My intent had been to get through Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah. But Hagar has taken me on a very long journey, so we will only be able to cover part of Hagar in this entry. Soon, hopefully more. I still have a handful of discussions I’d like to share, but continue to be moved forward. “The best laid plans…”
Recall from the last entry:
⦁ Genesis 18:17-19
17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
((This is really the same thing the LORD told Solomon in their covenant in 1 Kings 3:14, which Solomon did not do.)) We will talk about the way Abraham carries this out, and the character of his wife/concubines.
- We start with a recall of Israel from last time. Yes, I know Israel came after Abraham, but we looked briefly in the אכל study at how (though there are other ways to look at the meaning of the name, which have been often discussed), one way to look at Israel is:
Israel – ישׂראל can be seen as שׂר + איל/אכל – p.9 איל strengthen +
• שַׂר-captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.
• שֹׁר-navel.
h8269. שַׂר śar; from h8323. שָׂרַר śârar; 421 occurrences
h8270. שֹׁר šôr; from h8324. שָׁרַר šârar; Prov. 3:8; Song 7:2(kjv, šōrer [H8326]); Ezek. 16:4.
GV p.271 שׁרר concentrate [strength]; p.271 שׁרה loosen; p.258 שׁור see; p.261 שׁיר sing [out; express thoughts in poetic form]; p.112 ישׁר straighten [strengthen]
GV p.281 שׂרר rule [by exerting exorbitant power]; p.280 שׂרה exert power [rule] p.275 שׂור rule [regulate]
DV אשר – p.271 שרר compress; p.271 שרה loosen; p.258 שור view > p.18 אשר progress; move forward
DV שאר – p.271 שרר compress; p.271 שרה loosen > p.253 שאר complete; complement
No השר and no שהר
CM שׁרר and שׂרר apply/withhold pressure (E34); שׁרה and שׂרה project outward (E30); שׁור and שׂור unify/separate (E14); שׁיר block/express movement (E18); ישׁר expand/limit (C22); אשר limit and hold together (A28); שאר complete/limit (E10)
The above two-letter study on שׂר (which was shown just before moving to the Two-Letter cognate permutations study in Blog 115) leads us to Sarah. We will look at Sarah, Abraham, and the other women who bore children through Abraham: Hagar and Keturah. I am no great student of history, and all of the lineages. I speak only of where I am led in Scripture. Others wiser than I may be able to speak to what is known beyond what I see in Tanakh. I share with you from the resources I have available. We need to weave in some threads before getting to Israel. They have to do with the descendants of Abraham (and of course Jacob/Israel is Abraham’s grandson, by way of Sarah).
First, recall that Sarah was originally named Sarai. Strongs tells us the derivation of Sarai שׂרי is from שׂרר, noted above as “rule by exerting exorbitant power.” In Genesis 17:5 God tells Abram not to call her Sarai שׂרי any longer, but Sarah שׂרה. Such a small change, but is it? As you see above, שׂרה is “exert power; rule,” which is a softer, more humble approach than “rule by exerting exorbitant power.” I want you to go through all of these passages in which we see Sarai. And I want you to see that it is at the time of the announcement that she will have a child at a very old age, the announcement of “motherhood,” that she is humbled. Still a very strong woman, but perhaps less sharp-tongued, less of a tyrant. And of course there is all the talk about “laughing,” which is what they end up calling their son, Isaac h3327. יִצְחָק iyṣḥâq; from h6711. צָחַקṣâḥaq.
צחק p.216 laugh at; disparage;; CM react energetically to opposing stimuli (E28) —- BIG discussion of Isaac coming up later. Hold in your memory this definition given in EDBH. But recall “disparage,” from Genesis 18:12-15. Such a response is likely to bring a response from God, as well. Sarah makes a disparaging laugh at the announcement of her having a baby, and the LORD humbles her.
