I am in the process of discerning a meaning for the two-letter word “father,” אב, based on the recent methods I’ve shared with you. The two-letter words occur in large numbers of roots, so the lists of cognate permutations get quite long and tedious. I will share with you when it is complete, LORD willing. I came across these roots in a cognate group react to externals (B5), which led me to a path that the LORD has been taking me on for a while. Here are a few glimpses. Notice in these two פדה passages, the appearance of עבד slave/servant/work, which is a cognate permutation of פדה, and both include cognate permutations of אב.
Once again, apologies for text screenshots.
▸ Strongs h6601. פָּתָה p̱âṯâ; a primitive root; to open, i.e. be (causatively, make) roomy; usually figuratively (in a mental or moral sense) to be (causatively, make) simple or (in a sinister way) delude: — allure, deceive, enlarge, entice, flatter, persuade, silly (one).
AV (28) – entice 10, deceive 8, persuade 4, flatter 2, allure 1, enlarge 1, silly one 1, silly 1;
to be spacious, be open, be wide
(Qal) to be spacious or open or wide
(Hiphil) to make spacious, make open
to be simple, entice, deceive, persuade
(Qal)
to be open-minded, be simple, be naïve
to be enticed, be deceived
(Niphal) to be deceived, be gullible
(Piel)
to persuade, seduce
to deceive
(Pual)
to be persuaded
to be deceived
➁ deliverance
We looked at Japheth before, and will look more. And I have on the list of things to come to investigate “living/dwelling in tents.” But as you look at the translations of פתה here, think of whatever is the difference between trust and faith and being gullible. What was Scripture telling us about Japheth. Was he foolish/gullible and needing the influence of his brother Shem in his life for protection? Is Shem here really referring more to HaShem, the LORD (יהוה), and saying that those trusting in God, having blind faith, are under the protection of HaShem? I can only share this from my own life. My mother was a woman of incredible faith, fully trusting in the LORD. Some people would probably say that she went through life naïvely. From my perspective, all I can say is that from what I saw, Mom was not taken advantage of in life. Did people “see” something in her that somehow, being “sensed,” kept her from being taken advantage of? I have no answers, only questions.
We will take a related side trip here. You will notice a Wikipedia link below the picture of Jar Jar Binks. You may read about many peoples’ opinions in the article, and the controversy over this character. I hope to paint a different picture for you here, and ask you simply to be open to its possibility. We have already learned that Parables are very powerful and a good way to get across points that writers and speakers are trying to make. You likely will not see any “official” representation of what I’m about to say online, as it, too, would be very controversial. But I hope you can just hear me through and ponder for yourself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks Retrieved 221031
Notice the verb משל in Exodus 21:8 above.
BDB משׁל
GLOSS qal: rule; hiphil: cause to have dominion over
PARSING Hebrew, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular
CODE@vqi3ms
This is the root also for the word for Parable/Proverb – The book of Proverbs is משליMishlei.
I propose to you that the Star Wars series (as many other successful movies and series of movies) are parables of Scripture. If you look at names in the series using the lens we have been using, of Scripture, you will see their Biblical meanings. We are trying to focus now on this one point, but feel free to explore further (one example, how Rey tames the serpent in The Rise of Skywalker).
Returning to Jar Jar, I believe there is a very deliberate Scriptural message in Jar Jar, which I’ll share here. Accept or reject, but please read on. There are a few pieces to tie together. First, look at the context. Jar Jar comes from a people, the Gungans (singular Gungan), who live in the water (please recall all our discussions about water and God’s teaching/nourishment). The Gungans share a planet with humans called the Naboo. The Gungans were the indigenous people living in this very lush, green planet, living in the water. And the humans came later, but they lived on land, with two peacefully co-existing societies. The King of the Gungans does indicate that the Gungans see the Naboo as thinking the Gungans are inferior, because their technology may not be as advanced. Nevertheless, they live in balance (later, when there is war, the Naboo approach the Gungans for their help, and the King is surprised, but willingly they join together against a common enemy).
Think of Gungan as גנגנ, a doubling of גנ, as in Gan Eden, the garden, the very lush place to dwell. Think of the Hebrew for Naboo as נבו, showing up in Scripture as coming from p.146 נבא prophesy; transmit God’s word. Think of Jar Jar as a doubling of Hebrew p.99 יאר collect water. And think of Binks (here we must use our recent understandings with consonant meanings and permutations) as ש “which is” + כ “like”+ נב, once again, as in נבא “prophesy; transmit God’s word.” In the movie, Attack of the Clones, it is presented that Jar Jar is used as a gullible fool, being taken advantage of by the evil forces. However, in the end those that took advantage of him lose out.
How, you might ask, is this parable transmitting God’s word? Again, I will simply tell you I’ve had multiple witnesses recently in my life pointing in this direction, which has led me here. Ponder 🤔 for yourself. I believe it all fits together in a picture I’ve shared with you many times before.
Let’s go back to the picture of Amalek. Amalek appears several times in Scripture. Let’s share a passage you’ve seen before in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 25:17-18
17 “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.
Deuteronomy 25:17-18
17 זָכֹ֕ור אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ עֲמָלֵ֑ק בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
18 אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָֽרְךָ֜ בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב בְּךָ֙ כָּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣ים אַֽחַרֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה עָיֵ֣ף וְיָגֵ֑עַ וְלֹ֥א יָרֵ֖א אֱלֹהִֽים׃
We will focus on some words here. The first is the phrase “lagging behind,” which are in bold from roots חשל אחר.
