, the flesh, their bodily desires and urges.
The other way to interpret are that these are people scraping by a living, barely getting the essential needs like food and shelter, which makes one think of Maslow’s Hierarchy:
- Theoretically, if one is stuck at the bottom of the triangle, there is little chance of moving to the higher levels. 🤔 Could there be a third possibility that is a combination somehow of the two, people whose mindset is one of scarcity where there is none, and are thus focused on fruitfulness, acquiring, wanting? I had good friends who adopted a child from a very poor village in Africa where there truly was a scarcity of food. After being adopted the child had a problem with overeating even though the scarcity no longer existed in this new life. 🤔 Do these ever get to the higher levels?
Proverbs 30:15-16
15 The leech has two daughters:
Give and Give.
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”:
16 Sheol, the barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
35. Yeshayahu 7:8 (Mikraot Gedolot)
כִּי רֹאשׁ אֲרָם דַּמֶּשֶׂק וְרֹאשׁ דַּמֶּשֶׂק רְצִין וּבְעוֹד שִׁשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה יֵחַת אֶפְרַיִם מֵעָם.
Isaiah 7:7-9
7 thus says the Lord GOD:
“It shall not stand,
Nor shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria (is) Damascus,
And the head of Damascus (is) Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken,
(So that it will) not (be) a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
And the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son.
If you will not believe,
Surely you shall not be established.”‘”
- Some things to note here: first, I’m helping you out here so you don’t have to scroll back up, here is עמם again:
Isaiah 7:8 YLT
8 For the head of Aram [is] Damascus, And the head of Damascus [is] Rezin, And within sixty and five years Is Ephraim broken from [being] a people.
- There is no word “not” here as the translation presents. The way to look at the two lines/cola together could accurately be understood as “Within sixty-five years, Ephraim will be psychologically broken, from being a cohesive group, from holding together as a nation/a people.”
The American nation is fruitful/Ephraim (Gn41:52), but not all in Ephraim need be focused on “fruitfulness.” We should be focused on the Singular Commandment, making certain we are merciful and just toward our fellow humans. This is to be what holds together a “people.” Let go of the “prosperity gospel.” Love the one next to you, “in your midst,” and from “being with them,” while being with יהוה, you become a people not of “prosperity/fruitfulness,” but a people of God. See 1 John 4:20-21.
36. Yeshayahu 7:11 (Mikraot Gedolot)
שְׁאַל לְךָ אוֹת מֵעִם י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַעְמֵק שְׁאָלָה אוֹ הַגְבֵּהַּ לְמָעְלָה.
Isaiah 7:11 from being with יהוה
11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”
Only those in this status, מעם יהוה, can truly ask for a sign. Signs are present all the time. Those who live with יהוה see them everywhere, every day. (See Matthew 16:1-4) If one has to ask, one is likely not מעם יהוה.
- I am going to publish a corollary to this entry as 80-1/2 Sign of Jonah to help with understanding here. If you see that Jonah has to do with haughtiness and oppression, then you will see what Yeshua/Jesus was saying to the Pharisees and Sadducees. This is one of those “hints” in Scripture.
37. Yeshayahu 8:18 (Mikraot Gedolot)
הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי וְהַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לִי י״י לְאֹתוֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעִם י״י צְבָאוֹת הַשֹּׁכֵן בְּהַר צִיּוֹן.
Isaiah 8:13-18 from being with יהוה
13 The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.
14 He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and taken.”
16 Bind up the testimony,
Seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait on the LORD,
Who hides His face from the house of Jacob;
And I will hope in Him.
18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me!
We are for signs and wonders in Israel
From the LORD of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.
- A clue: Mount (h2022. הַר har) Zion (h6726. צִיּוֹן ṣîyôn) I will share the root for ציון, which is ציה, and the three הר roots, all to be considered.
③ marking; noting
Jeremiah 31:21 in BHS and in English translations, 31:21, not 31:20
21 “Set up signposts (h6725. צִיוּן ṣîyûn),
Make landmarks;
Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
OK, so ציון, from ציה, is all about desolation and about how it heightens one’s attention/focus (Jr31:21).
