One simple and obvious use of the word “Keyword” is repetitive use of a word in a passage, which was discussed previously. An example would be Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, having 176 verses. The ESV inserts a topical title for that Psalm based on verse 105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet” [“and a light unto my path” is the remainder of this well-known verse]. Repeated words are תּוֹרָה tôrāh, teaching [or many translations say “law,” which carries a negative connotation to many because of the unfortunate use of the Greek translations of Paul’s letters using g3551. νόμος nómos to substitute for too many different ideas (more detailed discussion in a Post “Bookend on Teaching” later). If there were ever a time Greek should be more precise, this is it. Legalism, which Yeshua strongly opposed, is very different from tôrāh, teaching, which he lives by and himself teaches.] 25 occurrences; מִצְוָה miṣwāh, commandments 22 occurrences; חקֹ ḥōq, statutes 21 times; מִשְׁפָּט mišpāṭ, judgments or rules 23 times; פִּקּוּד piqqûḏ, precepts 21 times. So, we can get the idea that this Psalm is David’s praise of the Father’s guidance by his Word, being various kinds of instruction for living life.
In this chapter, the focus will be on words or related families of words that may give a hint to what the passage is about and may be used as a link to other passages with the same or similar messages. It has already been noted that the categories given in Strauch’s video are not distinct but “blend together,” or are “blurred at the edges.” Our sharing in the last chapter about אַ֝פַּ֗יִם was a very specific and detailed use of a “keyword.” Before giving examples of what this book will discuss as Keywords, let’s look at some terminology. In previous research experience, the writer would look for important articles on PubMed or other databases using keywords. It would seem that the basis of general internet function is the rapid search for keywords (no expert here). A keyword is simply one of the significant words from a title or body of a document that can serve as an index to the content of documents. If you are writing a paper on the Magna Carta and want to find out its date, you could type a string of keywords “date Magna Carta,” and your search engine could bring up [probably hundreds of] articles, and probably would give you suggestions for narrowing your search, such as “date Magna Carta signed” or “release date Magna Carta” or “date King John signed Magna Carta.”
As shared earlier, the Bible software available these days allow one to do exactly this type of search. And if one thinks about the concept of “Stringing Pearls” discussed earlier, what teachers in Biblical times would do is do a mental search of verses they had memorized that had a common word and a similar theme and then tied them together, “stringing” them. Technology always strives to catch up to God’s design. All of this is very pertinent to reading and understanding Scripture, as already explained. But here the focus will be to come at it from the other direction.
This is not a technique to use in a forward direction, eisegetically, but something to be aware of as one does one’s exegesis, “lifting out meaning.” As Mr. Strauch said, don’t begin with a thought [be it yours or a commentator’s] but read Scripture and meditate on it. And over time, using this idea of “Where have I seen/heard this before?” a pattern will begin to form in your mind. After you have seen [or been guided to see] a pattern, then you will want to investigate it further to see if the pattern continues, just as with .אַ֝פַּ֗יִם So, that was the basis for a discovery [Spirit-led, not within this writer’s abilities] that words in Scripture are/can be used as signals or banners to the reader to focus. This technique may lead to understanding some important themes, themes marked by “flags,” if you will.
These keywords, “flags” or “signals” will not necessarily be 100% of the time pointing you to something important that you are to notice [again as in אַ֝פַּ֗יִם ], but are reliable enough that when you stumble on the word, your senses will be heightened to look out for something important in its context, and, when it does not fit the pattern, one must ask “Why?” As with אַ֝פַּ֗יִם , there is a very good chance there is a message hidden in the example that does not fit, or perhaps a translation based upon less than full understanding. Recall that when readers and hearers of the Word in Biblical times encountered the true words, it was not what you now see through layers of translation. So, in 1Samuel 1:5 and Daniel 11:20, the one receiving the message got אַ֝פַּ֗יִם , not “double” or “anger.” אַ֝פַּ֗יִם created a connection, a mental pattern for them, just as when someone says “playing hopscotch,” it takes your mind to connections you have created from past experiences. For the writer, in years of study, there have been quite a few such words that have come to awareness. The list is too extensive to share here; besides, once again, this is a path of exploration and learning for the reader.
