OK, so this started out as looking at Joshua, and I have been led in many directions. Joshua was “assistant” to Moses:
Exodus 24:13
13 So Moses arose with his assistant (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ) Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
p.271 שרת serve; free from labor
CM שרת separate; free (E62)
Joshua – first occurrence – the first time we see Joshua in Scripture
Exodus 17:8-16 – (Victory over the Amalekites)
(Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:29; 14:25 – Amalekite references)
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; (יְהוָ֥ה ׀ נִסִּֽי)
16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
יְהוָ֥ה ׀ נִסִּֽי is “Jehovahnissi (KJV),” h3071. יְהוָֹה נִסִּי yhwh nisiy; from h3068. יְהוָֹה yhwh and h5251. נֵס nês with the prononimal suffix; YHWH (is) my banner
Please see the discussion on the word h5251. נֵס nês in Post #10: Keywords. And see below where we will pick up the discussion on “a sign.”
[[We cannot go into detail here – already too many pieces to pull together – but we discussed at our last gathering of our small Torah Institute in November 2019, that Amalek/Amalekies (Amalek is a grandson of Esau – Edom) may be speaking both of the nature of mankind to oppress those “weaker” than us, Deuteronomy 25:17-19, as well as an actual nation attacking. See this also, and some curious words:
Exodus 17:13
13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
“Overwhelmed” – h2522. חָלַשׁ ḥâlaš
p.81 חלש weaken
CM חלש relieve/apply pressure (A37)
“Edge” – h6310. פֶּה p̱e
GV p.197 פהה open [initiate]; p.197 פוה [be here] locate; p.197 פוא be here [locate]; p.107 יפה project [beauty; excite the senses]; ¿ p.159 נפה sift repeatedly ?
DV פאה – p.197 פהה open [initiate]; p.197 פוה [be here] locate > p.196 פאה divide sections
DV אפה – p.197 פהה open [initiate] ((EDBH actually has open/close, the CM)) > p.14 אפה cover with crust; bake
CM פהה open/close (B9); פוה and פוא gather in (B14); יפה concentrate (C3); נפה move/speak directly; פאה burst forth (B25); אפה hide/reveal (A3)
“Sword” – h2719. חֶרֶב ḥereḇ – same root as Mount Horeb
p.88 חרב parch; lose vitality
CM חרב facilitate/restrain penetration (A49)
I’ll not say much more about how this speaks of who Joshua is right now (will become more apparent later), but I will say some about these words and this situation. Do note, however, that our introduction to Joshua is as a man of action, one who is willing to get into the fray, while his leaders are up on the mountain. (See a parallel in Luke 9:28-43. Do we, like Peter want to set our tents on the mountain, or do we go down to heal those in need?)
If Amalekites are ones who are oppressing the faint and the weary, those who are lagging behind, do we take action to overwhelm the oppressors? Or are we remaining on the mountain?
The “edge of the sword” is literally the mouth of the sword. We have all been taught that it is an idiom because mouth of a sword does not make much sense. h6310. פֶּה p̱e and h2719. חֶרֶב ḥereḇ occur together 37 times in Scripture, twelve of them in Joshua. Read one of the occurrences in Job 5:11-17. May I encourage you to look thoughtfully at the meanings of the roots above for פה and חרב. And then look at another reference to the ‘edge of the sword’ in Hebrews. Focus your attention carefully on all the words in these two verses.
Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
There is no “formal introduction” to Joshua in this first occurrence like we get later, Joshua the son of Nun. He simply appears as someone who does what Moses tells him to do. The next time we meet him he is called Moses’s assistant, in Exodus 24:13, and he is going up the mountain of God with Moses. The next time, he is with Moses on the way down the mountain and commenting on the shouts of the people in the camp.
Exodus 32:17-18
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”
18 But he said:
“It is not the noise of the shout of victory,
Nor the noise of the cry of defeat,
But the sound of singing I hear.”