And הר is about teaching, standing out from that surrounding something or someone, and about bringing forth new life. Experiences of desolation, “wilderness experiences,” are all about focusing our attention to get us to receive teaching, to help us stand out from “the world,” and to bring forth new life in us. This is why the Hebrews had to go through a wilderness experience. And why Moshe/Moses had to be on the mountain for three forty-day experiences. This is why Yeshua/Jesus went through the forty days in the wilderness. And why he told those who said they would follow him wherever he would go, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay head.” And why people were told to take up their cross and follow. Following the LORD is no life of comfort or prosperity. It is about learning what we must learn by sometimes hard teaching. It is only through the desolate places, the hard teaching, that we (a stiff-necked people) really learn. Drop your stubbornness, be open to the signs around you. Learn from the master teacher, from being with יהוה. Open yourself up to what you are to learn. If it takes forty years or sixty-five years, or four hundred years (even three thousand, with the still-divided Kingdom) the teaching will go on until it is learned. One of our studies will be about the letter lamed ל, the shepherd’s staff, which is used in many ways for guidance and protection. Interesting, it even has its own root, so powerful it is:
And no variants, no cognates. It stands alone.
38. Yeshayahu 28:29 (Mikraot Gedolot)
גַּם זֹאת מֵעִם י״י צְבָאוֹת יָצָאָה הִפְלִא עֵצָה הִגְדִּיל תּוּשִׁיָּה.
Isaiah 28:23-29 from being with יהוה
23 Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my speech.
24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow?
Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods?
25 When he has leveled its surface,
Does he not sow the black cummin
And scatter the cummin,
Plant the wheat in rows,
The barley in the appointed place,
And the spelt in its place?
26 For He instructs him in right judgment,
His God teaches him.
27 For the black cummin is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
Nor is a cartwheel rolled over the cummin;
But the black cummin is beaten out with a stick,
And the cummin with a rod.
28 Bread flour must be ground;
Therefore he does not thresh it forever,
Break it with his cartwheel,
Or crush it with his horsemen.
29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts,
Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.
39. Yeshayahu 29:6 (Mikraot Gedolot)
מֵעִם י״י צְבָאוֹת תִּפָּקֵד בְּרַעַם וּבְרַעַשׁ וְקוֹל גָּדוֹל סוּפָה וּסְעָרָה וְלַהַב אֵשׁ אוֹכֵלָה.
Isaiah 29:6 from being with יהוה
6 You will be (h6485. פָּקַד p̱âqaḏ) by the LORD of hosts
With thunder and earthquake and great noise,
(With) storm and tempest
And the flame of devouring fire.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons in this entry. And the clearest statement of what has already been said here.
You will be invested with purpose or responsibility from being with יהוה.
If you choose the Way of the LORD (יהוה), you will be invested with purpose or responsibility. If you are Christian and are saying to yourself, my Lord is not like that, recall what we said just above, under number 37, what it takes to follow him. You will be expected to take up your cross daily. Those who intend “from being with” God are invested with purpose or responsibility.
First let’s talk a little more about the importance of this word פקד, and then a couple of reminders. In the passage about the attributes of יהוה, specifically given to Moshe/Moses, פקד plays a prominent role:
Exodus 34:6-7
6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long in patience, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, not entirely acquitting, visiting(h6485. פָּקַד p̱âqaḏ) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, upon threes and upon fours.”
A first reminder:
Mark 10:18
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
And another:
Matthew 5:19-20
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches (them), he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds (the righteousness) of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
We all have iniquities (h5771. עָוֹן ‘âôn), decisions that we make that seem prudent at the time (we have discussed before).
When we choose a life of being with God, our decisions are invested with responsibility. There are consequences.
- A very unfortunate translation of the verse Isaiah 29:6 is substituting the word “punishment” for פקד. It may “feel like” punishment to us. But more accurately in the Hebrew, it is a natural response from being with יהוה, that our choices are invested with responsibility and purpose, in order that we may be taught, in order that we may learn,למד.
40. Yirmeyahu 48:42 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְנִשְׁמַד מוֹאָב מֵעָם כִּי עַל י״י הִגְדִּיל.
Jeremiah 48:42
42 And Moab shall be destroyed as a people,
Because he exalted himself against the LORD.
- As noted with Ephraim above, from being a cohesive element.