I want you to read the entire chapter of Genesis 17, and then we will discuss the other events in the chapter…
- So, of Sarah, we can say her name change came, by way of motherhood, at a time late in life, when she had been hardened by the years of “barrenness,” and continued to exert power, but not exorbitant power. Her disparaging remark of necessity was humbled. She is the mother of Isaac, the grandmother of Israel, the matriarch. She would pass along her character to her descendants, but the character the LORD desired, strong but more humble, less “disparaging.” Still, Isaac learned from his mother. (As we saw in the Appendix on “Mother,” she was “positioned for influence,” in the eyes of God’s Word.)
With the background of chapter 17, and the information above, let’s look at some other elements.
Abraham name change
Genesis 17:1
1 וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖יוֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃
- I highlighted two Hebrew words above from verse 17:1. In NKJV לפני is translated “before me.” There is an Appendix on LogAndSleck devoted to לפני. It is not wrong to translate as “before me,” but think of it as in the sense of “in my presence,” as opposed to stepping out in front of God.
- The second word is “blameless, תמים,” a very important word. We cannot go into it in depth now (later, LORD willing), but I mention now because in the work that I have been doing toward understanding Hagar’s impact, the word תמים is translated as “released,” as in released from an oath. We are going to be talking about responsibility in this entry, and this concept is very important when one thinks about “responsibility.” Hold this thought as we move forward.
⦁ Genesis 17:1-9 NKJV
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God אל שדי; walk before Me לפני and be blameless תמים.
2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (we have discussed the meaning of Canaan)
9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
Abram
▸ h0087. אַבְרָם ’aḇrâm; contracted from h0048. אֲבִירָם ’ăḇîyrâm; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham: — Abram.
AV (61) – Abram 61; Abram = “exalted father”
original name of Abraham
Abraham
▸ h0085. אַבְרָהָם ’aḇrâhâm; contracted from h0001. אָב ’âḇ and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram: — Abraham.
AV (175) – Abraham 175; Abraham = “father of a multitude” or “chief of multitude”
friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant
Abraham will deserve an entire Blog himself – much is written of him in Scripture, both in prose and poetry. We cannot go into it all here and now. I point out four references that you may 🤔, and will focus on just one point.
⦁ Deuteronomy 26:5
5 “And you shall make response before the LORD your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
⦁ Genesis 13:8-9
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen (אח).
9 Is not the whole land before (לפניך) you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
⦁ Genesis 14:13
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew (העברי), who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother (אח) of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram.
⦁ Read the entire chapter of Isaiah 5, and recognize that Abraham is the vineyard (also see Jacob’s comment about Joseph in Genesis 49:22-26.)
We will focus on the theme in these three together, but will show some definitions to help.
1.) In the keywords post (#10), in speaking about humility/humiliation being the focus of the keyword Damascus, we covered that the word for Syria is Aram (thus the wandering Aramean in Dt26:5), which means “exalted,” the root in EDBH p.17 ארם rise.
2.) In Gn13:8-9 we see one of the several passages that leads Abraham to be one of only two (some say three) people to be called “righteous” in the Hebrew Scriptures. This we will delve into more later, but Abram puts his desires below those of Lot, demonstrating his righteousness.
3.) The first mention of the word “Hebrew” is the Gn14:13 passage pointing to Abram. Recall Hebrew is from the root p.178 עבר cross over to other side; move to different condition;; CM expose/conceal (A8). Note also, please, that the first three letters of both Abram and Abraham are אבר, which is cognate with עבר. EDBH p.2 אבר soar above protectively. Abraham, the father of the multitude of nations “moves to a different condition.” He is exalted, and “soaring above protectively,” the “wandering Aramean,” and he “exposes” his greatness/his righteousness by submitting, “crossing over,” acting humbly/in righteousness.
4.) In Isaiah 5, as noted, Abraham is the vineyard (we can dig more later). Vineyard is כרם, which is the prefix כ meaning “as, like” + רם again that same word as in Abram/Abraham meaning rise. Also see that כרם is as מ “that which emanates from an object or person” + כר which is “to encircle or contain.” Just as a vineyard is an enclosed space, Abraham, in his dealings with Lot demonstrates the willingness to contain his own desires.