However, there are several examples the writer will share to help the reader understand the pattern as a concept. These are forms of Intertextuality, a term you’ve previously heard. For the first example, which is quite straightforward, the writer once again refers the reader to the beautiful work of Spangler & Tverberg (2009), in a section called Hinting to the Scriptures, referred to here before. In a string of Parables about the kingdom of heaven, this one-verse parable is shared:
• Matthew 13:33 ESV 33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
In their discussion, Spangler & Tverberg (2009) point out that the three measures are three seahs, referring to Genesis 18:6, the narrative about Abraham’s hospitality to God when he and two angels came to visit. They beautifully relate the story of just how much flour three seahs is, and what an extravagant meal Sarah prepared. They point out how for the typical amount of leaven a household would have, the results were a rather miraculous spread. And they point out leaven is usually a negative image in Scripture and reference Luke 12:1, relating it to hypocrisy. They ask the question why Yeshua would use it in a positive way in this circumstance, and draw their own conclusion. Of course, we all have our “Why?” questions of Scripture, and we all have our speculations for answers. The writer cannot tell you he has the answers. But he can share with you tools that may help you understand more.
What if, when you are reading Scripture you notice, as they did, that the use of leaven here was “different” [recall Strauch’s point, “differences”], and you wanted to investigate further. This is a nice example. For this one, even using the English works well. If you look for verses [in context, always!] about leaven, simply looking up the word in your concordance, paper or electronic, there is a reasonable list of passages to read. (Ex. 12:14-20, 13:7; Lv. 2:11, 6:14-18, 23:17 [further research]; Dt. 16:1-4; Mt. 13:31-33, 16:5-12; Mk. 8:14-21; Lk. 12:1-3, 13:18-21; 1Co. 5:6-8; Ga. 5:7-10) For Ex 23:17, the reader will have to dig a bit further regarding what a “wave offering” is. The leavened bread is only waved before God, but no leavened bread can be burned before God. The consistent pattern is that leaven is symbolic of sin, always negative. For the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the people are to clear all their property of any leaven. It is symbolic of clearing our lives of sin. So, if in all other passages, the pattern of leaven is negative, why is this one different? Or is it?
Take a side-step briefly, with that question in your mind. Let’s say it is a Keyword, that it is always telling us about sin, and all of a sudden it isn’t. [paraprosdokian] That could be a signal. A signal of what, we don’t yet know, but just say this is a signal to explore further. What the writer believes are truly Keywords follow the multiple witnesses pattern. They appear in different sections of Scripture, from different points of view, which help the reader “triangulate” the meaning. [Triangulation has many practical uses, e.g. survey technique to locate objects, to focus radiation from more than one source on a tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues, in surgery using “scopes” to converge on the point of interest, the reason that GPS knows where you are amidst a grid of cell towers…]
The writer himself feels most secure when there are witnesses from more than one section of Hebrew plus one [or more] from Greek Scriptures. Scripture is one teaching shared from multiple viewpoints. The experience of this writer is that sometimes passages may “seem to be unrelated” which should lead to meditation about whether they are in some way related, as in the last post. The writer will share with the reader his interpretation of this leaven passage, which again, the reader must be Berean about, checking and double-checking what the writer says. Never take one person’s opinion. “Multiple witnesses.”
Begin with the understanding here that brought the question to Spangler and Tverberg’s minds. Why would it be positive here, where otherwise it is negative? Can it be purely a “sign” from Yeshua? Can he be saying, pay attention to what this parable is really saying. This is a form of antithesis, mentioned earlier, saying something entirely unexpected to get one’s attention [paraprosdokian]. What else is in the parable? Little else, which is the beauty of this parable – a Master of words – it focuses the reader immediately on the “measures” or seahs. So, could this signal be to look at another “signal word?” This writer proposes a signal pointing to another signal. (Be Berean!)