41. Yirmeyahu 52:25 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וּמִן הָעִיר לָקַח סָרִיס אֶחָד אֲשֶׁר הָיָה פָקִיד עַל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְשִׁבְעָה
אֲנָשִׁים מֵרֹאֵי פְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁרנִמְצְאוּ בָעִיר וְאֵת סֹפֵר שַׂר הַצָּבָא
הַמַּצְבִּא אֶת עַם הָאָרֶץ וְשִׁשִּׁים אִישׁ מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר.
Jeremiah 52:25 from being with the land/solidifying basic needs
25 He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, seven men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the principal scribe of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.
42. Tehillim 89:20 (Mikraot Gedolot)
אָז דִּבַּרְתָּ בְחָזוֹן לַחֲסִידֶיךָ וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁוִּיתִי עֵזֶר עַל גִּבּוֹר הֲרִימוֹתִי בָחוּר מֵעָם.
Psalms 89:15-19
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they (are) exalted.
17 For You (are) the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield (belongs) to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: “I have given help to (one who is) mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
43. Tehillim 114:1 (Mikraot Gedolot)
בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵז.
Psalms 114:1-2
1 When Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion.
44. Tehillim 121:2 (Mikraot Gedolot)
עֶזְרִי מֵעִם י״י עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ.
Psalms 121:1-2 – (NKJV heading God the Help of Those Who Seek Him)
A Song of Ascents. from being with יהוה
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help (comes) from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
45. Iyyov 1:12 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֹּאמֶר י״י אֶל הַשָּׂטָן הִנֵּה כׇל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ בְּיָדֶךָ רַק אֵלָיו אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ וַיֵּצֵא הַשָּׂטָן מֵעִם פְּנֵי י״י.
Job 1:12 from being with the presence of יהוה
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
46. Iyyov 28:4 (Mikraot Gedolot)
פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם גָּר הַנִּשְׁכָּחִים מִנִּי רָגֶל דַּלּוּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ נָעוּ.
Job 28:1-13 from being with גר stranger/sojourner/foreigner
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper is smelted from ore.
3 Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
4 He breaks open a shaft away from people (h1481. גּוּר gûr);
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.
5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.
7 That path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.
8 The proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
9 He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.
11 He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.
12 “But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
47. Rut 2:12 (Mikraot Gedolot) from being with יהוה
יְשַׁלֵּם י״י פׇּעֳלֵךְ וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּךְ שְׁלֵמָה מֵעִם י״י אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בָּאת לַחֲסוֹת תַּחַת כְּנָפָיו.
Ruth 2:12
12 The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
48. Rut 4:10 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְגַם אֶת רוּת הַמֹּאֲבִיָּה אֵשֶׁת מַחְלוֹן קָנִיתִי לִי לְאִשָּׁה לְהָקִים שֵׁם הַמֵּת עַל נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלֹא יִכָּרֵת שֵׁם הַמֵּתמֵעִם אֶחָיו וּמִשַּׁעַר
מְקוֹמוֹ עֵדִים אַתֶּם הַיּוֹם.
Ruth 4:10 from being with his brethren
10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”
49. Divrei HaYamim II 10:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְלֹא שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל הָעָם כִּי הָיְתָה נְסִבָּה מֵעִם הָאֱלֹהִים לְמַעַן הָקִים י״י אֶת דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד אֲחִיָּהוּהַשִּׁלוֹנִי אֶל יָרׇבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט.
2 Chronicles 10:12-15 from being with Elohim/God
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. This is the beginning of the now 3000-year division of the Kingdom.
50. Divrei HaYamim II 24:23 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיְהִי לִתְקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה עָלָה עָלָיו חֵיל אֲרָם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ אֶת כׇּל שָׂרֵי הָעָם מֵעָם וְכׇלשְׁלָלָם שִׁלְּחוּ לְמֶלֶךְ דַּרְמָשֶׂק.
2 Chronicles 24:23 of Joash
23 So it happened in the spring of the year that the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
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This is the deeper investigation of “abomination.“ These roots were listed above without the verses.
תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת
First, as listed in Strongs, תעב, which seems to agree with EDBH.
① despising; rejecting
Deuteronomy 23:7-8
7 “You shall not abhor (h8581. תָּעַב ṯâ‘aḇ) an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor (h8581. תָּעַב ṯâ‘aḇ) an Egyptian, because you were an alien (h1616. גֵּר g̱êr) in his land. 8 The children of the third generation born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.