The thing about rising is that it all too often goes to our head, the power, the wealth, the prestige (as in Solomon and his son, Rehoboam). The condition “exposes or conceals.” The key to it all is to recall that the LORD (יהוה) is to be our first love. (Please read the second chapter of Jeremiah, and see how God is to be our first love [quoted in Revelation 2:4], and that we demonstrate that love as did Abraham, by putting ourselves lower than others [1John 4:20-21], and lower than God.) Sometimes, as did the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah to Israel, all of us who “rise high” must be reminded to change our attitudes, to “move to a different condition,” to put ourselves lower. No one can really make us do that. It takes a change of heart by looking the other in the eye.
The sign of the covenant made in Genesis 17 is a sign of that humbling/humiliation. Circumcision p.137 מול cut; move in opposition;; no cognates, is an outward expression of the humbling. And we’ve covered before, it is not the physical sign that is the central idea, it is the attitude:
⦁ Deuteronomy 10:16
16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked/stubborn no longer.
- And the circumstances of life will certainly help get us there:
⦁ Deuteronomy 30:6
6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
The Sign of the Covenant – (from NKJV See Ex. 12:43—13:2) Circumcision
⦁ Genesis 17:10-14
10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised (h4135. מוּל mûl); 11 and you shall be circumcised (h5243. נָמַל nâmal) in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised (h4135. מוּל mûl), every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised (h4135. מוּל mûl), and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised (h6189. עָרֵל ‘ârêl) male child, who is not circumcised (h4135. מוּל mûl) in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off (h3772. כָּרַת ḵâraṯ) from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
- We will be looking at מל/לם as in מול and נמל in the future. Critical understanding.
God’s Chosen People
A very brief (less than one minute) clip from The Fiddler on the Roof:
God told Abraham he would become the father of a multitude of nations. And indeed it is so. He was told kings (מלכים) would come in his lineage. And it has been so/continues to be so. At the time of bringing Israel out from Egypt, the LORD indicated that the people born of that exodus would be his firstborn בכור:
The firstborn had both privileges and responsibilities. The privileges had to do with receiving the “double portion” of the wealth (to help enable keeping resposibilities). The responsibilities were the role of carrying on the family tradition, making certain that the parental beliefs were passed along to the children, the siblings, and others in the “household” which at the time might be employees, servants… This is why the firstborn of Egypt were to die, to attempt to weaken some of the traditions that had been established there. And that is a stated reason for Abraham’s position:
⦁ Genesis 18:19
19 “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
The Israelites have done an honorable and remarkable job of carrying out their responsibilities as firstborn. They have preserved the Word of the LORD as a treasure for all of mankind. They have tried to help themselves remember the Word of the LORD by formulating it as a lifestyle, traditions to help them carry out God’s Word in everyday life, although it has brought them much ridicule and devastation. All of mankind owes them a great debt of gratitude. They are human, just as we all are. As noted with Isaiah and Jeremiah, and other prophets, as is also the message in The Fiddler on the Roof, sometimes they have to be corrected, “unsettled.” Much in Fiddler, the strength seen in the characters, and especially the closing scenes, are excellent in portraying how the lifestyle has affected their attitude toward hardship.
Abraham had other children, which we will get to, but by way of Isaac (though Ishmael was born first, but not “of Sarah”), the firstborn portion was passed along, and then by way of Jacob, notwithstanding Esau was actually born first, and of course Jacob becomes Israel by his struggles with man and God. Curiously, Jacob, in adopting Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, passes along the firstborn blessing to Ephraim, though Manasseh was born first. The wisdom of Jacob/Israel’s life led to this action. I remind you of the all-critical statement for all time:
⦁ Genesis 25:22-23
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples will be separated from your body;
One people will be stronger than the other,
And the greater will serve the lesser.”