Take a look at all verses with seahs, including the related ones with “measures” in the Greek [ESV]. (Gn 18:4-8; 1S 25:15-26; 1K 18:31-35; 2K 7:1, 7:16-18; Mt 13:33; Lk 13:21) Is there a common pattern or theme? The Luke verse is the same as the Matthew parable. In each passage used, the writer sees a pattern for a “major turning point,” which also seems to be tied in to “righteousness.” The Genesis passage announces not only the long-awaited anticipated birth of Isaac, but the destruction of Sodom. 1 Samuel changes the course of history, Abigail opening David’s eyes to the righteous way, avoiding ‘bloodguilt;’ 1 Kings changes the direction of the Israelites away from the unrighteousness of idol worship toward righteousness. The reader may have to go back to the context of 2 Kings 6:8 to get the gist, but this passage shows a similar pattern, a great change in direction. Unrighteousness is seen in the captain doubting Elisha’s word, which was the word of YHWH [and the closing bookend of that context].
Again, the reader should not rely on the writer’s interpretation. Read the passages and interpret for oneself, based upon prayer/meditation. (see similar Lk 1:18-25, 57-66) If there is merit in the writer’s interpretation, Yeshua could be saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is pointing to a major turning point [restoration?] related to righteousness.
Another good example is one that does not require knowledge of the Biblical language, so this exploration can be done in English; however, there are many more verses for you to read. This Keyword, Damascus, is one of the writer’s favorite discoveries. Though not necessary for the reader to interpret, it may be a help in reading passages to know what the ESD defines as the meaning of the name of the city of Damascus, and see its derivation.
The word is h1834. דַּמֶּשֶׂק ḏameśeq; or דּוּמֶשֶׂק Duwmeseq; or דַּרְמֶשֶׂק Darmeseq, and ESD defines as “silent is the sackcloth weaver.” The proposed derivation is h1826. דָּמַם ḏâmam; a prim root; to be dumb, silent, plus h7753. שׂוּךְ śûḵ which indicates knitted or woven, including a protective hedge woven of branches or thorns. Recall that sackcloth is used for mourning in Scripture. (cf.ltkcdn.net/fashion-history photo of sackcloth))
Also recall that Damascus is a city in Syria, which in Hebrew is h0758. אֲרָם ’ărâm, which ESD says means “exalted.” There are quite a few passages including the word Damascus, and some are full chapters, when including the necessary context, so only a few examples will be mentioned here. Damascus is seen in fifty-six entries in Scripture*, 40 of which are in Hebrew. There may be repetitions in any one historical passage. Sixteen entries are in Greek, and it is also seen in Judith (4 times) and 1 Maccabees (2 times), two books in the Apocrypha, also with the same pattern.
The first time readers are introduced to the word Damascus is in Genesis (B’resheet) where Abram and Lot have had some problems with interrelationship and it is apparent that in order for the land to sustain the large flocks they both have, that they must separate. Abram humbles himself, giving Lot the choice of areas to settle. Lot “lifted his eyes,” and chooses what he thinks is best for him. (Gn 13:10) In response to Abram’s humble choice, God gives Abram much. In the passages that follow, the reader sees that Lot gets mixed up with some of the wicked people in Sodom, near where he pitches his tent, and soon has been captured and carried away by marauding kings. Abram learns of the invasion and kidnapping and gathers his people to go and rescue all who were captured. [And of course all know the follow-up story to this, leading to the destruction of the lower Jordan River Valley as any sort of acceptable land for keeping flocks. (Gn 19:15-29)]
• Genesis 14:15-16 ESV 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah [hiding place], north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
[notice many times it seems like an “unnecessary add-on” … also notice north here as negative] Not long after, Abraham and God have a discussion.
• Genesis 15:2-5 NKJV 2 But Abram said, “ אֲדנָֹי ’ăḏônây God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of YHWH came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
In this same passage, Abraham learns:
• Genesis 15:13-14 NKJV 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
To the writer, in all these passages there is some idea of a “humbling.” In many, there is a clear demonstration of haughtiness before the humbling. Lot has done wrong and had to be humbled by the invading kings, and Abraham with a small number of men humbles the horde of the kings’ men.
• 2 Samuel 8:5-6 NKJV 5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So YHWH preserved David wherever he went.