▸ h1616. גֵּר g̱êr; or (fully) גֵּיר geyr; from h1481. גּוּר gûr; properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner: — alien, sojourner, stranger.
② abhorring; abominating
Genesis 43:32
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) to the Egyptians.
{{Genesis 46:33-34 Not from the EDBH listing
33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) to the Egyptians.”}}
① drawing; making marks
Ezekiel 9:3-4
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark (h8420. תָּו ṯâw) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) that are done within it.”
② setting bounds
Psalms 78:38-42
38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.
40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited (h8428. תָּוָה ṯâwâ) the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
((Many of God’s works are done by way of the hands of mankind – e.g. Gn15:13; 2K15:27-30, 18:9-12; Jr7:9-15, 25:4-11 – see especially 2 Samuel 7:14 “chasten with the rod of men”))
- Note that the תוה listing and the עבה listing both include the word תועבה, which is a suggestive, but not definitive clue.
① covering with fat
Deuteronomy 32:12-16
12 So the LORD alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him.
13 “He made him ride in the heights of the earth,
That he might eat the produce of the fields;
He made him draw honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock;
14 Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs;
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the choicest wheat;
And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.
15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked;
You grew fat, you grew thick (h5666. עָבָה ‘âḇâ),
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With abominations (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) they provoked Him to anger.
▸ h5666. עָבָה ‘âḇâ; a primitive root; to be dense: — be (grow) thick(-er).
AV (3) – thicker 2, thick 1
② thickening
Exodus 19:7-9
7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. 9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick (h5645. עָב ‘âḇ) cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”
So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
▸ h5645. עָב ‘âḇ; (masculine and feminine); from h5743. עוּב ‘ûḇ; properly, an envelope, i.e. darkness (or density, 2 Chron. 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud; also a copse: — clay, (thick) cloud, x thick, thicket. Compare h5672. עֲבִי ‘ăḇîy.
▸ h5743. עוּב ‘ûḇ; a primitive root; to be dense or dark, i.e. to becloud: — cover with a cloud.
AV (1) – cover with a cloud 1
▸ h5672. עֲבִי ‘ăḇîy; or עֲבִי ‘obiy; from h5666. עָבָה ‘âḇâ; density, i.e. depth or width: — thick(-ness). Compare h5645. עָב ‘âḇ.
AV (4) – thickness 2, thick 2
All this in Strongs just points to the nuances of meaning we have discussed re: Variants.
③ firming
1 Kings 7:40-47 – ( NKJV Furnishings of the Temple – Ref 2 Chr. 4:11–18)
40 Huram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the LORD: 41 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 42 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars); 43 the ten carts, and ten lavers on the carts; 44 one Sea, and twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.
All these articles which Huram made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD were of burnished bronze. 46 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay (h4568. מַעֲבֶהma‘ăḇeh) molds (h0127. אֲדָמָה ’ăḏâmâ), between Succoth and Zaretan. 47 And Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.
▸ h4568. מַעֲבֶה ma‘ăḇeh; from h5666. עָבָה ‘âḇâ; properly, compact (part of soil), i.e. loam: — clay.
//// 1 Kings 9:15-21
- 15 And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the LORD and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer 16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife; 17 so Solomon rebuilt Gezer) and Lower Beth-horon 18 and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, 19 and all the store cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel— 21 their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction—these Solomon drafted to be slaves, and so they are to this day.
Three important points here:
- There are many instances where mankind is referred to as clay (Is29:16, 41:25, 45:9; 64:8; Jr18:1-8; Ps31:12; Ec12:1-8[pitcher]; Rom9:17-26 2Cor4:7, [and others implied])
- The word for “mold” h0127. אֲדָמָה ’ăḏâmâ is the same root as mankind.
- It does not sound like the way Solomon treated people was much different from how Pharaoh treated the Israelites
I interpret this very much like the quotation from Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, “Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.” Perhaps this is easily seen as one of numerous ways that Solomon/Shlomo failed in his testing.
////
- So, the cognate meaning is very helpful here, to me, hide/reveal. To me, with the clay, things “take shape,” from what had little shape. And clouds in Scripture both hide/give shade, but also reveal that rain is coming.
