I have shared before that my study of the Word of God using the techniques discussed here, mostly from the Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew by R. Matityahu Clark, is like trying to drink from a fire hose. Over the months, I seem to have learned to drink a little better than my previous sipping, but still much water passes by me. I only pray that I am able to do a small bit of justice to the leading of the LORD and one of his faithful servants. We will see in some of todays passages that the role of ”the children of Israel is to ”clarify.” We have been told in Scripture that the children of Israel are to be to God a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 66:21; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6, 5:10) R. Clark is one who has bravely undertaken this work by making his efforts available to all, that we may learn from our LORD (יהוה).
We are going to talk about Truth today. Many of us today are like Pontius Pilate, wondering, “What is truth?” Hopefully we can have some clarity.
John 18:37-38 NKJV
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
In Christianity today there are even some well-known evangelizers who have said that Christians no longer need the Old Testament, only the New. I know that you are aware of my bias already, which is that we must go back to the Hebrew to have any chance of understanding Truth. I just want to share a few things, things which will offend many. You certainly don’t have to believe what I say, but I do ask that you at least read it with a somewhat open heart and see whether you can see truth within. I’ll be very honest from the beginning. Our most beloved headmaster, now at peace with the LORD, showed us the following diagram many times. This was the belief system taught at our Yeshivah. I will explain it as best I can in words, but as is the point of today’s discussion, a picture is worth a thousand words.
What Brother Oswald taught us was that the core of all knowledge was given to us in the first four book of Scripture: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. These are written by the finger of God (see Deuteronomy 9:7).
Deuteronomy (Devarim in Hebrew) then, was written by Moses as a commentary on the first four books, trying to help explain, as one who met face-to-face with God, some of what he had discerned. (We’ve shared this here before, but long ago, so I’ll say again, the word Deuteronomy means, from the Greek, deuteros “second” + nomos “custom, convention, law.”)
What we were taught, then, is that the remainder of Scripture, is further attempts to clarify what was written long ago. Scripture, as inspired by God, in what was spoken by prophets and writers, from Joshua through Revelation, are commentary on those previous books. I realize this is blasphemy in many people’s thoughts. Please simply allow a sharing, and feel free to accept or reject it, as always.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
9 That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 3:15
15 That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past.
The title of my dissertation was It Is Written, and its inclusion in this website gives the background work. My premise really is that nothing really new was stated in the Greek Testament, but only that the attempt was to help us understand what was there from the beginning. John even begins his gospel with an attempt to explain this. How to explain the unexplainable is a struggle that is constantly before us. But if one were to take away the foundation upon which the clarifications were written, large pieces would be lost (See Matthew 7:24-27), and great the fall. I have already shared that I misinterpreted some of my study. That clearly is the risk. And we ourselves fall when we put too much faith in our own explanations. We must always go back to the rock and build upon it.
So I hope to share with you just a few ideas, some examples, and I will leave the remainder for you to ponder. Near the bottom of this entry is a long sharing of some of the background work in the investigation of the word אמת, truth. It is there for you to refer to, but feel no obligation to read the entire AlHaTorah search results. I will point out a few things from it as we proceed. In the exploration of that search some verses are highlighted for one reason or another.
The first four books I will call ראשון ארבע, rishon arba, “first four” in Hebrew, instead of writing out “the first four books” each time. Rishon arba paint pictures. While they depict true events, the methods used allow us to put ourselves into the setting being shared and experience the events in first person. This requires a practice that some people will say of movies in the “fantasy” or “science fiction” genres, called “willful suspension of disbelief.” We go to the theater or the opera to allow ourselves to become a part of the action taking place before us. This allows us to truly experience what the performers are portraying. A good job of acting helps us to put ourselves in the places of those we are observing.