- In any measure, when there is division, there is never perfect equality in the division. One has more, one less, be it strength, beauty, intelligence, the size of a portion, whatever the measure. One will always be “stronger” in that particular measure. And always, the greater will serve the lesser. The “greater” carries the responsibility. Abraham knew this; many in Scripture show us this. The roles may reverse, the lesser may then become the greater, in which case the “new greater” will serve the “new lesser.” We shan’t go deeper, but to say ‘tis a riddle for you to ponder. It will become a touch point, “for all time,” in future discussions.
The other big lesson we learn from Jacob/Israel in Scripture is the resolution to his “struggles with man and with God” have to do with the resolution of conflict between brothers/nations at war. In returning home, Jacob worries/struggles greatly with how Esau will respond to his return, Esau who vowed 20 years earlier to kill him. Jacob, after wrestling with God and receiving “a limp,” shares with Esau the many gifts/blessings that he has received by way of his blessing in life. He does not follow Esau, but walks along slowly at the pace of the lesser ones with him (the greater shall serve the lesser, in both aspects here). The reconciliation is peaceful because the blessing is shared and Jacob/Israel is humble. That which had made Esau angry/jealous (as could be expected from anyone who is not chosen as receiving extra blessings) was able to be reconciled by a “turning the other cheek” gesture, a gesture of understanding where the other is coming from and humbling oneself…LogAndSpeck.
So, now, we have dealt with one of Abraham’s seed that has felt left out by this “choosing” a “firstborn,” but there are others from Abraham’s seed that we must at least bring to mind. We need to see what we can discover about two others with whom Abraham created descendants, Hagar הגר and Keturah קטורה. I know there are experts on genealogies out there who could tell you what current peoples/nations are descendant from these women. I am not such an expert, and do not have aninclination to be such an expert. All I can do is share with you what I have seen in Scripture. I have already showed you the model shown us by Abraham with Lot and by Jacob with Esau. This is the Scriptural model.
So, who are these women? What can we discover about them? We will begin with Hagar, and remind you of how she was treated by Sarah. (There are those who say that the four-hundred years Israel was in Egypt were a result of Sarah’s treatment of Hagar – I do not speculate on that – all we know is that historically, probably for many reasons, including famine, Israel was in Egypt.) This is Hagar:
Several important things to know here. Notice that הגר is ה “the” + גר ger – “stranger/foreigner/sojourner.” And we have seen הגר in two-letter cognate permutations in the רגל study.
The first time we see גר is in this passage, having to do with Abraham and the LORD (יהוה):
⦁ Genesis 15:13-14
13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers(h1616. גֵּר g̱êr) in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
I ask you to read chapters 16 and 17 of Genesis (hopefully you already read 17 and can pass through it pretty quickly). I caution you about a couple of common issues with translations, and then we will discuss a bit. Two words are suspect in Genesis 16:12. I am not telling you how to interpret them, just asking you to be aware there are possible biases that easily come into play in interpretations:
First, if you have the Hirsch/Clark book EDBH, note at the bottom of p.295, “Other forms that interchange are the ל״ה root (קרה) and the ל״א root (קרא) (Gn20:6; Ps14:3, 31:3).” Such would be the case with פרה and פרא. In Gn16:12 it is said of Ishmael that he is a פרא man, often translated as “wild.” In Gn17:6, Abram is told that he will be exceedingly פרה, usually translated as “fruitful.” Imagine how you would feel as a descendant who is always called “wild,” or “the black sheep.” Biases can get built in. If people keep telling you you are “wild,” you begin to live as “wild.” You become a גר ger, isolated from social contact. We will in a moment see the name of Moses’s son Gershom (Ex2:22) “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” Moshe knew what being a גר was like.
The second word I want you to be aware of in the translation of Gn16:12 is the word most likely translated in your version as “against.” The word is על, and is one of those words tending to be used at the discretion of translators, as “dealer’s choice.” First, with the resource listed before:
The two-letter words listed with bullets at the beginning of this segment are from a listing in the above Application by Zev Clementson, which was available in 32-bit format but sadly has not been upgraded to 64-bit. My investigations have carried the work on Two-Letter Words further.
