Ezekiel 4 – NKJV – (The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed)
1 “You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. 2 Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around. 3 Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
4 “Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
7 “Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it. 8 And surely I will restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.
9 “Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it. 11 You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”
13 Then the LORD said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”
14 So I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth.”
15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”
16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and waste away because of their iniquity.
Ezekiel 4:4 – ESV
4 “Then lie on your left (h8042. שְׂמָאלִי śemâ’lîy) side (h6654. צַד ṣaḏ), and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment.
● Ezekiel 4:4
4 וְאַתָּ֤ה שְׁכַב֙ עַל־צִדְּךָ֣ הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ אֶת־עֲוֹ֥ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלָ֑יו מִסְפַּ֤ר הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עָלָ֔יו תִּשָּׂ֖אאֶת־עֲוֹנָֽם׃
h8042. שְׂמָאלִי śemâ’lîy; from h8040. שְׂמֹאול śemô’wl
Ezekiel 4:6 – ESV
6 And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year.
Ezekiel 4:6
6 וְכִלִּיתָ֣ אֶת־אֵ֗לֶּה וְשָׁ֨כַבְתָּ֜ עַל־צִדְּךָ֤ הַיְמָונִי֙* שֵׁנִ֔ית וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ אֶת־עֲוֹ֣ן בֵּית־יְהוּדָ֑ה אַרְבָּעִ֣ים יֹ֔ום יֹ֧ום לַשָּׁנָ֛ה יֹ֥וםלַשָּׁנָ֖ה נְתַתִּ֥יו לָֽךְ׃
Ezekiel 4:8 – ESV
8 And behold, I will place cords (h5688. עֲבוֹת ‘abowth) upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side (h6654. צַד ṣaḏ) to the other (side h6654. צַד ṣaḏ), till you have completed the days of your siege.
● Ezekiel 4:8
8 וְהִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי עָלֶ֖יךָ עֲבוֹתִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־תֵהָפֵ֤ךְ מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙ אֶל־צִדֶּ֔ךָ עַד־כַּלּוֹתְךָ֖ יְמֵ֥י מְצוּרֶֽךָ׃
h5688. עֲבֹת ‘ăḇôṯ; or עֲבוֹת ‘abowth; or (feminine) עֲבֹתָה ‘abothah; the same as h5687. עָבֹת‘âḇôṯ; or עָבוֹת ‘abowth; from h5686. עָבַת ‘âḇaṯ
▸ H6662. צַדִּיק ṣaddiyq adj.
(righteous, just, innocent)
Gen. 6:9; 7:1; 18:23-26,28; 20:4; Ex. 9:27; 23:7,8; Deut. 4:8; 16:19; 25:1; 32:4; 1 Sam. 24:17(18); 2 Sam. 4:11; 23:3; 1 Kgs. 2:32; 8:32; 2 Kgs. 10:9; 2 Chr. 6:23; 12:6; Ezra 9:15; Neh. 9:8,33; Job 12:4; 17:9; 22:19; 27:17; 32:1; 34:17; 36:7; Ps. 1:5,6; 5:12(13); 7:9(10),11(12); 11:3,5,7; 14:5; 31:18(19); 32:11; 33:1; 34:15(16),19(20),21(22); 37:12,16,17,21,25,29,30,32,39; 52:6(8); 55:22(23); 58:10(11),11(12); 64:10(11); 68:3(4); 69:28(29); 72:7; 75:10(11); 92:12(13); 94:21; 97:11,12; 112:4,6; 116:5; 118:15,20; 119:137; 125:3; 129:4; 140:13(14); 141:5; 142:7(8); 145:17; 146:8; Prov. 2:20; 3:33; 4:18; 9:9; 10:3,6,7,11,16,20,21,24,25,28,30-32; 11:8-10,21,23,28,30,31; 12:3,5,7,10,12,13,21,26; 13:5,9,21,22,25; 14:19,32; 15:6,28,29; 17:15,26; 18:5,10,17; 20:7; 21:12,15,18,26; 23:24; 24:15,16,24; 25:26; 28:1,12,28; 29:2,6,7,16,27; Eccl. 3:17; 7:15,16,20; 8:14; 9:1,2; Isa. 3:10; 5:23; 24:16; 26:2,7; 29:21; 41:26; 45:21; 49:24; 53:11; 57:1; 60:21; Jer. 12:1; 20:12; 23:5; Lam. 1:18; 4:13; Ezek. 3:20,21; 13:22; 18:5,9,20,24,26; 21:3(8),4(9); 23:45; 33:12,13,18; Dan. 9:14; Hos. 14:9(10); Amos 2:6; 5:12; Hab. 1:4,13; 2:4; Zeph. 3:5; Zech. 9:9; Mal. 3:18.