I realize that what I say here can be easily misconstrued. I am by no means saying that the rishon arba are simply stories, myth, written to give a moral lesson, because the rishon arba are historical events. But Scripture is not simply a history book. It is, as our website subtitle Tools for Understanding the Revelation of Life in Scripture indicates, a revelation of life. We also spoke long ago about chapters 4 and 5 of the book of Judges, as an example. If you read the two chapters, you see a narrative of events in chapter 4. Chapter 5 is the Song of Deborah, sharing what was said in chapter 4 through her eyes. While these chapters are separated into two (there are many other examples of such, such as songs of Moses in Exodus 15 and in Deuteronomy 32). These are invitations to you to allow yourself not only through the eyes of Deborah and Moses, but also to allow yourself to look at the narratives as if you are there and experience the emotional impact as if you are there. It allows you/us to really learn because it is through the emotional connection that we really experience what the writer was talking about. If you love paintings at an art museum, it is because you spend enough time there to allow yourself to connect with them and embrace the experience as a heart-connection with the artist. You may see that that person has experienced some of the same difficulties and joys in life that you have experienced. It is a one-to-one, “face-to-face” connection.
All of the Hebrew Scriptures, and especially the rishon arba are invitations for us as readers to join in and see that these are real life situations being shared, and when we put ourselves in their shoes, that is when we really begin to understand. We can see that the bush is burning but not ourselves get burned. We can learn from the experience of one’s long ago who were experiencing the same life challenges we are facing. Yes, modern life “wears different clothes,” but the part inside of us, what lies within, is no different.
This is exactly the explanation in Matthew 13:13-17 which further clarifies Isaiah 6:9-11, which is also a clarification of so much from the rishon arba. If you have read or are reading R. Fohrman’s book I recently referred to, The Exodus You Almost Passed Over or if you have really studied through the Torah cycles, you are aware of what the Teacher and Isaiah are talking about. A people cry out to God because of their oppression; God rescues them from slavery and provides for them in the wilderness, yet they still complain over and over and over. They have “seen” who God is by his actions, a part of their very own lives, yet they do not trust in him enough to follow his lead. This culminates in a passage we will hopefully cover in great depth in the future (I have done the work – just need to find the right timing), Numbers 14:26-38. The LORD is patient and nurturing and teaching and then brings a small “test” by sending out twelve leaders to evaluate the land to which they are being brought. Only two of the twelve (a “remnant”) have faith in the LORD. The Numbers passage is when the LORD (יהוה) has finally reached a point where he says “as you have judged, so shall you be judged,” and allows the circumstances to do their thing. This is the “lex talonis” understanding of consequences, which are explained in Post 14. Synthetic Grasp of Life. You may know this as “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” what you do comes back on you, in kind. What it explains, actually, is “measure for measure,” not to be excessive in responding to offenses.
And you may say, but the Teacher did away with that! This is where our misinterpretations of his statements get us in trouble. So, I will first remind you that the idea of our sufferings and our actions being closely linked is seen extensively in Torah (rishon arba plus Deuteronomy) and you saw it in Post 14. And I remind you that the Teacher said:
Matthew 5:18 KJV
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law (g3551. νόμος nomos = h8451. תּוֹרָה tôrâ), till all be fulfilled.
Furthermore, we must look at specifically what he said about eye for eye, and in the understanding here that was expressed by Solomon, “That which is has already been,” the Teacher was saying only what had been shared before. He was not changing anything about “the law,” but rather teaching us to change our responses so that “the law,” the nature of Creation as it was established, would work in our favor. Follow please, the trail of connections:
Matthew 5:38-42 – (NKJV – also in Luke 6:29–31)
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
⇧
- Two writings in Proverbs:
Proverbs 20:22
22 Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
- And
Proverbs 25:21-22
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.
⇧
2 Samuel 16:5-14
5 Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 8 The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!”
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”
11 And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day.” 13 And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust. 14 Now the king and all the people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.
⇧
These three from Torah:
Deuteronomy 23:5
5 Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.
Numbers 22:6
6 Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
And you really must read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 28. The key verse is verse 47, but it makes little sense if not read in context:
Deuteronomy 28:47-48
47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.
Deuteronomy 28:47
47 תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־עָבַ֨דְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל׃
Genesis 25:23
23 And the LORD said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the greater shall serve the lesser.”
“For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.”
