Brown Driver Briggs לִפְנֵי (lipnê) לִפְנֵי . 4 , prop. at the face or front of, the most general word for in the presence of, before: as Gn עמֵֹד לִפְנֵי אַבְרָהָם 18:22 , Ex 4:21, 11:10, 2 S 2:14, Pr 17:18 + oft.; after a vb. of motion, Gn 47:2 וַיַּצִּיגֵם ׳לפני פ and set them before Ph., 27:20 ׳כִּי הִקְרָה י לפני lit. made (it) to meet before me (cf. 24:12), Ex 29:10, Pr 18:16 etc. In partic., a. With the implication of (a) under the eye or oversight of, Dt 25:2, 1 S 3:1. (b) under the eye and regard of, Gn 17:18 לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ , Ho 6:2, Is 53:2, Psalm 61:8; cf. Je 30:20, 31:36, Is 66:22, Psalm 102:29: also 1 S 2:28, 2 S 19:14. (c) fig. for in (or into) the full (mental) view of, Gn 6:13 קֵץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי is come in before me, La 1:22 תָּבא כָל־רָעָתָם לְפָנֶיךָ , Jon 1:2 עָֽלְתָה לְפָנַי (cf. אֶל Gn 18:21, Ex 2:23), Is 65:6 כְּתוּבָה לְפָ֑ניָ , Je 2:22 נִכְתָּךְ לְפָנָי (cf. נֶגְדִּי Is 47:12). (d) openly before, 1 S 12:2 הִתְהַלֵךְ לִפְנֵי , and with collat. idea of deserving (and receiving) regard 2:35, esp. ׳לפני י Gn 17:1 al. (v. p. 236:a). (e) in presence of the moon or sun, Psalm 72:5, 72:17, i.e. as long as they endure. (f) free before, at the disposal of, Gn 13:9 הֲלא כָל־הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ (cf. 20:15, 34:10, 47:6, Je 40:4, 2 Ch 14:6), 24:51, Ct 8:12. (g) in the sight (estimation) of, Gn 7:1 thee have I seen to be just before me, 10:9 a mighty hunter before ׳י , Dt ׳תּוֹעֵבָה ל׳ י 24:4 , v:13 1 , ׳צְדָקָה ל׳ י S 20:1 b, אָרוּר ׳ל׳ י Jos 6:26, 1 S 26:19, ׳לְרָצוֹן ל׳ י acceptable before ׳י , Lv 1:3 +, Psalm 19:15; 2 K 5:1 a great man לִפְנֵי אֲדנָֹיו , Pr 14:12, Psalm 143:2; ׳וַיִּיטַב ל (late syn. of earlier (בְּעֵנֵי † Ne 2:5, 2:6, Est 5:14; ׳טוֹב ל Ec 2:26, 7:26; cf. also נָתַן לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי , v. רַחֲמִים . (h) ׳לִפְנֵי י , spec. of acts done with a solemn sense of ׳י ‘s presence, often, but not always, at a sanctuary: Gn 27:7 that I may eat and bless thee before ׳י , before I die, Ex 18:12 to eat bread before God, Dt 1:45 ye wept before 12:7 ,6:25 , ׳י (to eat, so v:18, 14:23, 14:26, 15:20), v:12 (rejoice, so v:18, 27:7, Is 9:2), Jos 18:6, 24:1, Ju 11:11, 20:23, 20:26, 21:2, 1 S 7:6, 10:19, 11:15, 12:7, 15:33, 23:18, 2 S 5:3, 7:18, 21:9; and constantly in P, as Ex 16:9, 16:33, 16:34, Lv 1:5, 1:11, 3:1, 3:7 etc.; of residents in Jerus. Is 23:18. So in 1 ׳הָלַךְ ל׳ י K 2:4 al. (v. p. 234:b c). b. In other phrases:-(a) עָמַד לִפְנֵי to stand before, i.e. wait upon, be in attendance on, Dt 1:38 al. (v. 1 עָמַד e). Simil. 