(Here is another situation where the antecedent to the pronoun “he” is a little ambiguous, though perhaps a little more clear since there seems to be a conversation taking place.)
The next time we meet Joshua is in Exodus 33:11:
Exodus 33:11
11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ) Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
This sequence, and the context shared earlier, raises questions in my mind, and perhaps in yours. Perhaps we should look at the “hints” in EDBH before covering the questions••• maybe these hints will clarify. What is an ‘assistant,’ a ’servant,’ as used here?
שרת Discussion
e/c #1
Exodus 28:35 (context, vv.31-43 speaking of the vestments of the priest)
35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ), and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, that he may not die.
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Exodus 31:10 (context vv.1-11 speaking of artisans making various items)
10 the garments of ministry (h8278. שְׂרָד śerâḏ), the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests,
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Numbers 3:6 (context is vv.5-13, but some shared here for clarity)
6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ) him.
7 And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle. 8 Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle. 9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel. 10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
To clarify further, we should look at two more words, attend (h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar) and needs (h4931. מִשְׁמֶרֶת mišmereṯ).
h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar
p.265 שמר protect; distance from danger
CM שמר protect potential (E24)
This is the same word as “keep” in Genesis 2:15, where mankind is supposed to tend and “keep” (h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar) the Garden. I usually use the example of the “keep” of the palace, where the most precious things would be protected. That resembles the tower in some of the cities under attack in Scripture. The last hold-out. The place most readily defended. (Think of the Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers.)
I am currently unable to get the video link to work, sadly••• perhaps try copy and paste into your browser.
https://youtu.be/Z6XicBBN1l4
A favorite word is derived from שמר:
h4929. מִשְׁמָר mišmâr – “vigilance,” that is where we get the idea of a “vigil.” From Webster: vigil – “an event or a period of time when a person or group stays in a place and quietly waits, prays, etc., especially at night”
Proverbs 4:23
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance (h4929. מִשְׁמָר mišmâr),
for from it flow the springs of life.
(Look just below under h4931. מִשְׁמֶרֶת mišmereṯ going the direction of מש + מר. To me, it seems there is an idea of being slow to effect change or to arouse bitterness. A true life-wisdom. There is a vigil in the Jewish tradition of “sitting shiva” שבעה after a death and burial. Look it up on the internet and think of this word and this verse.)
Which feeds into “needs.”
h4931. מִשְׁמֶרֶת mišmereṯ; fem. of h4929. מִשְׁמָר mišmâr; from h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar
Obviously if we follow the Strong’s trail, we see that “needs” are those things that we should put all our efforts into protecting. (Which is, of course, different from “wants.”) But, per the methods we’ve been using, let’s look even further.
• מַשׁ-
GV p.145 משש probe; p.144 משה draw out [of water]/Moshe; p.137 מוש move [away; move slowly]
DV אמש – p.145 משש probe; p.144 משה draw out [of water]; p.137 מוש move [away; move slowly] > p.12 אמש pass; change
CM משש move slowly (B68); משה separate (B61); מוש forsake (B59); אמש effect gradual change (A41)
+
• מַר-[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.
• מַר-drop.
• מֹר-myrrh.
h4751. מַר mar; or (feminine) מָרָה marah; from h4843. מָרַר mârar
GV p.144 מרר arouse [bitterness]; p.143 מרה oppose; p.143 מרא expand [enlarge]; p.137 מור exchange; p.105 יםר exchange; (p.157 נמר spotting) CM ימר effect change
DV אמר – p.144 מרר arouse [bitterness]; p.143 מרה oppose; p.137 מור exchange > p.12 אמר organize speech to be heard and understood
Another DV
DV מהר – p.144 מרר arouse [bitterness]; p.143 מרה oppose; p.137 מור exchange > p.136 מהר hasten to act, usually to cement a relationship
CM (מרר no cognates); מרה spread (B69); מרא spread (B69); (מור no cognates); ימר effect change (C33); אמר bring together (A52); מהר move in directed manner (B51); (נמר no cognates)
+
ת – mark, sign or signature
ת – The symbol of truth and perfection
If we stop, or as the word suggests, move slowly, and think about how God can effect change in our lives, rather than being bitter about it, perhaps we will see that even what looks bad to us is working toward the good. Which is why we were/are not to partake of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We should trust/have faith (emunah) that God has in mind what is best for us.