Below you will see the AlHaTorah search simply on אמת, no prefixes, suffixes, or insertions. You will see that it is interpreted in several ways, including cubit and measure, faithfulness, true, sure, truth, highest quality, and assured. You will also see that is used in parallel/equivalence with Torah and with commandments. See how those relate to “bearing witness to the truth.”
Notice also the single entry from EDBH in that segment of the entry, from Psalm 51:6(8H), the word סתם, hidden. I will show the verse here again, and the referent verses to help tie this all together.
Psalms 51:6 NKJV
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden (part) You will make me to know wisdom.
Psalms 51:8
8 הֵן־אֱ֭מֶת חָפַ֣צְתָּ בַטֻּחֹ֑ות וּ֝בְסָתֻ֗ם חָכְמָ֥ה תוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃
What is “hidden,” what is “kept close” in our inward parts, in our emotions, in that soul/spirit connection, having compassion for “the other,” recognizing that in the cyclic measure of striving to attain,” at one point we were slaves in Egypt (“the world”) also, and that in the cyclic nature of things, the “greater and lesser” may alternate again. Someday life will have it that, though you have become quite complacent in your position as “greater” or “stronger,” you will become “lesser” or “weaker.” It is the nature of life. May it be that you have turned the other cheek.
Now we will look at the listed סתם verses for insight and then call it a day, except for that אמת investigation below.
❶ closing; sealing
⦁ Genesis 26:12-16
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up (h5640. סָתַם sâṯam) all the wells (h0875. בְּאֵר ḇe’êr) which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
- Note Abraham had “dug wells” in the land, had “clarified matters” (regarding the nature of God), but the Philistines had hidden those things, sealed them off.
also
⦁ Genesis 24:11
11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw (water).
Genesis 24:11
11 וַיַּבְרֵ֧ךְ הַגְּמַלִּ֛ים מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר הַמָּ֑יִם לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב לְעֵ֖ת צֵ֥את הַשֹּׁאֲבֹֽת׃
Ask yourself if the conversation at the well in John 4:6-27 could have taken place within the city, with others around. It is quiet, intimate time, when the real connection occurs, the “clarification” of the well.
also
⦁ Genesis 45:16-20
16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
Genesis 45:16-20
16 וְהַקֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמַ֗ע בֵּ֤ית פַּרְעֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בָּ֖אוּ אֲחֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיִּיטַב֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י עֲבָדָֽיו׃
17 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־אַחֶ֖יךָ זֹ֣את עֲשׂ֑וּ טַֽעֲנוּ֙ אֶת־בְּעִ֣ירְכֶ֔ם וּלְכוּ־בֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃
18 וּקְח֧וּ אֶת־אֲבִיכֶ֛ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיכֶ֖ם וּבֹ֣אוּ אֵלָ֑י וְאֶתְּנָ֣ה לָכֶ֗ם אֶת־טוּב֙ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וְאִכְל֖וּ אֶת־חֵ֥לֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
19 וְאַתָּ֥ה צֻוֵּ֖יתָה זֹ֣את עֲשׂ֑וּ קְחוּ־לָכֶם֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם עֲגָלֹ֗ות לְטַפְּכֶם֙ וְלִנְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וּנְשָׂאתֶ֥ם אֶת־אֲבִיכֶ֖םוּבָאתֶֽם׃
20 וְעֵ֣ינְכֶ֔ם אַל־תָּחֹ֖ס עַל־כְּלֵיכֶ֑ם כִּי־ט֛וּב כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לָכֶ֥ם הֽוּא׃
What is hidden here and what is clarified here in these five verses are the very moment that Israel was sold into slavery. Here you could see if you were at the theater and the action that had taken place thus far, that Joseph has been won over by the prosperity of “the world” in Egypt, and the remainder of the family is in challenging circumstances. As you have involved yourself in the plot, yet watching from afar, you can recognize the potential for giving over the power to Pharaoh, one of the “foreign gods.” This is a very difficult life situation where one is told to make a choice – remember we spoke of “which אשר,” “decisive action,” earlier.
“also verse”
⦁ Genesis 49:22-26 NKJV
22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have bitterly grieved him,
Shot at him and hated him.