And, as is generally the case here, the root definitions are listed from the Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (EDBH) Clark/Hirsch.
My own work has been in combining the wisdom of many who have gone before, and hopefully is some help in understanding. Mine is a small part. God’s work is mighty. As I have tried to indicate, the two letter words tend to include nuance from these families. The Variant family for על is shown.
• עַל-above, high, most High.
• עַל-above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with.
• עַל-about, against, concerning, for, (there-) fore, from, in, [idiom] more, of, (there-, up-) on, (in-) to, [phrase] why with.
• עֹל-yoke.
h5921. עַל ‘al; h5927. עָלָה ‘âlâ; 198 occurrences
GV p.186 עלל develop [move to original goal]; p.185 עלה rise [up; develop]; p.181 עול misuse [power]; p.106 יעל progress [flourish]; p.158 נעל stem motion [stem movement or entry] No DVs
CM עלל encourage/deny growth (A34); עלה develop/decline (A33); עול restrain (A5); יעל activate/deactivate (C2); נעל initiate/arrest movement (D77)
Often translated as “against” in Gn16:12, the reader should keep in mind other possibilities. Because people have a different point of view does not necessarily mean they are “against” us. (LogAndSpeck) I do not tell you how to interpret, simply open doors for you to interpret (with meditation with our LORD.)
Notice in Genesis 16:9-15, that the LORD looks kindly on Hagar and on Ishmael, and the well she names for “The God Who Sees Me” appears again later. You might look those up, and remember them later when we discuss Isaac.
Now please read Genesis 21:1-21.
A bit about Ishmael. Yes, he was treated badly by Sarah (to Abraham’s chagrin, but the LORD told Abraham to acquiesce to Sarah’s demands – part of Abraham’s willingness to submit, his righteousness). But note that Ishmael lived with Abraham in all his younger years, until the time of coming of age at thirteen, and was circumcised along with Abraham, on the same day. Quite an impression on a thirteen year old. We may mention this at a later time when speaking of Isaac. If you looked at the Beer-lahai-roi passages in the screenshot above, and their context, you will note in Gn25:9 that Isaac and Ishmael are together.
⦁ Genesis 25:7-11
7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field (h7704. שָׂדֶה śâḏeh) of Ephron (h6085. עֶפְרוֹן ‘ep̱rôn) the son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field (h7704. שָׂדֶה śâḏeh) which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.
- No time to address it now but many cognate permutations show up with עפרון, including Hebrew/crossing over עבר, dust עפר, ashes אפר, well באר…
We will get more into Hagar’s impact later. It has turned into a very large project, to be looked at in a new entry. Let us move on to Keturah קטורה. We know less about her, but we do know about her children. The first thing I want to point out to you, if you did not look up the verses in the EDBH הגר listing above, you should. You will notice the Genesis 25:1 verse, the “also” verse, refers to Keturah. Why so? Partly because they were in similar positions, Hagar and Keturah, as mothers of children of Abraham, and partly because they both have the cognate permutation connection. See in קטורה that the ה is in both, the ר is in both, and the ג and the ק are homorganic consonants. Keturah might also be considered as “isolated from social contact.” Also, in EDBH, קטר p.227 screen out;; CM envelop (C13). קרה p.133 occur; meet without prior intent;; CM limit activity (C40). There is not a lot in Scripture about Keturah, but we are given the names of some of her children. In your studies later, you will note that a Priest of Midian plays a very important part in Moses’s development as a leader.
⦁ Genesis 25:1-6 – (NKJV – Abraham and Keturah – 1 Chr. 1:32, 33)
1 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midianwere Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.
⦁ 1 Chronicles 1:32-33 – (NKJV – The Family of Keturah – Gen. 25:1–4)
32 Now the sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
Notice well Genesis 25:6 “But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.”