● Indulge my ramblings for a moment more. Recognize that in God’s position outside of time, he is able to see what lies ahead based upon past choices we have made. I’ll use a controversial topic as an example. I know there has been a line drawn in the sand between those who believe that mankind has damaged the ozone layer enough to have effected global climate change, and those who don’t. Just assume for a moment that mankind has done so, and that recent record-breaking weather situations are related to that change, whether it is “truth” or not. We’re just assuming here. Suppose what insurance companies call “acts of God” are really the result of “acts of man,” and God is allowing us to have a minor glimpse (a “sign”) into the future. See the mention of “sign” in the comments after Exodus 17:15 above (Jehovah Nissi, “the LORD is my banner”) and look in all four Gospels for mention of “a sign.” Are we given a glimpse into the future, to act upon it? It is not my place to tell you what to believe. It is my place to suggest that you at least temporarily set aside assumptive reasoning and read Scripture and consider whether God is trying to tell us something. Do we create our own personal eschaton (where we get discussions of eschatology, “end times”)? Do we suffer our own consequences? It is a question to ponder. [[● See a possible connection to this in part III.]]
e/c #2
Deuteronomy 17:12 (Important context is 17:1-13)
12 Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest (h3548. כֹּהֵן ḵôhên) who stands to minister (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ) there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel.
h3548. כֹּהֵן ḵôhên
p.116 כהן serve as leader
The first e/c given is “influencing people to satisfy God’s will”
DV כהן – p.120 כנן direct [establish a firm beginning]; p.120 כנה name; p.116 כון prepare > p.116 כהן serve as leader
GV p.120 כנן establish [a firm beginning]; p.120 כנה name; p.116 כון prepare
CM כנן establish (C36); כנה dominate (C54); כון hold firmly (C6); (כהן no cognates)
e/c #3
Numbers 11:28 (read context vv.16-30)
28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ), one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”
So, to get clear the hierarchy we see here, there is God/LORD (יהוה), and the leaders (כהן) who are servants, influencing people to satisfy God’s will, and then there are servants, שרת, who give service/minster to/attend to the leaders or to whomever needs to have their “labor freed” (i.e. have their burden lightened – see these verses and context: Isaiah 9:4, 10:27, 14:25; Matthew 11:30).
••••••••••••••
Now we need to steer back toward Joshua. We see that Joshua’s “position” or “function” was to minister to/attend to Moses (and possibly to others?). And though we hear all the time about Moses and his forty days on the mountain, we do not hear about Joshua’s time there (servant position, no fanfare?). [Apparently Moses was there forty days three times. We have, as you have seen, little record about Joshua.] But I want you to look at a couple of very curious statements from the above passages with me, and then we will move a little farther along. Perhaps you have already picked up on these.
① Exodus 17:14
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount (it) in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
וְשִׂ֖ים בְּאָזְנֵ֣י
“Recount” –
h7760. שׂוּם śûm; or שִׂים siym
שׂים GLOSS qal: put, place, set (up); arrange; establish; qal passive: be set (up); hiphil: set oneself; hophal: be placed
PARSING Hebrew, verb, qal, imperative, masculine, singular
+
h0241. אֹזֶן ’ôzen
אֹזֶן GLOSS ear
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, feminine, dual, construct
Strong’s and BDB basically say “establish it in the ear” of Joshua.
We will look at it with another perspective momentarily, but is this a “hint” that Joshua is something special? A very strong hint?