1 הָיָה לִפְנֵי S 19:7 (cf. 29:8), 2 K 5:2; 2 ׳עָבַד ל S 16:19. (b) הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לִפְנֵי to bow down before Gn 23:12 Dt 26:10, 2 K 18:22 al. (v. sub שָׁחָה ; also 3 נָפַל b): so with הִתְפַּלֵּל to pray 1 S 1:12 +; cf. הלך פָני 1 K 12:30, 1 Ch 21:30. (c) to be smitten ( נגִַּף ) before a foe; v. נָגַף Niph. [contrast נוּס מִפְּנֵי : infr. 6 a]. So with 1 נָפַל S 14:13; נָחַן (in helplessness or flight), esp. in Dt, as 1:8, 1:21, 7:2, 7:23, Jos 10:12, 11:6 + (Dr:DT lxxxii): cf. Ju 4:15, 2 S 5:20, Is 45:1, Je 1:17. (d) עָמַד לִפְנֵי to stand (make a stand) before (not quite so strong as ע׳ בִּפְנֵי , supr. 3), Ex 9:11, Ju 2:14, 2 K 10:4, Je 49:19, Psalm 76:8, 147:17, Na 1:6; so with הִתְיצֵַּב Dt 9:2, Jos 1:5, Jb 41:2, קוּם Jos 7:12, 7:13. (e) in hostile sense (rare), יָצָא לִפְנֵי go forth to face 1 Ch 14:8, 2 Ch 14:9. (f) לִפְנֵי (נָתַן) שִׂים , of food, to set or place before, Gn 18:8, 24:33 +. (g) נָתַן לִפְנֵי to set before, i.e. propound for acceptance or choice, usu. of laws (esp. Dt Je), Dt 4:8, 11:26, 11:32, 30:1, 30:15, 30:19, 1 K 9:6 (D:2), Je 9:12, 21:8, 26:4, 44:10, Dn 9:10, cf. Ez 23:24 (place at disposal of): so with שִׂים Ex 19:7, 21:1. c. With reference to position: (a) in front of, before, esp. with vbs. of motion (with which נֶגֶד is hardly used), Gn 32:21 בַּמִּנְחָה הַהלֶֹכֶת לְפָנָ֔י that goeth before me, 33:14 the cattle אֲשֶׁר לְפָנַי , Ex 17:5, 23:20 etc.; in the description of a march or procession, Ex 13:21, 13:22, Nu 10:33, Is 52:12, 58:8 +; 2 S 3:31 and wail before Abner (before his bier); of flocks before a shepherd Gn 32:18; of captives or booty driven before a conqueror 1 S 30:20 (rd. וַיִּנְהֲגוּ לְפָנָיו We Dr), Is 8:4, 40:10 = 62:11 וּפְעֻלָּתוֹ לְפָנָיו his recompence (i.e. his newly-recovered people, regarded as his prize of war) before him, Am 9:4, La 1:5, 1:6 (b) of a leader, etc. = at the head of, Dt 10:11, Ju 9:39, 1 S 8:20, Mi 1:13 al.; cf. ( בא ויצא לפני (העם Nu 27:17, 1 S 18:13, 18:16, 2 Ch 1:10; Ec 4:16 before whom (at whose head) he was. (c) denoting superiority, before, above, Gn 48:20 וַיָּשֶׂם את־אפרים לפני מנשׁה , Jb 34:19. d. Of places (not very common): Ex 14:2 before Pi-haẖiroth…, before Baal-ẕephon, Nu 33:7 b, Gn 23:17 אשׁר ל׳ מַמְרֵא (usu. ׳על פני מ : v. 7 a d), 1 Ch 19:7, Ne 8:1, 8:3; before the temple, veil, altar, etc., Ex 16:34 + ,40:5 , ל׳ הָעֵדֻת, 30:6 + ל׳ הַפָּרכֶֹת 40:6, Nu 3:38, 7:10 al. (all P), 1 K 6:21, 7:49 +. e. Of time, before: Am 1:1: לפני הָ רעַשׁ before the earthquake, Gn 29:26, 30:30 לְפָנַי before me (i.e. before I came to thee), Ex 10:14 לפניו לא היה כן before it there was not the like, Nu 13:22, 1 K 16:25, 16:30 מִכּלֹ סֲשֶׁר לְפָנָיו , Is 43:10, 48:7, Pr 8:25, Jb 15:7 etc. Sq. inf., Gn 13:10 ׳לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת י before ׳י ‘s destroying, etc., 27:7 1 ,36:31 , לִפְנֵי מוֹתִי S 9:15 +. Once, in late Heb., לִפְנֵי מִזֶּה before this Ne 13:4. f. In the manner of, like (rare and dub.), 1 S 1:16 אַל־תִּתֵּן אֶת־אֲמָֽתְךָ לִפְנֵי בַת־בִּלִיַּעַל like a worthless woman, Jb 3:24 like my food, 4:19 they are crushed like the moth (cf. Lat pro). 