There is a beautiful description of historical events in 2 Samuel 21 where Rizpah [a hot stone, as ‘burning coals’ ] by means of sackcloth, mourns (See the idiom, Pr 25:22; Ro 12:20) the loss of her kinsmen, killed in avenging some of King Saul’s deeds, and King David is moved by her placing herself low and vulnerable; her actions are honored, exalted by the burial of the bones of Saul, Jonathan, and her kinsmen. Note the mention of ‘bloodguilt’ early in 2S 21, which will be discussed later.
There is an extended narrative in 1 Kings with several mentions of Damascus, and the rise and fall of kings, which can be shortened a bit by looking at the references indicated.
• 1 Kings 11:21-25 NKJV 21 So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.” 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?” So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.” 23 And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
The episode with Naaman in 2 Kings is a very clear picture of haughtiness being brought down, and interestingly by way of an intermediary, a servant. Best known to the Christian reader the experience of Paul on the Road to Damascus, which is told and retold in the Greek. The same pattern of humiliation is seen in Judith 1:7-12, 2:21-28, and 15:1-7, as well as in 1 Maccabees 11:60-74 and 12:24-38, for those who have access [the NRSV includes the Apocrypha, as do Roman Catholic Bible versions, recognizing these books as part of the canon].
The point of the discussion is that Damascus is a Keyword to this writer, a signal that when the word is seen, one should look in context for a narrative having to do with a humiliation, a significant defeat, from a position of pride. It does not even necessarily have to do with the country of Syria. It is simply a word that may be thrown in to the discussion. One great example of this is
• Isaiah 10:8-11 ESV 8 for he says: “Are not my commanders all kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
Here Damascus is simply a descriptive term, the focus being on Samaria and Jerusalem.
One more Keyword example is helpful for two reasons. The first reason is that it is representative of several similar words. The Hebrew word, נֵס nês, may be translated as “sign” or “signal” in English, or a number of other similar words. So, a heads-up to the reader that when this word, or others that are like it, show up in Scripture, English words like “pillar” or “standard” or “banner,” or anything that might be a “flag” to point to an action in the narrative, it may also be a signal to you the reader that this is an important passage. That is the first reason for sharing this keyword.
The second is that it is a keyword in Hebrew, and to the one reading or listening in Hebrew, it would have been easily recognized. But, just as English readers have lost some of the beauty of the Hebrew writings because of alliteration and assonance, we cannot see the pattern because this word is translated with so many different English words. Returning to this general category of words [reason one], when you see a signal-type word, look up a Strong’s number, make a note of it, and search for its use. Begin to see in what kind of passages this word is used. Enough introduction. Let’s look at this word.
• ESD h5251. נֵס nês; from h5264. נָסַס nâsas [a primitive root; to gleam from afar] a flag; also a sail; by implication, a flagstaff; generally a signal; figuratively, a token: — banner, pole, sail, (en-)sign, standard.
• CWSBD excerpt : H5251. נֵס nēs: A masculine noun indicating a banner, a standard. It refers to a symbol or sign representing a cause, a person, God: a standard, a representation of YHWH.
• TWOT : 1379 * נָסַס (nāsas) h5264 II. Occurs only in the Hithpoel, in Zech 9:16, “raised, prominent”. Derivative 1379a † נֵס (nēs) h5251 signal pole, standard, ensign, banner, sign, sail. (ASV and RSV similar except RSV uses warning in Num 26:10.) In the OT, נֵס generally means a rallying point or standard which drew people together for some common action or for the communication of important information. This usually happened on a high or conspicuous place within the camp or community. There, a signal pole, sometimes with an ensign attached, could be raised as a point of focus or object of hope. The term occurs twenty-one times.