Note that if we go with the thoughts under עבה, we have the תוה root for both prefix and suffix, so a “double mark” of the thought of עבה.
A “mark” of something that hides its substance or reveals its shape or form. A “sign” of something hidden? The unknown? The unknown that we fear, that we do not understand? Please ponder with me.
(These are the same ropes/cords used to bind Samson in Jg16:11-12. Definitely scheming in that passage.)
① binding
Micah 7:1-4
1 Woe is me!
For I am like those who gather summer fruits,
Like those who glean vintage grapes;
There is no cluster to eat
Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.
2 The faithful man has perished from the earth,
And there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
Every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands—
The prince asks for gifts,
The judge seeks a bribe,
And the great man utters his evil desire;
So they scheme (h5686. עָבַת ‘âḇaṯ) together.
4 The best of them is like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.
||
Exodus 28:1-4 (Garments for the Priesthood – Ex. 39:1–7)
1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash (h0073. אַבְנֵט ’aḇnêṭ). So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.
||
Deuteronomy 15:1-6 (Debts Canceled Every Seven Years – Ex. 21:1–11; Lev. 25:1–7)
1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release. 3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4 except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— 5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend (h5670. עָבַט ‘âḇaṭ) to many nations, but you shall not borrow (h5670. עָבַט ‘âḇaṭ); you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
Deuteronomy 15:6
6 כִּֽי־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ בֵּֽרַכְךָ֔ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לָ֑ךְ וְהַֽעֲבַטְתָּ֞ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֔ט וּמָֽשַׁלְתָּ֙ בְּגוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וּבְךָ֖לֹ֥א יִמְשֹֽׁלוּ׃ ס
② cord
Exodus 39:15-17
15 And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords (h5688. עֲבֹת ‘ăḇôṯ), of pure gold. 16 And they made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 17 And they put the two cords (h5688. עֲבֹת ‘ăḇôṯ) of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece.
③ tree-leafed branch of myrtle
Leviticus 23:39-43
39 ‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. 40 And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy (h5687. עָבֹת ‘âḇôṯ) trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.'”
- Please draw your own conclusions from this word. My take is that being bound to God is good, but being bound by things of the world is not good. The CM really covers both sides, “constrain by external force.”
Though it certainly seems to be in our nature to “abhor” something we don’t fully understand, I personally think adding in these other roots is helpful in bringing understanding. Still, ponder with me the three verses to see if there is enlightenment:
Exodus 8:26
26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination(h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. If we sacrifice the abomination (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us?
Genesis 43:32
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) to the Egyptians.
Genesis 46:33-34
33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination (h8441. תּוֹעֵבָה tô‘êḇâ) to the Egyptians.”
Shepherds are an abomination. Dining with Hebrews is an abomination. What the Hebrews sacrifice (mostly farm animals, sheep, goats, cows) are an abomination. Does this somehow tie into the history of Egypt 400 years earlier when, under Joseph’s hand during the years of plenty followed by the years of famine, their lives were spared but they lost all to Pharaoh, including their livestock, their land? If you have insight, please share.
A consideration I had was greatly related to the Genesis 46 verses. As the Hebrews were shepherds and thus nomadic, perhaps it was being molded to that lifestyle, not as “refined” as one could be in a permanent home, with bathing in the River, etc. (see Ex8:3, house, bedroom, bed, ovens, kneading bowls; Ex2:5 Pharaoh’s daughter bathe in the river; the more refined diet Nm11:5 cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic). These are not things you have when you live in tents, constantly on the move. But this does not explain Gn8:26, sacrificing the abomination.
After a good bit of pondering on my own, I went to the internet. I found an article where an academic scholar had researched the very same question. The link below gives you full access to his 24 page article on pdf. I have taken the liberty to share with you two sections from the article. The first is his discussion of the meaning of the word תועבה. I highlighted the point. After that, I have copied his conclusion. Please feel free to delve into the entire article if you desire. The reference numbers included are in his article.
http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/ote/v22n1/08.pdf
“Abomination to Egyptians” in Genesis 43:32,
46:34, and Exodus 8:22
ARON PINKER (MARYLAND,USA)
Pinker: Abomination to Egyptians
Old Testament Essays 22 (1) 2009, pp. 151-174.