▸ H6663. צָדַק ṣāḏaq verb
(to justify, to declare innocent, to vindicate)
Gen. 38:26; 44:16; Ex. 23:7; Deut. 25:1; 2 Sam. 15:4; 1 Kgs. 8:32; 2 Chr. 6:23; Job 4:17; 9:2,15,20; 10:15; 11:2; 13:18; 15:14; 22:3; 25:4; 27:5; 32:2; 33:12,32; 34:5; 35:7; 40:8; Ps. 19:9(10); 51:4(6); 82:3; 143:2; Prov. 17:15; Isa. 5:23; 43:9,26; 45:25; 50:8; 53:11; Jer. 3:11; Ezek. 16:51,52; Dan. 8:14; 12:3.
▸ H6664. צֶדֶק ṣeḏeq masc. noun
(righteousness, justice)
Lev. 19:15,36; Deut. 1:16; 16:18,20; 25:15; 33:19; Job 6:29; 8:3,6; 29:14; 31:6; 35:2; 36:3; Ps. 4:1(2),5(6); 7:8(9),17(18); 9:4(5),8(9); 15:2; 17:1,15; 18:20(21),24(25); 23:3; 35:24,27,28; 37:6; 40:9(10); 45:4(5),7(8); 48:10(11); 50:6; 51:19(21); 52:3(5); 58:1(2); 65:5(6); 72:2; 85:10(11),11(12),13(14); 89:14(15); 94:15; 96:13; 97:2,6; 98:9; 118:19; 119:7,62,75,106,121,123,138,142,144,160,164,172; 132:9; Prov. 1:3; 2:9; 8:8,15; 12:17; 16:13; 25:5; 31:9; Eccl. 3:16; 5:8(7); 7:15; Isa. 1:21,26; 11:4,5; 16:5; 26:9,10; 32:1; 41:2,10; 42:6,21; 45:8,13,19; 51:1,5,7; 58:2,8; 59:4; 61:3; 62:1,2; 64:5(4); Jer. 11:20; 22:13; 23:6; 31:23; 33:16; 50:7; Ezek. 3:20; 45:10; Dan. 9:24; Hos. 2:19(21); 10:12; Zeph. 2:3.
▸ H6665. צִדְקָה ṣiḏqāh Aram. fem. noun
(righteousness; corr. to Hebr. 6666)
Dan. 4:27(24).
▸ H6666. צְדָקָה ṣeḏāqāh fem. noun
(righteousness, justice)
Gen. 15:6; 18:19; 30:33; Deut. 6:25; 9:4-6; 24:13; 33:21; Judg. 5:11; 1 Sam. 12:7; 26:23; 2 Sam. 8:15; 19:28(29); 22:21,25; 1 Kgs. 3:6; 8:32; 10:9; 1 Chr. 18:14; 2 Chr. 6:23; 9:8; Neh. 2:20; Job 27:6; 33:26; 35:8; 37:23; Ps. 5:8(9); 11:7; 22:31(32); 24:5; 31:1(2); 33:5; 36:6(7),10(11); 40:10(11); 51:14(16); 69:27(28); 71:2,15,16,19,24; 72:1,3; 88:12(13); 89:16(17); 98:2; 99:4; 103:6,17; 106:3,31; 111:3; 112:3,9; 119:40,142; 143:1,11; 145:7; Prov. 8:18,20; 10:2; 11:4,5,6,18,19; 12:28; 13:6; 14:34; 15:9; 16:8,12,31; 21:3,21; Isa. 1:27; 5:7,16,23; 9:7(6); 10:22; 28:17; 32:16,17; 33:5,15; 45:8,23,24; 46:12,13; 48:1,18; 51:6,8; 54:14,17; 56:1; 57:12; 58:2; 59:9,14,16,17; 60:17; 61:10,11; 63:1; 64:6(5); Jer. 4:2; 9:24(23); 22:3,15; 23:5; 33:15; 51:10; Ezek. 3:20; 14:14,20; 18:5,19-22,24,26,27; 33:12-14,16,18,19; 45:9; Dan. 9:7,16,18; Hos. 10:12; Joel 2:23; Amos 5:7,24; 6:12; Mic. 6:5; 7:9; Zech. 8:8; Mal. 3:3; 4:2(3:20).