5. : מִלִּפְניֵ 73 from before:-a. from the presence of (properly, from a position before a person or object: to be distinguished from מִפְּנֵי ; v. 6): (a) Gn 41:46 ׳ויצא יוסף מִלִּפְנֵי פ from before Ph., 47:10, 2 K 5:27, 6:32 +; ׳מל׳ י Gn 4:6 Cain went forth from before ׳י , Jon 1:3, 1:10; spec. of the sanctuary, Lv 9:24 ׳ותצא אשׁ מלפני י (so קֶצֶף ,( 10:2 Nu 17:11 (cf. 2 Ch 19:2), with לָקַח etc. Lv 16:12, Nu 17:24, 20:9, 1 S 21:7 the shew-bread that was removed from before ׳י ; from before a place 1 K 8:54, Ezr 10:6, 2 Ch 1:13, (b) of taking, etc., from before a person, Gn 23:4 to bury my dead from before me, v:8, Ex 36:3, Dt 17:18 ׳וכתב לו מִשְׁנֵה התורה הואת מל הכהנים from (the copy) before the priests, 28:31 גָּזוּכ מלפניך . (c) with בקשׁ Est 4:8 [cf. מִן קְָדָם Dn 2:18]; and to express the idea of proceeding from a person, Est 1:19 [cf. Dn 2:15], Ec 10:5; 1 Ch 29:12 הָעשֶׁר והכבוד מלפניך (cf. Acts 3:19); Psalm 17:2 מלפניך. יֵצֵא משׁפטי . (d) of cutting off, etc., from before ׳י (cf. לִפְנֵי a b, c), Lv 22:3, 1 K 8:25 לא־ֹיִכָּרֵת לְךָ אִישׁ, מִלְּפָנִי Je 31:36, 33:18, Is 48:19: Psalm 51:13 אַל־תַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי מִלְּפָנְיךָ (cf. 8 a); Je 16:17 18:23 , לא נִסְתְּרוּ מִלְּפָנַי , Ne 3:37. (e) of expelling from before an invader, Ex 23:28, Dt 9:4, 11:23, 31:3 + (but much less common than מִפְּנֵי ). † b. (Chiefly late) to express the source or cause, with the force of the לְ weakened, in cases where the earlier language would have used מִפְּנֵי : with vbs. of fearing, 1 S 18:12, Ec 3:14, 8:12, 8:13; 1 Ch 16:30 חִילִי מִלְּפָנָיו [ǁ Psalm 96:9 מפניו ], Psalm 114:7, 114:7; Est 7:6; 2 Ch 32:7 ( + מפני ); failing, etc., Is 57:16, Psalm 97:5; being humbled, 1 K 21:29 ( + 2 ,(מפני Ch 32:12, 32:23, 34:27 [ǁ 2 K 22:19 36:12 ,[מפני ; crying for help 1 S 8:18 [cf. מפני Ex 3:7], singing 1 Ch 16:33 [ǁ Psalm 96:13 לפני ], fleeing 19:18 [ǁ 2 S 10:18 מִפְּנֵי ]. † c. of time, once, = לִפְנֵי Ec 1:10.-With the later usages of ׳מל , cf. מִן קְדָם in BAram. and Targum (Dr Sm:lxx-lxxi, lxxiii); … NOTE, there is a transition here in BDB to מפני or other prepositions with פני . Thus the BDB explanation is attenuated here, for brevity’s sake.
From TWOT:
• פָּנָה 1782 (pānâ) turn. (h6437) Derivatives:
- 1782a † פָּניִם (pānîm) face. (h6440)
- 1782b † לִפְנֵי (lipnê) before. (h6440) לִפְנֵי . A preposition, in the presence of, before. This is the most frequent usage of פְּנֵי (plural construct) with a prefixed preposition. Literally, the phrase means “at/to the face of.” We are dealing then with a case of a substantive which has become a preposition by virtue of its union with a prefix. In the meaning “before” the following object is most frequently a person, God or man, ‘before’ in the sense of ‘in full view of, under the eye of, at the disposal of, in the estimation of’ (BDB, pp. 186-187).