I really struggled to understand all the connections that this verse brings. I meditated, prayed, asked the LORD for understanding as I looked at Scriptural references and looked up roots in EDBH. I will go into much more depth under the blog on Hagar, regarding verse Genesis 25:6 (or perhaps an entry of its own). For now take the simple meaning (P of PaRDeS) that Abraham gave gifts to his sons. We will see, hopefully next time, that there is more to be understood.
Let’s shift gears for a moment to speak more of responsibility.
⦁ 1 Chronicles 26:10
10 Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the first (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first),
1. Divrei HaYamim I 26:10 (Mikraot Gedolot) – search for שמר בכור
וּלְחֹסָה מִן בְּנֵי מְרָרִי בָּנִים שִׁמְרִי הָרֹאשׁ כִּי לֹא הָיָה בְכוֹר וַיְשִׂימֵהוּ אָבִיהוּ לְרֹאשׁ.
RESPONSIBILITY – שמר “keep” – looking for some understanding of the word שמר:
Could be seen as ר “beginning” + שם = Name – see all the שמ combos.
מ + sibilant:
⦁ there is no מז
And can be מ “from” + רש/שר
And can be ש “which is/this is” + מר/רמ
If you look at all the permutations of these three letters with homorganic consonants, you see the work previously done from Two-Letter reference words. This should give you a rough idea of the meaning of שמר. There is not time currently to go through the entire list of two-letter cognate permutations (each one takes me a couple of full days). Above is reference work previously done over the years.
My initial thought is “gradual focused effort to preserve,” which I think is a fairly balanced way of describing “responsibility.” שמר is what mankind is told to do in the Garden:
• Genesis 2:15
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep (h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar) it.
- This, I believe is what the LORD saw in Abraham, which is confirmed:
• Genesis 18:19
19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep (h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar) the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
• Genesis 26:1-5
1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept (h8104. שָׁמַר šâmar) My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
- And, it is what we have described as the responsibility of the firstborn.
We spoke of Abraham being the “vineyard.” See vineyard כרם – from מ + circle כר – look at כרר p.124 round and at רכך p.244 soften
• Genesis 9:20
20 And Noah began, a man of the soil אדמה, to plant a vineyard כרם.
Genesis 9:20
20 וַיָּ֥חֶל נֹ֖חַ אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וַיִּטַּ֖ע כָּֽרֶם׃
We have spoken of this situation before, so, only a quick review. Recall that שם is “name,” which reflects character, and “The Name,” HaShem, is what Judaism calls יהוה, in avoidance of the use of the Tetragrammaton. We do not know precisely what happened with Noah other that he got drunk, something about excesses with the vineyard, and Ham witnessed it. We see the splitting/separating of שם, as highlighted here, and then the action of Shem and Japheth are able to restore שם, the reputation or character. As a result there is some loss in the continuity, a break in part of the genealogy, and Canaan is cursed. (And note Canaan has to be overcome later by the Israelites – we noted this to be “defeat/humiliation” in Post 43: All Those Nations. One of the tests to be overcome in living life.)
Thus Noah is not fully able to carry out the plan. (Planting a vineyard נטע כרם – establishing an enclosure/containment – he could not completely follow through, he had a human failure, as we all do.) He began as noted in Gn6:9-10:
⦁ Genesis 6:9-10
9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect (h8549. תָּמִים ṯâmîym) in his generations. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
- h8549. תָּמִים ṯâmîym, translated here as “perfect” is the same word that was translated as “blameless” in El Shaddai’s instruction to Abram in Gn17:1.
There is much, much to be said about tamiym תמים, which we will hold until the further Hagar discussion. Please recall where we have gotten in this discussion for next time – sorry to leave you hanging. I want to finish with Keturah’s impact. We will tie all of the parental influences together at a Blog soon, I hope. For now, we noted Keturah is the mother of Midian; we also noted her name having a cognate permutation with הגר p.56, isolate from social contact;; concentrate energy (A15). We noted a priest of Midian who influenced Moses’s development as a leader. There are several very important things to point out about this Keturah by-way-of-Midian influence.
