We have spoken earlier that Torah (h8451. תּוֹרָה tôrâ) means “teaching,” coming from a root word h3384. יָרָה yârâ, most commonly translated as “teach,” but also as “shoot” and “throw,” again an archery term, something being “projected.” There are numerous verbs used for teaching, including:
- h0502. אָלַף ’âlap̱, used four times, e.g.:
• Job 35:10-11 (ESV) 10 But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
11 who teaches (h0502. אָלַף ’âlap̱) us more than the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
2. h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘, most commonly translated as “to know,” but used as “teach” six times, e.g.:
• Psalms 51:6 (ESV)
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) me wisdom in the secret heart.
3. h3046. יְדַע yeḏa‘, the Aramaic counterpart of h3045, translated once as “teach:”
• Ezra 7:25 (ESV)
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach (h3046. יְדַע yeḏa‘).
4. h3384. יָרָה yârâ, translated as “teach” 42 times, e.g.
• Psalms 27:11 (ESV)
11 Teach (h3384. יָרָה yârâ) me your way, YHWH,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies. *
5. h3925. לָמַד lâmaḏ, which has more of a “goading” connotation, as teach 56 times, e.g.:
• Judges 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 Now these are the nations that YHWH left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach (h3925. לָמַד lâmaḏ) war to those who had not known it before. **
6. h8150. שָׁנַן šânan, used as “teach” only once, most commonly meaning “sharpen:”
• Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV) 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall {teach them diligently} (h8150. שָׁנַן šânan) to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. //context is the Shema//
By far the most common are h3925. לָמַד lâmaḏ and h3384. יָרָה yârâ. (please read the listed verses below, not much context is included there) h3384. יָרָה yârâ is most commonly used for teaching by YHWH or one of his representatives: priest, scribe, Levite, angel. Except for David’s usage in Psalms, h3925. לָמַד lâmaḏ is more often used of people teaching one another. [Perhaps David thought he personally needed more goading than passing along?]
Teaching is a common theme, and as mentioned, h8451. תּוֹרָה tôrâ, coming from h3384. יָרָה yârâ is the most common word for teaching (used 219 times), though most readers will have experienced it as “law” more commonly than teaching. We have already spoken about the nature of the instruction, being about how the Creation works, and in the sense that it describes the underlying structure of Creation, one can think of it as “Laws” of Creation. It is a teaching about the nature of our Creation, and how it is “synthetic,” meaning all is connected. It is not a bunch of separate, isolated pieces, but works together as a whole. It is similar to the “tapestry” often mentioned here. Torah describes the tapestry that is our Creation by weaving together many different threads. The Artist is beyond our understanding. The individual who views the tapestry will by the nature of the individual, see different parts in different ways at different times, depending upon where they are in their life’s journey.
We may read a passage today that we read two years ago and see something entirely different today than what we jotted down then. Scripture is alive and active in our lives, by the guidance of the spirit of God.
It is appropriate that the verbal root, h3384. יָרָה yârâ, is most commonly used for teaching by YHWH or one of his representatives, and that Torah is the teaching of YHWH.
However, it is very important to note, as in the Judges 3 example above, that YHWH may well use other nations, other people, elements of our environment (especially in some of the listed Job examples) to teach us. If, in preparation for being a people, God’s people, who are separate from “the world,” we must be able to withstand the harassment of “the world,” YHWH may use the “testing” of nations to teach our “combat skills.” (speaking of course, literally and figuratively)
A perfect example is seen in:
• Jeremiah 25:8-9 (ESV) 8 “Therefore thus says YHWH of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares YHWH, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
Nebuchadnezzar was responsible for much destruction and for exile, because of the need for instruction to God’s people. (please read more about Nebuchadnezzar) Eventually Nebuchadnezzar required some teaching as well, and came to know YHWH as the King of heaven.
• Daniel 4:34-37 (ESV) 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
There is much teaching in Scripture, much for us to learn. Indeed, it is a revealing of the nature of life as noted earlier.
The image was chose purposely to contrast with thoughts about the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2). We do need to be very cautious about what teaching we receive, and from whom. This, of course is one of the most important teachings of Scripture. What looks good at first glance is often not so. (http://www.cilt.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/83/tlctreeno-words_cus.jpg)
In the next post, we will talk more about the “Testing” that was partially mentioned above in the Judges 3 passage. Testing is a part of teaching. And there is much about testing in Scripture.
* other examples: Ex. 4:12, 15: Lv. 10:11: Dt. 33:10; Jg. 13:8; 1K. 8:36; 2K. 17:27; 2Ch. 6:27; Job 6:24, 8:10, 12:7-8, 27:11, 34:32; Ps 32:8, 45:4, 86:11, 119:33; Is. 2:3, 28:9; Ek. 44:23; Mic. 3:11, 4:2; Hab. 2:18-19
** other examples: 2Ch. 17:7; Ps. 25:4-5, 34:11, 94:12, 119:12, 26, 64, 66, 68, 108, 124, 135, 171, 132:12, 143:10; SS. 8:2; Jr. 9:20, 31:34; Dn. 1:4
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