Recall from earlier exploration in the website, there are different levels of meaning in Scripture. Here, we are not just talking about people who physically are not able to keep the pace of the mixed multitude, but we are talking about societies and generations that are not as advanced technologically as others, ones that may be seen as being “weaker” or having less power, but recalling that they are our brethren. In the case of the Naboo and the Gungans, you may see the parallel. In our world, you may see the parallels all around you, where we label peoples as “developing societies,” seeing ourselves as more advanced and “superior.” And the Gungans feel it, as expressed by their amphibious king.
Now let’s shift to Amalek עמלק. Amalek is a compound word, עם “people(s) + “to lick or lap” לק. Amalekites were ones who lapped up peoples, as in the policy of centuries-old practices of “manifest destiny,” saying it was our “right“ to conquer peoples that did not see things as we did. Many indigenous peoples have been “lapped up” or wiped out because we have seen our way as the “only right and true way.”
What does the LORD (יהוה) have to say about Amalek, the oppressors, who destroy others who “lag behind?”
Exodus 17:14-16
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
He (the LORD) himself will have war with Amalek, those who oppress others because of a difference in beliefs, from generation to generation. The LORD has repeatedly, expressly told us through the prophets, that he is for the underdog and wants us to watch out for the orphan and the widow. We are not to glean our own land but leave it for those in need. We have justified our actions because we believe that this is what the LORD (יהוה) told Israel to do when they arrived in the promised land. BUT recall what we shared long ago, at the end of the Posts, before the Blogs began, in Post 43. All Those Nations, those nations represent challenges that we ourselves face in life. These are the battles in which we must fight. It is referred to in the entry called Site Vision, the very first entry after the Welcome entry, posted in January of 2018. These are challenges that are brought to us in order to be conquered in life in this earth, not slaughtering others. (I spoke today with a brilliant young woman [another messenger in my life currently] who hit the nail on the head, saying “adversity brings resilience.” So, the Naboo and the Gungans live harmoniously side by side, and at times of need join together to fight common enemies. And we ALL fight the same battles, our enemies are the same, no matter our background. Our approach may reasonably be different.
I’ll share one more thing that our school’s headmaster shared with us, one of his “Doctrines,” which fits here. Ponder 🤔 it as you ponder Jar Jar.
Doctrine #1: The Doctrine of the Road
This Doctrine has within its conceptualization, that all of God’s human creations when they come to God enter onto a “Road”: The Road of God. This road is full of twists, turns, switchbacks, round-a-bouts, sharp curves, hills and valleys. All of His children are in different places on this Road and the scenery that each child sees is different depending on where they are at any given time on the Road. It is our duty to embrace and accept that brother or sister wherever they are on the Road when we encounter them. As we pursue our own walk on the Road of God, it is very possible that we will find a brother or sister that is walking in a different direction to the way we are going and we may tell them: “Brother/Sister we are walking on the Lord’s Road and the Road goes the direction that I am going. So turn around and walk with me. We can even have fellowship on the way and I can share with you the deep things I know from the Bible.” The Brother/Sister is coming toward us; we know that he/she is going the wrong way on God’s Road, because they are going in the opposite way we are going. The Brother/Sister answers us by saying: “Brother this is a very long road, one day I was exactly in this place where we met today and I was going the exact same direction you are going now. And you may ask why I am going this direction contrary to the way you are going today? “It is because, this is a very long road and it turns around after you have traveled on it for a long time. You are just starting on the Road; stay faithful and persistent in the way you are going…and one day you will be coming back just as I am right now, because there is much for you to learn on the Road ahead of you”. (e.g. Acts 9:1-17) Oswald Garagorry
And to me, the interesting thing is that each may have more switchbacks to go. The Road is closely guided AND unpredictable.
We all have things to learn from one another. We all see God from a different perspective. And the view continually changes. Stay alert, a burning bush that is not consumed may be just around one of those twists and turns. Don’t miss it.
I encourage you to read the book shown below, no matter what your background. This Native American woman says it far more eloquently than I. The piece she is missing in her excellent discussion is the piece about the nations in Post 43. All she can say is that there is no indication that there was ever a slaughter of all the nations mentioned. And indeed, we still battle them today.
Though she speaks from the perspective of a Native American of Christian upbringing, she cuts Christianity no slack, challenging all to think about what the true message of Scripture is, quoting the Prophets.
Sorry about the diversion. There was one more verse referred to in the פדה entry on p.197. It is another of the puzzles that we run into.
② deliverance
Exodus 8:19, which is Exodus 8:23 in our English translations. Let me show you what the CWSBD says, and then the verse and a little “chat.”
- (A medical “aside” that might help – diastole – seen in the CWSDB note is seen in heart function. Systole is when the heart muscle contracts to send blood flowing; diastole is when the heart muscle relaxes, allowing the chamber to be filled. It is a time of “rest.”)
Exodus 8:23 NKJV
23 I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.”‘”
Exodus 8:19
19 וְשַׂמְתִּ֣י פְדֻ֔ת בֵּ֥ין עַמִּ֖י וּבֵ֣ין עַמֶּ֑ךָ לְמָחָ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה הָאֹ֥ת הַזֶּֽה׃
- Here is what Hirsch gives in The Chumash, and what fits with the other three occurrences of the word – as in liberation.
We must ask ourselves where we get these ideas that we are better than others. It may come from such changes in wording that set the stage for our beliefs, our assumptions. Are we to be seen as “different?” Or are we to be set free from the ways in which we are bound? Is not “redemption” a “rest” from the pressure? If you do happen to get Augustine’s book, you will note that she focuses a good bit on this quotation:
Isaiah 61:1-2
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
- Who in our lives are the ”bound?” Who are “captive?” Like Gungans and Naboo, we need one another in order to live full lives.
- Here is one more reminder, repeated many times:
We are not to forget what it feels like to be a slave עבד. We are not to treat others asthough we are better than they are.
Matthew 7:12
12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets.”
Look with new eyes. 👀
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