Following is a listing of verses with context, in which the word נֵס nês appears, together with the English word that the ESV uses to translate it. Other versions are similar. With this great variety in English wording, it would be most difficult to see any pattern unless one looked by Strong’s number or Hebrew word. Ex 17:14-16 banner; Nm 21:4-9 pole [twice], 26:9-11 warning; Ps 60:1-8 banner; Is 5:25-30 signal, 11:10-16 signal [twice], 13:1-7 signal, 18:3-6 signal, 30:12-22 signal, 31:6-32:3 standard, 33:20-24 sail, 49:22-23 signal, 62:6-12 signal; Jr 4:5-8 standard, 4:19-22 standard, 50:1-5 banner, 51:11-14 standard, 51:24-29 standard; Ek 27:1-9 sail. As before, a few examples are shared, with some important connections to be pointed out, as well:
• Psalm 60:1-8 ESV To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. 1 O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us. 2 You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. 3 You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger. 4 You have set up a •banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah 5 That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us! 6 God has spoken in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. 7 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. 8 Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
And one from the Prophets:
• Jeremiah 50:1-5 ESV 1 The word that YHWH spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet: 2 “Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a •banner and proclaim, conceal it not, and say: ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.’ 3 “For out of the north a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; both man and beast shall flee away. 4 “In those days and in that time, declares YHWH, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek YHWH their God. 5 They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to YHWH in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.’
A “pattern” that the writer has noted is that there are frequently connections between keywords, that help point to one another. We saw this before with leaven and seahs. A possible connection noted here is between Damascus and our word נֵס nês. This was one of our listed Damascus passages, and notice the verb for being “let down,” going along with the “humbling theme.” [But please do not take this writer’s word for it – search for yourself!]
• 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 ESV 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down (g5465. χαλάω chalaō) in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
• CWSBD entry for g5465. χαλάω chaláō; contracted chalṓ, fut. chalásō, aor. pass. echalásthēn. To loose, relax, let down, as a bed from the roof of a house (Mark 2:4); a net from a boat (Luke 5:4, 5); a boat from a ship (Acts 27:30); a person over a wall (Acts 9:25; pass. 2 Cor. 11:33; Sept.: Jer. 38:6); the sails of a ship from the mast or even the mast itself as was usual in ancient ships (Acts 27:17; •Sept.: Is. 33:23).
Take note of the referenced Septuagint verse from the CWSBD article, marked. The verse is in one of the נֵס nês passages. It is mentioned only as a possible flag.
• Isaiah 33:23 ESV 23 Your cords {hang loose}(h5203. נָטַשׁ nâṭaš) ; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail (h5251. נֵס nês) spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey.
A remark was made earlier about the writer feeling much more secure with the Keywords identified if they are also referenced from the Greek, which is a reiteration of the teaching in the Hebrew. The connection to follow is very strong and will actually define for us what the Keyword is really pointing to [already seen in the Hebrew passages if you have read them]. The pattern seen by the writer is one of death and destruction followed by restoration. Look first at the passage in Numbers 21. The point the writer hopes the reader sees clearly is the significant interweaving/interrelationship between the Hebrew and the Greek. Yeshua’s references were to the Hebrew Scriptures. We cannot understand his words without understanding the messages/instructions in the Hebrew Scriptures.
• Numbers 21:6-9 ESV 6 Then YHWH sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against YHWH and against you. Pray to YHWH, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And YHWH said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a •pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a •pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
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Hold that thought about the serpent on the pole. Let’s introduce you next, if you don’t already know him, to a man in John’s Gospel whose name means “victorious among his people,” according to the ESD. We meet him in three settings in John, chapter 3, chapter 7, and chapter 19. We specifically do not meet him in the passage in John 18:19-24 where the nighttime kangaroo court was held to question Yeshua, arranged by Annas and Caiaphas. We could probably assume he was not invited to that farce. So, let’s retrace who this man is and why we are discussing him.
His name is Nicodemus, and he was indeed “victorious among his people.” In Chapter nineteen, he was one of two prominent men in Jerusalem who brought linen cloths and spices and secretly placed Jesus in the tomb. (John 19:38-42) In chapter seven, (John 7:45-52) there is a confrontation between Pharisees and some officers of the temple who had been sent to arrest Yeshua, but did not arrest him because they observed his teaching. Nicodemus, a Pharisee [verse 50 says “who was one of them” – victorious among “his people”], challenges the other leaders in this group:
• John 7:51 ESV 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
Their response is one designed to humiliate him. And thus, it is probably a reasonable assumption that he was not asked to the “trial” of Yeshua on the fateful night. Reasonable, but still an assumption on this writer’s part. So, we are working backwards here to set the stage. Both chapter seven and chapter nineteen passages indicate of Nicodemus that he had gone to Yeshua before. Lets look at that “before” passage in chapter three in detail because includes much of importance. Yes, it includes the all-famous “John 3:16,” but also much, much more, including a key to the meaning of our Keyword.