See Midian = h4080. מִדְיָן miḏyân; from h1777. דִּין ḏiyn
- Once again things are SO totally intertwined, it is impossible to find a starting point without needing to bring in other threads, that cannot be fully dealt with in one setting. I refer back to Blog 112. “Free Will” — choice בחר choose, and the discussion about transitions and the group of אר/הר cognate permutations. If necessary, go back to read that, and know that there will be much more to come on that, LORD (יהוה) willing.
⦁ Exodus 2:11-15 – (NKJV – Moses Flees to Midian – Heb. 11:24, 25)
11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens (h5450. סְבָלָה seḇâlâ). And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”
14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian (h4080. מִדְיָן miḏyân); and he sat down by a well (h0875. בְּאֵר ḇe’êr).
- I’ve highlighted three words here. First, be sure you read the passage to see what it’s about, before focusing on the words. Next, know that we will discuss “burden” סבל in more depth later. First we will talk about Midian and the well. There is much here about the development of Moses as a leader for Israel.
- Step one. A well, באר, is ב “in” + אר, which we discussed in 112 is “transition,” so a well would be an indication of a time of transition in a person’s life. We looked earlier at Beer-lahai-roi, the well of the God who sees me, for Hagar. This was a time of being “in transition” for her – she was told to return and be submissive. Keep this in mind when you see wells (always double-check the Hebrew; you never know what might show up in some English translations – in general this is a relatively safe one).
- Step two. Midian. You saw the root for Midian, דין. You read the passage. Moses fled and “dwelt in the land of Midian;” he was living with the consequences of his having made a very serious on-the-spot judgment. He lives forty years in the land of Midian, a time of separation.
But there is a priest (h3548. כֹּהֵן ḵôhên) of Midian from which Moshe/Moses will learn much. Notice especially definition #1:
- Take note that this priest of Midian is known by two different names in Exodus, Reuel רעואל and Jethro יתרו.
⦁ Exodus 2:16-20
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”
19 And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.”
20 So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”
- In this passage, and in the one where he kills a man, Moses/Moshe’s instincts are to be protective and standing up for those that are in a weaker position. The appropriate measure of response may be what is necessary – the “applying final judgment.”
- See the priest’s response. Even though Moshe is a stranger גר in a strange land, the leader/כהן offers hospitality.
⦁ Exodus 2:21-25
21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom (h1647. גֵּרְשֹׁם g̱êrešôm), for he said, “I have been a stranger (h1616. גֵּר g̱êr) in a foreign (h5237. נָכְרִי noḵrîy) land.”
23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
- I know I am hitting you with a lot all at once. At any point, take a break and come back to it.
- Notice that כר would be in a group of cognate permutations with both גר and נכרי pointed out above. In going through the two-letter investigation for this group, the concepts are circle/enclose, have impact, and cover/uncover. See how those fit in this situation
The next verses:
⦁ Exodus 3:1-4 – (NKJV – Moses at the Burning Bush Ex. 6:2—7:7; 11:1–4; 12:35, 36)
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain (h2022. הַר har) of God. 2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
- I will point out only one more thing here, and then we will move on to the next time we see Jethro, the priest of Midian. Please see that the word for mountain is h2022. הַר har, which is one of those cognates in the cognate permutations with אר “transition.” For those of you familiar with the Greek Scriptures, I just point out an occurrence at the “Mount of Transfiguration,” and that, while Peter wants to put up tents for dwelling there, we cannot dwell on the mountain, nor could Moshe nor Elijah, but must descend and follow the LORD’s plan. Transitions are part of the design (Genesis 8:22, seedtime and harvest…).
Moving again to Jethro/Yitro, Priest of Midian, please read Exodus 18. And before we speak in detail about it, allow me to share another tidbit that will help you understand Scripture, or at least it does for me. Think of כהן as כ + הן. The short translation for כ is “like/as.” The longer definition, from EDBH p.290: “The כ highlights an example for all to emulate.”