24 But his bow remained in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong
By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors,
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills.
They shall be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
Genesis 49:22-26
22 בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת עֲלֵי־עָ֑יִן בָּנֹ֕ות צָעֲדָ֖ה עֲלֵי־שֽׁוּר׃
23 וַֽיְמָרֲרֻ֖הוּ וָרֹ֑בּוּ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֻ֖הוּ בַּעֲלֵ֥י חִצִּֽים׃
24 וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן֙ קַשְׁתֹּ֔ו וַיָּפֹ֖זּוּ זְרֹעֵ֣י יָדָ֑יו מִידֵי֙ אֲבִ֣יר יַעֲקֹ֔ב מִשָּׁ֥ם רֹעֶ֖ה אֶ֥בֶן יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
25 מֵאֵ֨ל אָבִ֜יךָ וְיַעְזְרֶ֗ךָּ וְאֵ֤ת שַׁדַּי֙ וִיבָ֣רְכֶ֔ךָּ בִּרְכֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֨יִם֙ מֵעָ֔ל בִּרְכֹ֥ת תְּהֹ֖ום רֹבֶ֣צֶת תָּ֑חַת בִּרְכֹ֥ת שָׁדַ֖יִם וָרָֽחַם׃
26 בִּרְכֹ֣ת אָבִ֗יךָ גָּֽבְרוּ֙ עַל־בִּרְכֹ֣ת הוֹרַ֔י עַֽד־תַּאֲוַ֖ת גִּבְעֹ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם תִּֽהְיֶ֨ין֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו׃ פ
In doing the study of Genesis 49:22-26, I was impressed in the investigation of p.20 באר clarify; go from dark to light;; highlight/expose (B1) the words “and womb,” translating ורחם. Very cool how that birth, passing from the womb, is “going from dark to light.” That led me to this side-trail (please excuse). If you recall we have discussed before the symbolism in the blood around the doorway of the house at Passover/Pesach indicating the birth canal, and recall please that the LORD (יהוה) has indicated the people of Israel as his “firstborn.” Here is where I was led, to the description of the “work” to be done at Pesach:
Exodus 12:21-27 NKJV
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
(This is like saying, “the good old days.” 😉)
I hope you found the re-translation and the highlights enlightening. I did. And the entire topic of “going from dark to light” and “womb” transported me immediately to the discussion between the Teacher and Nicodemus in John 3:1-10, about being “born again.” I encourage you to read. That discussion also led me to another side-trail which I will not put here, but give you passages you may want to follow up on at some point, which relate to the statement in verse 5 of being born of “water and the Spirit.” [references – and always with context Gn6:17; 2K3:17; Is17:13, 32:2, 63:11; Jr10:13,51:16; Ek21:7; Ps18:15; Pr30:4; and, requiring more from our toolset, Job38:29.]
- There are many things to notice here (and even more if you were reading R. Fohrman’s book). Here is one interesting note from our perspective. The cognate meaning of אזב is engage/disengage (full cognate permutation exploration yet to be done). Highlighted is בדם אשר “in blood which.” You will recall that דם blood means “measure,” and we learned here אשר cognate permutation meaning is “decisive action.” What is being asked of the Israelites is “in a measure of decisive action.” This is seen in Fohrman’s book when he points out that slaughter of a lamb is quite brazen in a country where a lamb is a deity. And painting its blood on your doorpost is a witness to all of that brazenness, a challenge to the status quo. This fact is also pointed out in the verb in verse 21 that NKJV translates as “reach out” to take a lamb, but משך is stronger than that, and I translated as “stretch out,” as they are “putting themselves out on a limb,” to take this decisive action.
- I hope it helps here for me to point out something that we shared together way back on the website, or at least a variant of it. In Post 08. Emphasis / Repetition we discussed methods used in Scripture that help focus attention. And we spoke about how differences between passages that are overall very similar are an invitation to look more deeply at the differences. Here, I point out two formations of Hebrew wording that is glossed over in the English, but makes all the difference in our “hidden” interpretation. In verses 22 and 23 in the NKJV you read “the two doorposts.” What I put in my literal translation is what is actually in the Hebrew, “two the doorposts.” The definitive article ה is a part of the word mezuza (plural mezuzot), which makes the word include a cognate permutation of אזב and of פסח as well.