▸ H6667. A. צִדְקִיָּה ṣiḏqiyyāh, צִדְקִיָּהוּ ṣiḏqiyyāhû masc. proper noun
(Zedekiah: false prophet under Ahab)
1 Kgs. 22:11; 2 Chr. 18:10.
B. צִדְקִיָּה ṣiḏqiyyāh masc. proper noun
(Zedekiah: the last king of Judah)
2 Kgs. 24:17,18,20; 25:2,7; 1 Chr. 3:15; 2 Chr. 36:10,11; Jer. 1:3; 21:1,3,7; 24:8; 27:3,12; 28:1; 29:3; 32:1,3-5; 34:2,4,6,8,21; 37:1,3,17,18,21; 38:5,14-17,19,24; 39:1,2,4-7; 44:30; 49:34; 51:59; 52:1,3,5,8,10,11.
C. צִדְקִיָּה ṣiḏqiyyāh masc. proper noun
(Zedekiah: son of Jehoiakim)
1 Chr. 3:16.
D. צִדְקִיָּהוּ ṣiḏqiyyāhû masc. proper noun
(Zedekiah: false prophet in Jeremiah’s day)
Jer. 29:21,22.
E. צִדְקִיָּהוּ ṣiḏqiyyāhû masc. proper noun
(Zedekiah: prince of Judah; possibly the same as C)
Jer. 36:12.
F. צִדְקִיָּה ṣiḏqiyyāh masc. proper noun
(Zedekiah: signer of Nehemiah’s covenant)
Neh. 10:1(2).
• צַד-(be-) side.
• צַד-against, concerning.
h6654. צַד ṣaḏ; Gen. 6:16; Ex. 25:32; 26:13; 30:4; 37:18,27; Num. 33:55; Deut. 31:26; Josh. 3:16; 12:9; 23:13; Judg. 2:3; Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam. 6:8; 20:20,25; 23:26; 2 Sam. 2:16; 13:34; Ps. 91:7; Isa. 60:4; 66:12; Ezek. 4:4,6,8,9; 34:21. – ¿ IS THIS SIDON ?
GV p.212 צדד turn aside [flank]; p.212 צדה focus [target]; p.214 צוד trap [execute a planned act] No DVs
CM צדד impact negatively (E38); צדה search for sustenance (E39); צוד act surreptitiously/openly (E4)
Probably all are aware, but just to make certain, kaph sofit ך- is the suffix for you, singular. There are sometimes challenges with readers of English translations since in English, “you” can be singular or plural. There is a separate plural “you” suffix כם- in Hebrew. If one is ever uncertain of meaning, turn to the actual Hebrew text. To make transitions between languages in order to make “smoother English,” sometimes the “you” is dropped, as you will see in our example.
In Ezekiel 4:8, all of the words in bold ending in ך indicate God speaking to Ezekiel personally, the singular “you.” (Not including prefixes here.)
8 וְהִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי עָלֶ֖יךָ עֲבוֹתִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־תֵהָפֵ֤ךְ מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙ אֶל־צִדֶּ֔ךָ עַד־כַּלּוֹתְךָ֖ יְמֵ֥י מְצוּרֶֽךָ׃
BDB עָלֶ֖יךָ
עַל
GLOSS on; towards; beside; against; according to; more than; before; because
PARSING Hebrew, particle, preposition, pronomial suffix: 2nd person, masculine, singular
תֵהָפֵ֤ךְ
BDB הפך
GLOSS qal: turn; overturn; change; niphal: be overthrown; be changed; hithpael: to transform oneself; to turn around repeatedly; hophal: be turned
PARSING Hebrew, verb, niphal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular
מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙
BDB צַד
GLOSS side
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, pronomial suffix: 2nd person, masculine, singular
צִדֶּ֔ךָ
BDB צַד
GLOSS side
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, pronomial suffix: 2nd person, masculine, singular
כַּלּוֹתְךָ֖
BDB כלה
GLOSS qal: stop, be finished, perish; piel: bring to an end, complete; pual: be finished
PARSING Hebrew, verb, piel, infinitive construct, pronomial suffix: 2nd person, masculine, singular
מְצוּרֶֽךָ
BDB מָצוֹר
GLOSS siege; distress
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, pronomial suffix: 2nd person, masculine, singular
The point of this is that the passage is talking about a personal “siege” of Ezekiel’s, his own distress. And he is being bound in cords / restrained by God himself, so that he (Ezekiel) cannot turn from one side to another. Ezekiel is being forced to look at both “sides.”