New Considerations for lipne לפני
04182021
▶︎ from recent studies on origins of prepositions/prefixes (roots shortened and combined with others)
ל ⇦ from לוה or אלה
GV p.128 להה weaken [incrementally]; p.129 לוה connect [join for mutual benefit]
DV p.128 להה weaken [incrementally] > p.127 לאה give up; tire
¿ DV הלה – p.128 להה weaken [incrementally] > p.59 הלה fault ?
¿ DV אלה – p.128 להה weaken [incrementally]; p.129 לוה connect [join for mutual benefit] > p.10 אלה master; combine elements for control
CM לוה ignite emotion/interest (D46); להה move slowly/quickly (D51); לאה retain/lose power (D42); אלה and הלה develop/decline (A33)
There is a freestanding two-letter preposition meaning “to,” אל, which EDBH says comes from אלה (and of course אלה fits both variant families)
⦁ ⦁ ⦁ ⦁ ⦁ ⦁ ⦁
Considering these thoughts, being face-to-face, “in the presence of” someone or with God, certainly adds an element – some tidbits from this consideration for your pondering 🤔
First, both families include an element of combining and connecting.
Also there is an element of the presence (whether visual or auditory or “felt” with the senses – e.g. Ex20:18-21)
A small example. Years ago I visited the office of a US Senator in Washington DC. If you have never been, maybe this serves as an eye-opener. If you have been before, hopefully you were able to see the humor in the situation. I was. Upon entering the Senator’s office, I was impressed that all of the furniture in the office was supersized, scaled to make a visitor feel small and no doubt help one see the importance of the person who worked there. I did not go behind the desk, but I feel certain the Senator was probably on a platform as well.
It made me think of one of my favorite Saturday Night Live characters, Lily Tomlin as Edith Ann. Humor.
There is much in Scripture that lets us know God is not big on appearances. But God is also aware that mankind is very focused on appearances. There is a lot in the story of King Saul that lets us know, from the beginning (1S9:1-2) and through his failings, that he focused too much himself on how he looked to others. There are several instances, including the ditty that the people were singing (2S18:7-9), but the clearest is Chapter 15 of 1 Samuel, where Saul ends up losing his kingship.
There is more, as we are introduced to David in 1S16:1-13. And it continues in relating the incident with Goliath, which is important in showing us not only that it is David’s heart, not his size, that matters, but it is a beautiful contrast between Saul and David in the discussion of Saul’s armor in Chapter 17. We also get a glimpse of David’s brothers in Chapters 16 and 17, who also help connect the pieces of the puzzle of haughtiness and appearance. Also the incident we have shared before in 2K6:8-23, speaks as well, of appearances, especially fear related to appearances.
I was at a gathering very recently where this song was featured. I didn’t choose the title – might have called it Parable instead – but I think it is both beautiful and pertinent here. See how it relates to David.
No, “presence” is not necessarily something we see when “face-to-face,” especially in the presence of God, whose face we cannot see (though we see God’s Presence everywhere in Creation). Presence is something we feel, it is a “knowing,” that comes through faith, but not simply saying we have faith, but the daily exercising of faith (emunah אמונה) the word is translated as “faithfulness,” being filled with faith to the extent that we put it into practice. It is the “not fearing wolf, fox, lion or darkness,” the not fearing the appearance of the Goliaths in our lives, not fearing the circumstances in our lives, such as rogue viruses. It is pushing on through the big challenges because we know that there is Somebody with us.
2 Kings 6:16
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Presence לפני lipne. It allows us to connect and combine with others. It strengthens us. It is poorly represented “virtually,” since Presence and “appearance” are not the same. (Ex20:18-21; 1K:19:11-12). Focusing one’s awareness is the key to Presence. Being mindful of what is underlying the obvious. Sometimes what is obvious “up front” weakens us, or is intended to weaken us. emunah אמונה overcomes.
There is one additional thing to know about the Hebrew. The suffix י can be the construct ending, which is the “of” in “ in the presence of,” or it can be the first person singular, which would be translated as “ in my presence.”
Be not afraid.
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