- The idea in looking at אזב in terms of weakness and strength is reflected in Paul’s statement in 2Corinthians12:10, “aFor when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Now back to our look at סתם, the second numbered definition “concealing.” We looked briefly at Psalm 51:6(8H) above, leading us to the סתם investigation. Here we see more:
❷ concealing
⦁ Psalms 51:3-9 NKJV
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin (is) always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done (this) evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
(And) blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6(8H) Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden (part) You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
And now the “also” verse under “concealing:” (in Hebrew 55:4, English 55:3)
⦁ Psalms 55:1-7
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David.
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness.
Selah
⦁ Psalms 55:1-8
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
2 הַאֲזִ֣ינָה אֱ֭לֹהִים תְּפִלָּתִ֑י וְאַל־תִּ֝תְעַלַּ֗ם מִתְּחִנָּתִֽי׃
3 הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֣י וַעֲנֵ֑נִי אָרִ֖יד בְּשִׂיחִ֣י וְאָהִֽימָה׃
4 מִקֹּ֤ול אוֹיֵ֗ב מִפְּנֵ֣י עָקַ֣ת רָשָׁ֑ע כִּי־יָמִ֥יטוּ עָלַ֥י אָ֝֗וֶן וּבְאַ֥ף יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃
5 לִ֭בִּי יָחִ֣יל בְּקִרְבִּ֑י וְאֵימֹ֥ות מָ֝֗וֶת נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי׃
6 יִרְאָ֣ה וָ֭רַעַד יָ֣בֹא בִ֑י וַ֝תְּכַסֵּ֗נִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
7 וָאֹמַ֗ר מִֽי־יִתֶּן־לִּ֣י אֵ֭בֶר כַּיּוֹנָ֗ה אָע֥וּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּֽנָה׃
8 הִ֭נֵּה אַרְחִ֣יק נְדֹ֑ד אָלִ֖ין בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר סֶֽלָה׃
I’ve heard R. Fohrman from AlephBeta explain numerous times the concept before, but I listened recently to a podcast featuring two of his younger scholars, that brought it to mind again (a witness) that is very appropriate here. When studying Scripture and you find some connections (not just random, but “multiple witnesses,” several ideas, themes, words) it is very important to investigate them both thoroughly, because each one sheds light on the other. In the face of our opening discussion about later Scripture being commentary/clarification of what was written before, pay particular attention that the earlier/greater serves the later/lesser (Gn25:23), but as well the later sheds light upon the earlier, as it was intended to. Each enhances the understanding of the other. You have seen several examples here of connections, some we have investigated, and others which need more exploration. (And SO often there are the connections between Hebrew Testament and Greek Testament – each helping to explain the other. As one example, an exercise you could do is to look for places that hyssop shows up in the Greek Scriptures to see whether that is an important keyword to point back to earlier writings. The one word connection is not sufficient as a single witness, but leads you to look for other “witnesses/connections.”)
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Next is the AlHaTorah Search I told you about, which is a “reference,” and only for you to skim, noting highlighted passages (feel free to do more as you have the interest). And then, after that is a cognate permutation investigation that I did for אמת. Though אמת is a noun, not a root, the principles we use, based upon the meaning of individual letters, should give us the spectrum of meaning we are looking for. And there will be closure after that.
Emet אמת Truth AlHaTorah Search
Tanakh (56 results)
1. Bereshit 24:48 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וָאֶקֹּד וָאֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַי״י וָאֲבָרֵךְ אֶת י״י אֱלֹהֵי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר הִנְחַנִי בְּדֶרֶךְ אֱמֶת לָקַחַת אֶת בַּת אֲחִי אֲדֹנִילִבְנוֹ.
⦁ Genesis 24:47-49 of Rebekah
47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
2. Shemot 18:21 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכׇּל הָעָם אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵימֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת.