“Apparently the verb was used to express inconvenience with anything that did not agree with accepted norms and expectations. This sense also agrees with that of the noun תועבהin the Bible. In the earlier books תועבה refers to inconvenience with the practices of other people (Gen 43:32, 46:34, Ex 8:22, Lev 18:22) and with foreign gods or distorted ritual (Deut 7:25, 12:31, 18:12, 22:5, 23:19, 27:16, 32:16, 2 Kgs 16:13, etc.). In the Wisdom Literature תועבה was used mainly in the moral domain (Prov 11:1, 20, 12, 22, etc.), but in Ezekiel, as in Deuteronomy, most of the references (43) are in the domain of ritual.” •••
“CONCLUSION
The enigmatic references in the Bible to “abomination to the Egyptians” have baffled classical Jewish commentators. Their attempts to find a single cause for all the cases of relevance must be considered a failure. Modern scholarship, despite the vast sources on Ancient Egypt, has not come up with specific enough identifications of the “abomination to Egypt.” It seems that these abominations originated from various causes. Coming from a rather different culture the Hebrews dressed differently, engaged in different occupations, and sacrificed differently. These differences led to some distancing between the Hebrews and Egyptians, which the Bible attributed to “abomination to the Egyptians.” Our suggestions are certainly somewhat tentative. They are related to historical facts, making them specific possibilities but not exclusive causes. Hopefully this contribution will rekindle interest in this problem, which has received unsatisfactory treatment in biblical exegesis, and eventually lead to more certain identification of the abominations.
It is notable that the Israelites of the Exodus had ample cause to abominate the Egyptians. Slavery in Egypt because of a change in regime and xenophobia must have been a most traumatic experience. Yet, the Bible commands the Israelites: You should not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land (Deut 23:8). During the Hebrews’ sojourn in Egypt they grew from a tribe into a nation. They have spread beyond their initial borders in Goshen and lived in harmony with the Egyptians for a long time. The end to this association was certainly upsetting and painful for Israel. Israel never forgot the oppression of Egypt, making the oppression and redemption cornerstones of its very existence.72 At the same time, Israel did not forget their good fortunes in Egypt. The “gut reaction,” of an Israelite of that period, could have justifiably been to consider the Egyptian an abomination, yet the Bible commands to think better.73”
Returning to our Hebrew roots investigation, if Pinker is correct in that an abomination is an inconvenience, then it would fit well with our entire concept here. From being with Pharaoh, certain cultural norms were set within the people. Thus they were “bound,” much as we have spoken on this website about “assumptive reasoning.” We become “bound” in our thinking by certain norms or teachings we have accepted since a young age. The assumptions are a challenge when faced with things encountered in life. Here is where we must inquire of the LORD (יהוה) as did David. Two ways to go about such inquiry are to really study and understand Scripture (which we are trying to go about here), and the other is prayer. But again, in looking for answers/signs by way of prayer, we must be certain we are being with יהוה. If we know about the LORD from some teaching from our distant past, but are not in everyday communion with him, we may only be hearing the answers of our memory. 1Th5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Very interesting, the phrase “without ceasing” occurs twice in the ESV in the Hebrew Scriptures (Ps35:15 and Lm3:49), in both cases the words meaning “no silence.” In other words, do not let your interaction with God be silenced by those around you. You will “stand out,” as in הר.
And recall we are looking at מעם “from being with.” Do you see a tie-in between the abomination thought in these verses (esp. Ex8:26) and “from being with Pharaoh?” Please discern for yourself.
Pharaoh h6547. פַּרְעֹה p̱ar‘ô
① easing pressure
Exodus 5:4-5
4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take (h6544. פָּרַעp̱âra‘) the people from their work? Get back to your labor.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest (h7673. שָׁבַת šâḇaṯ) from their labor!” (Note Pharaoh does not like shabbat.)
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Genesis 1:1 פרע and ברא being cognates
1 In the beginning God created (h1254. בָּרָא ḇârâ’) the heavens and the earth.
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Genesis 16:8-12 פרע and פרא being cognates
8 And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” 10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her:
“Behold, you are with child,
And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the LORD has heard your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild (h6501. פֶּרֶא p̱ere’) man;
His hand (shall be) against every man,
And every man’s hand against him.