I looked specifically for h7760 + h0241 occurrences elsewhere to see if this might be an idiom. No indication that it is.
Look at these together וְשִׂ֖ים בְּאָזְנֵ֣י as a unit, and without the Masoretic markings. ושיםבאזני, and look at separating as ושי מב אזני
•יֵשׁ-(there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest.
h3426. יֵשׁ êyš 133 occurrences in KJV; 127 ESV
p.111 ישה exist
GV p.274 שׂהה tarry; p.257 שוה level [set evenly and smoothly]; p.111 ישה exist; p.163 נשה obligate [give up rights]
GV p.257 שוה level [set evenly and smoothly]; p.257 שוא lack value
CM אשש strengthen/weaken (A56); אשה expand/limit activity (A24); איש oppose (A10); שׂהה continue/curtail movement (E8); שוה control movement/action (E5); ישה emerge and separate (C18)
NOTICE HERE p.9 איש withstand; exist (root of a very common word for ‘man’) is listed as Derivational Variant of p.274 שׂהה tarry [meander]; p.111 ישה exist, mixing sin and shin in the family
However, there is a root, p.112 ישש age, which is listed as:
GV p.112 ישש age; p.111 ישה exist; p.163 נשה obligate [give up rights]
CM ישש separate/collect (C19); ישה emerge and separate (C18); נשה move in opposition (D81)
Please also note in C18, the phonetic cognates with ישה include ישע save and כסה cover.
SEE DISCUSSION ABOVE ABOUT מב – “I am bringing”
p.7 אזן ponder; absorb and weigh impressions
DV אזן – p.65 זון sustain > p.7 אזן ponder; absorb and weigh impressions
GV p. (no entry) זנן be faithless; p.68 זנה defect [be unfaithful]; p.65 זון sustain; p.102 יזן feed [sustain]
CM [זנן no entry/cognates would be focus directly (E48)]; זנה distance (E26); יזן strengthen/weaken (C50); אזן absorb and store (A26)
h3091. יְהוֹשׁוּעַ yehôšûa‘; or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Yhowshua; from h3068. יְהוָֹה yhwh and h3467. יָשַׁע yâša‘; Yhwh-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader: — Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. Compare 1954, 3442.
AV – Joshua 218; 218 Joshua or Jehoshua = “Jehovah is salvation” n pr m
Also sometimes written as
h3442. ישֵׁוּעַ yšêwwa‘; for h3091. יְהוֹשׁוּעַ yehôšûa‘; he will save; Jeshua, the name of ten Israelites, also of a place in Palestine: — Jeshua.
AV (29) – Jeshua 29; Jeshua = “he is saved”
Also Yeshua/Jesus
② Exodus 33:11
11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
Send my angel before you•••
Exodus 33:1-6 – (The Command to Leave Sinai)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 And I will send (My) Angel (h4397. מַלְאָךְ mal’âḵ) before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” 4 And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’ ” 6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
Exodus 33:2
2 וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֥י לְפָנֶ֖יךָ מַלְאָ֑ךְ וְגֵֽרַשְׁתִּ֗י אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י וְהַֽחִתִּי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃
⇩
Genesis 24:6-7
6 But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
&
Genesis 24:37-41
37 Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ ↔︎ h4397. מַלְאָךְ mal’âḵ
h8334 + h4397 (any parallels between servant and angel/messenger?)
Psalms 104:1-4
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels (h4397. מַלְאָךְ mal’âḵ) spirits,
His ministers (h8334. שָׁרַת šâraṯ) a flame of fire.
In parallel
h4397. מַלְאָךְ mal’âḵ; from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher): — ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
AV (214) – angel 111, messenger 98, ambassadors 4, variant 1
p.299 -מ that which emanates from an object or person
+
p.127 לאך serve; work which completes goal
CM לאך act energetically (D44)
We will stop here for today, and pick up with other “servant” thoughts next time.
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