Looking more at “your (personal) side,” we see how that is tied up with righteousness צדק ⇔ צדך, using the exchange system of homorganic consonants we have been using from the EDBH. And the entire discussion gets back to looking at our assumptive reasoning. And, of course Solomon’s conclusion was:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
And now we get to the crux of the matter, and if you have been following the techniques shared recently, you should be able to follow these steps easily. A very brief synopsis of three key points from EDBH:
- Individual letters have meanings and words with similar letters have similar meanings, even in different order (I’m calling permutations) (p.299).
- Variant families include words that are inter-related, with respective meanings showing degrees of intensity or similar activity in other spheres. Another term used is nuances of meaning. (p.295)
- Phonetic cognates have similar meanings, and are based on the homorganic consonants principle. The discussion is on pp.293-294 under the subheading Letter interchange: phonetic cognates. And we have been listing the meaning of a group of phonetic cognates under a designation CM (cognate meaning) for which he has a alphanumerical designation system in Appendix B. One should also read the entire introduction of the book, but in this regard, see the subtitle Related Roots on pp. xv-xvi.
Lamentations 2:20
20 Look, O LORD, and see!
With whom have you dealt thus?
Should women eat the fruit of their womb,
the children of their tender care?
Should priest and prophet be killed
in the sanctuary of the Lord?
A 2012 movie called The Life of Pi (based on a novel of the same name, 2001, Yann Martel) deals with many of the same considerations re: our life challenges. One soliloquy of Pi hits the nail on the head.
These are topics we do not like to consider. The very challenges in our lives that must make us rethink our stances.
If, as you have been seeing the Roman army slowly build a siege ramp at Masada, knowing what will come, would you kill your own wife and children to prevent their anticipated rape, torture, and/or slavery?
If you were under siege in your walled city with no escape, would you eat your children in order to stay alive? These are the parts of Scripture we try to avoid reading and thinking about. These (although extreme examples) are the restraints, the cords, that life puts on us to challenge what we really believe, behind all the assumptions. If we believe homosexuality or pornography or abortion or adultery (or a whole host of other issues over which we divide) are abominations and they come knocking upon the very doors of our homes, our walled-in cities, our foundations shake. Where are the answers, my LORD (יהוה)?
Life indeed puts us in very challenging places. And we may be forced by those situations to live for a measured time on one side and for a measured time on the other side.
In our passage Ezekiel takes only one very small stand, but he takes a stand. God gives a small concession in relation to that small stand. (This, again relates back to Ex34:6-7, the LORD does not clear us of the consequences of our behaviors, even though he is merciful, gracious, etc.).
15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”
Ezekiel 4:15
15 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י רְאֵ֗ה נָתַ֤תִּֽי לְךָ֙ אֶת־צְפִועֵ֣י* הַבָּקָ֔ר תַּ֖חַת גֶּלְלֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ס
First, note this verb for “prepare,” עשׂה
GLOSS qal: do; make, create; obtain; niphal: be done; be made; pual: be created
PARSING Hebrew, verb, qal, consecutive perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular
This verb form is not a direct imperative, with which the “shall” can confuse readers. Some translators to give the consecutive perspective as a sort of “soft command.” Remember that the perfect means a completed action. The vav converts the verb form to an as-yet-not-completed action (which is as an “imperfect,” which means present or future action). What helps me is to think of this as a statement of fact of something that will indeed come to completeness, but has not yet. God, in essence, is saying to Ezekiel, from God’s position of omniscience, “it is going to come to pass that you will עשׂה (do; make, create; obtain) yourלחם (p.131 struggle for existence) עֲלֵיהֶֽם, upon them:
עַל
GLOSS on; towards; beside; against; according to; more than; before; because
PARSING Hebrew, particle, preposition, pronomial suffix: 3rd person, masculine, plural
The third person masculine plural pronoun is referring back to:
צָפוּעַ
GLOSS (dung)
PARSING Hebrew, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct
צְפִועֵ֣י* הַבָּקָ֔ר Note qere and ketiv – Kוָאֲשֶׁר Qוָֽאֵשֵׁ֔ב
Strongs
▸ h1239. בָּקַר ḇâqar; a primitive root; properly, to plough, or (generally) break forth, i.e. (figuratively) to inspect, admire, care for, consider: — (make) inquire (-ry), (make) search, seek out.
AV (7) – enquire 3, seek 3, search 1;
to seek, enquire, consider
(Piel)
to seek, look for
to consider, reflect
▸ h1240. בְּקַר ḇeqar; (Aramaic) corresponding to 1239: — inquire, make search.