And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”
- Please recall that one theory of the Hebrews being relegated to Egypt for four-hundred years, and ending up in slavery was due to Sarai’s harsh treatment of Hagar. A consequence of action. There is also:
- Deuteronomy 10:19
- 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
“Stranger is (h1616. גֵּר g̱êr), which is also sometimes translated as “guest.”
② uncovering
Numbers 5:18-19
18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the LORD, uncover (h6544. פָּרַע p̱âra‘) the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.
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Exodus 25:39
39 It shall be made of a talent of pure (h2889. טָהוֹר ṭâhôr) gold, with all these utensils.
Exodus 25:39
39 כִּכָּ֛ר זָהָ֥ב טָהֹ֖ור יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֑הּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
- It will require some explanation for you to see this connection, but it is so critical to several points in understanding the Tabernacle and its elements, that we must spend the time on it. First, separate the ט from the הור, and consider that ט, a dental with ת, could represent “mark” as in “an example of,” but also the ט is the container or basket, so a similar thought, “containing הור.” And הור is a cognate permutation with פער. The hardest one to catch is the Vav, a labial with פ and ב.
So, ר is in הור and פער. And פ and ו interchange; and ע and ה interchange. If we follow this line of thinking, you will see that a desire for “pure” gold is an example of lack of restraint. Or lack of restraint “is contained in” pureness, purity being for God, but mankind should restrain itself from desiring “pure.”
- So, please remember this discussion as we delve further into the Tabernacle – then much will come to light
- Purity is a Godly quality, not a quality of mankind, nor to be desired. (Ever notice how the conquering nations would always strip the Temple of its adornments?)
③ losing complete control
Exodus 32:25-29
25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (h6544. פָּרַע p̱âra‘) (for Aaron had not restrained (h6544. פָּרַע p̱âra‘) them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.'” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”
- And this is when the Levites won the right to be priests but also the great responsibility of restraint, having no belongings on their own, depending on others for their livelihood. Compare this picture of Levi with Gn49:5-7 and the time it refers to in Gn34.
④ distancing
Proverbs 1:24-27
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained (h6544. פָּרַע p̱âra‘) all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
⑤ king with unlimited power
Genesis 41:1-7
1 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh (h6547. פַּרְעֹה p̱ar‘ô) had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 2 Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 3 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh (h6547. פַּרְעֹה p̱ar‘ô) awoke. 5 He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7 And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh (h6547. פַּרְעֹה p̱ar‘ô) awoke, and indeed, it was a dream.
⑥ wild hair; locks
Deuteronomy 32:42
42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
And My sword shall devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the heads of the leaders (h6546. פַּרְעָה p̱ar‘â) of the enemy.”‘
⑦ wild insect
1 Samuel 24:13-15
13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea (h6550. פַּרְעשׁ p̱ar‘š)? 15 Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”
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Genesis 25:5-6
5 And Abraham (h0085. אַבְרָהָם ’aḇrâhâm) gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham(h0085. אַבְרָהָם ’aḇrâhâm) gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham (h0085. אַבְרָהָם ’aḇrâhâm) had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.
Genesis 25:6
6 וְלִבְנֵ֤י הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם נָתַ֥ן אַבְרָהָ֖ם מַתָּנֹ֑ת וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֞ם מֵעַ֨ל יִצְחָ֤ק בְּנוֹ֙ בְּעוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חַ֔י קֵ֖דְמָהאֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ קֶֽדֶם׃
The LORD (יהוה) our God is a God of restraint. Thus all of God’s teachings are orderly and about restraining our carnal nature, our soul and emotions, especially desire. Pharaoh was a god to his people, a god of no restraint, a god of “emerging from constraints.” Abraham, in the last parallel verse, understood the need to separate those without restraint from the son he was going to raise in the way of יהוה, the way of restraint. He was kind and generous to the others but sent them away. My take (I welcome yours) is that Solomon/Shlomo became a man of no restraint ((see, only one example:
1 Kings 11:3
3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
This is the cause of the division of the Kingdom which remains today. You see how Solomon treated the conscripted ones.))
The picture of abomination may well be that the Egyptians, “from being with Pharaoh,” may well have considered the restraint of the Hebrews abhorrent. But again, you should draw your own conclusions.
January 2022 logandspeck.com please cite if copying