Now for הן – I’ll show two related roots from p.60 which also list the Variant Family:
There are no Derivational Variants for this group. It appears that in this context it is good to be aware of all of the GV meanings: Jethro has acquired, from being “of Midian” some traits/gifts from both Abraham and Keturah; he has presented a new idea to Moshe; he has granted some of the wisdom from his background to Moshe; and his advice was to “measure out his efforts,” lest he become overwhelmed. How his parents have handled life situations, and how he has personally handled his own life circumstances, have led him to be able to share.
We must look at the other combination of נ and ה, and again try to understand. As this one is more complex, having Derivational Variants, and some extended connections, and a variation in wording, I’m sharing the entire study of this family from the TwoLetter document:
I encourage you to spend some time in this red box. There are far more aspects here than can be shared in just a listing of word definitions; it is really necessary to place yourself in the world of Moshe and Yitro to be able to grasp it all. I will touch on a few aspects. Your life circumstances may help you be able to visualize more as you connect with these men in this situation.
From Yitro’s perspective, here is a foreigner who comes in and changes our lives. I have seven daughters and many mouths to feed. He comes in and helps with some of the burdens, and then saying he has heard some “call from God” to go rescue his people, leaves not only his work undone to run off, but also leaves the burden of Zipporah and her two sons with me. What would you feel like doing? Giving him “a piece of your mind?”
Instead, this כהן, this “example for all to emulate,” first puts himself in the position to listen to all that Moshe had to share. They ask each other of their welfare, they go into the tent. Yitro listens to “all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.” Yitro rejoices with Moshe, and comes to know that the LORD is greater than all gods, and notice the wording “dealt arrogantly.”
Then, after having taken the time to listen to Moshe, he notices that Moshe is not able to join in the feast, but is working, working, working at his assumed task of judging in disputes. And after having re-connected with Moshe, he is able to “speak directly” and say “what you are doing is not good.” Had Yitro not listened first and connected, likely the advice would have fallen on deaf ears. But now Moshe “listens.” Notice that the word shema שמע occurs three times in this chapter; in the NKJV it is “heard” in verse 1, “obey” in verse 19, and “listened” in verse 24. “Hear שמע, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” שמע ישראל… Listening to the other, hearing their pain, sharing in their hardships. Going into their tent. An example for all to emulate.
Yitro’s advice is – share the burden of the people – let it go – delegate – a gift from Midian, from Keturah + Abraham.
May I just share a comment about the statement in the red box, for the GV family member p.151 נוה dwell [restfully and peacefully]. Its cognate meaning “move; rest (D62),” “in some of the (D62) cognates the CM is ‘move/speak directly.’” I point out to you two of the phonetic cognates for נוה:
נבע p.147 (gush forth; pass on) move/speak directly (D62)
נבא p.146 (prophesy; transmit God’s word) move/speak directly (D62)
I’m almost finished for today. I promised a return to the word burden (h5450. סְבָלָה seḇâlâ) in Exodus 2:11. I believe there is much to be learned about Scripture, about life, about people by looking at this word. We will look at it and see how it might apply to Jethro/Yitro the כהן, and might help us understand the “example for all to emulate.” I believe this word is speaking a lot about our attitude in life. Yitro seemed to have a great attitude in the passages we have seen. The priest of Midian knows some things about judgment. For more depth on סבל, we go to the Remez, “hint,” level of PaRDeS to look for other connections…
However, as I began to dig into it, it appears to be long enough and involved enough for a separate entry for סבל. So, we will stop here and begin again to look at סבל as it connects here. Things we have pending from this entry alone, include סבל, the phrase I highlighted three times above, “life circumstances,” the influence of Hagar הגר, the concept of תמים, and:
Genesis 25:5-6
5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.
In the meantime…
Shema, Israel. An example for all to emulate.
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