Please indulge one more paragraph of stage-setting. Here we will refer to three short comments in Spangler & Tverberg (2009), once again. First, a comment from the chapter called, “Why a Jewish Rabbi?” (p.26), part of which has been shared here before. They note that rabbis thought that Scripture study and not prayer was the highest form of worship, saying in prayer we speak to God, but God speaks to us when we study the Scriptures. [LogandSpeck’s emphasis in italics. The writer can vouch for that.] The second point, still in the same chapter, (pp 28-30) is that debate was considered a critical part of Scripture study.
They go further to speak about the debates between the two great rabbinic teachers of that era, Hillel and Shammai [~30 B.C. To 10 A.D.], and that the tradition carried on. Then we jump just a few more pages to the introduction of their discussion on Hinting to the Scriptures [one of the Intertextuality techniques covered here] (pp.36-37) to see a wonderfully told story of the interaction between Emanuel Tov and one of his former graduate students, Marty Abegg, where Tov rebukes Abegg by quoting [in Hebrew] a part of a verse that Abegg has to go to Scripture to look up to get the meaning. (Previously mentioned)
One might picture such an exchange here, which will be pointed out. The verses pertinent to this discussion are quoted, but the reader should read the remainder. (John 3:16-21)
• John 3:1-15 NASB Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. [emphasis added]
Picture now this secret meeting at night, where Yeshua is speaking on a spiritual level of being born again and Nicodemus seems not to be following the gist of the conversation. Yeshua tries a slightly different tack and Nicodemus still does not follow. Yeshua then uses the Hinting to the Scriptures technique, referring to Moshe lifting the serpent in the wilderness. This is the Numbers 21:6-9 passage quoted just above. And hopefully, the reader read the reference Nm 21:4-9. Basically the people grumbled against YHWH and Moshe and a plague of serpents came. Many people died. The raising of the serpent on the pole and the people h5027. נָבַט nâḇaṭ, [CWSBD “looking somewhat intensely in a focused way at something”], would live, i.e., were restored [the mercy of YHWH].
One can picture Nicodemus going to look at the Scripture [just as has been a major theme of this book, “being Berean] and realizing that Yeshua anticipated that he was going to die and this dying would bring restoration, as did the serpent on the pole. Restoration is one of the key themes in Scripture, God being able to restore mankind from the anticipated consequences of his choices within the structure of Creation. That is the idea of being born again. [again the point of a change of direction in righteousness, as we pointed out with the seah example, the Kingdom]
And, this writer believes that each נֵס nês passage is a message of death and destruction followed by restoration. But again, do not take the writer’s word for it. Read for yourself. Draw your own conclusions through meditation over the Scripture. It is, as Spangler & Tverberg (2009) pointed out, “the highest form of worship.”
To this point all of Strauch’s points have been discussed, which is very good basic foundation, as he pointed out, and some areas have been expanded upon. There are a few more important areas to cover in Scripture study [actually, there are a limitless number of important topics to cover (John 21:25), but it will be necessary to focus somewhat], some of which have already been introduced. Some of the topics will only be covered, as before, in a just-in-time fashion, being investigated at the time they are needed.
In the next Post there will be a little more information on words, special points about words, and more about names. Both topics have been partially covered, but further detail is timely before advancing.
*Gn 14:1-16, ch 15; 2S 8:1-14; 1K [all in 1K really part of one narrative] 11:14-25, 15:16-24, 19:9-18, 20:26-43 resumes in 22:29-40; 2K 5:1-14, 8:7-15, 14:28-29, ch 16; 1Ch 18:1-12; 2Ch ch 16, 24:23-27, ch 28; SS chs 7-8; Is 7:1-9, 8:1-10, 10:5-11, ch 17; Jr 49:23-27; Ek ch 27, 47:13-48:1 – equal redistribution of land after restoration; Am 1:1-5, 5:18-27; Zch 9:1-4; Acts 9:1-30, 22:1-16, 26:12-23; 2Co 11:30-33; Ga 1:11-24.
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