AV (5) – make search 4, enquire 1;
to seek, enquire
(Pael) to enquire
(Ithpael) to let search be made
▸ h1241. בָּקָר ḇâqâr; from 1239; beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herd: — beeve, bull (+ -ock), + calf, + cow, great (cattle), + heifer, herd, kine, ox.
AV (182) – ox 78, herd 44, beeves 7, young 18, young + h1121 17, bullock 6, bullock + h1121 2, calf + h1121 2, heifer 2, kine 2, bulls 1, cattle 1, cow’s 1, great 1;
cattle, herd, oxen, ox
cattle (generic pl. but sing. in form – coll)
herd (particular one)head of cattle (individually)
▸ h1242. בֹּקֶר ḇôqer; from 1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning: — (+) day, early, morning, morrow.
AV (205) – morning 191, morrow 7, day 3, days + h6153 1, early 3;
morning, break of day
morning
of end of night
of coming of daylight
of coming of sunrise
of beginning of day
of bright joy after night of distress (fig.)
morrow, next day, next morning
▸ h1243. בַּקָּרָה ḇaqârâ; intensive from 1239; a looking after: — seek out.
AV (1) – seek 1;
a seeking, a care, concern
▸ h1244. בִּקֹּרֶת ḇiqôreṯ; from 1239; properly, examination, i.e. (by implication) punishment: — scourged.
AV (1) – scourged 1;
punishment (after judicial enquiry), compensation
גֶּלְלֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֑ם note האדם tends to be translated as human or mankind, though can be used only as “man” and sometimes confusing.
h1561. גֵּלֶל g̱êlel; from h1556. גָּלַל g̱âlal; dung (plural balls of dung): — dung.
AV (4) – dung 4;
dung, ball of dung
h1556. גָּלַל g̱âlal; a primitive root; to roll (literally or figuratively): — commit, remove, roll (away, down, together), run down, seek occasion, trust, wallow.
AV (18) – roll 9, roll … 3, seek occasion 1, wallow 1, trust 1, commit 1, remove 1, run down 1;
to roll, roll away, roll down, roll together(Qal) to roll(Niphal)to roll upto flow down
(Pilpel) to roll
(Poal) to be rolled
(Hithpoel) to roll oneself
(Hithpalpel) to roll oneself
(Hiphil) to roll away
((גלל is the root for Galilee, one reason the Pharisees harass Nicodemus in John7:52, saying “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”)) They are accusing him of “talking trash,” so to speak. But גלל means much more.
• גַּל-billow, heap, spring, wave.
• גֹּל-bowl.
h1530. גַּל g̱al (35 occ.); from h1556. גָּלַל g̱âlal;; h1531. גֹּל g̱ôl (Zc4:2); from h1556. גָּלַלg̱âlal;
GV p.40 גלל rotate [roll]; p.40 גלה expose [bare]; p.38 גול rejoice; p.100 יגל shudder [from fear]
DV אגל – p.40 גלל rotate > p.2 אגל drip – Jb38:28
DV גאל – p.40 גלל rotate [roll]; p.40 גלה expose [bare] > p.34 גאל release; purge No other DVs
CM גלל encircle (C26); גלה contain/expose (C25); (גול and יגל no cognates listed – for גול, see ⬙; for יגל, see ⬘); אגל move directly/circularly (A11); גאל activate/deactivate (C2)
⬙ גול should be a part of (C5) express control [יבל bring home; קבל counter; כבל restrain; כולcontain; כפל double] – is listed in back, p.311
⬘יגל should be listed with p.104 יכל prevail CM might be along the lines of “master/fail” or “overcome/fail”
There are many ways one could interpret this. I will suggest one, which you might be able to see, fits with a number of other incidents in the lives of our ancestors. One way to look at it is telling Ezekiel that his restraints are not going to be the גלל of mankind, but will be more the everyday life of having children, of the provision for and setting the pace for, those that he cares for. Jacob becoming Israel at the breaking of the day meant he told Esau he had to go at the pace of “the little ones” that went before him. Abel gave of the firstborn and his offering was acceptable. Recall that Amalek oppressed the faint, the weary, those lagging behind. God battles Amalek continually. God’s way restrains us by accommodating to the needs of the faint, the weary, the lagging. Things that slow us down from our greatest strengths may appear to us as hindrances, but may be in God’s definition of good vs. evil, a benefit to man. We are strengthened by way of our being bound עבת.
Working through טוב
The relationship between being bound in order to strengthen and God’s perspective of “good,” advancing benefit to man.
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