⦁ Exodus 18:21
21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
3. Shemot 36:21 (Mikraot Gedolot)
עֶשֶׂר אַמֹּת אֹרֶךְ הַקָּרֶשׁ וְאַמָּה וַחֲצִי הָאַמָּה רֹחַב הַקֶּרֶשׁ הָאֶחָד.
⦁ Exodus 36:21
21 The length of each board was ten cubits, and the width of each board a cubit and a half.
4. Devarim 13:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְחָקַרְתָּ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ הֵיטֵב וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּקִרְבֶּךָ.
⦁ Deuteronomy 13:12-15
12 “If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods“‘—which you have not known— 14(15H) then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword.
5. Devarim 17:4 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְהֻגַּד לְךָ וְשָׁמָעְתָּ וְדָרַשְׁתָּ הֵיטֵב וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
⦁ Deuteronomy 17:2-5
2 “If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, 3 who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, 4 and it is told you, and you hear (of it), then you shall inquire diligently. And if (it is) indeed true (and) certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.
6. Devarim 22:20 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאִם אֱמֶת הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לֹא נִמְצְאוּ בְתוּלִים לַנַּעֲרָ.
⦁ Deuteronomy 22:20-21
20 “But if the thing is true, (and evidences of) virginity are not found for the young woman, 21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
7. Yehoshua 2:12 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁבְעוּ נָא לִי בַּי״י כִּי עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּכֶם חָסֶד וַעֲשִׂיתֶם גַּם אַתֶּם עִם בֵּית אָבִי חֶסֶד וּנְתַתֶּם לִי אוֹתאֱמֶת.
⦁ Joshua 2:10-13 Rahab
10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
8. Shemuel II 7:28 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי יֱ־הֹוִה אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים וּדְבָרֶיךָ יִהְיוּ אֱמֶת וַתְּדַבֵּר אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אֶת הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת.
⦁ 2 Samuel 7:28-29
28 “And now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord GOD, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
9. Melakhim I 10:6 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֱמֶת הָיָה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּאַרְצִי עַל דְּבָרֶיךָ וְעַל חׇכְמָתֶךָ.
⦁ 1 Kings 10:4-6
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen (h7200. רָאָה râ’â) all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.
10. Melakhim I 17:24 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל אֵלִיָּהוּ עַתָּה זֶה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים אָתָּה וּדְבַר י״י בְּפִיךָ אֱמֶת.
⦁ 1 Kings 17:23-24
23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth.”
11. Melakhim I 22:16 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ עַד כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים אֲנִי מַשְׁבִּיעֶךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא תְדַבֵּר אֵלַי רַק אֱמֶת בְּשֵׁם י״י.
● 1 Kings 22:14-16
14 And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”
15 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?”
And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!”
16 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
12. Yeshayahu 43:9 (Mikraot Gedolot)
כׇּל הַגּוֹיִם נִקְבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו וְיֵאָסְפוּ לְאֻמִּים מִי בָהֶם יַגִּיד זֹאת וְרִאשֹׁנוֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם וְיִצְדָּקוּ וְיִשְׁמְעוּוְיֹאמְרוּ אֱמֶת.
⦁ Isaiah 43:9
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “(It is) truth.”
13. Yeshayahu 59:14 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְהֻסַּג אָחוֹר מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה מֵרָחוֹק תַּעֲמֹד כִּי כָשְׁלָה בָרְחוֹב אֱמֶת וּנְכֹחָה לֹא תוּכַל לָבוֹא.
⦁ Isaiah 59:12-15
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So the truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The Redeemer of Zion
Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
- Isaiah 59:15 BHS
- 15 וַתְּהִ֤י הָֽאֱמֶת֙ נֶעְדֶּ֔רֶת וְסָ֥ר מֵרָ֖ע מִשְׁתּוֹלֵ֑ל וַיַּ֧רְא יְהוָ֛ה וַיֵּ֥רַע בְּעֵינָ֖יו כִּֽי־אֵ֥ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
14. Yirmeyahu 2:21 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק כֻּלֹּה זֶרַע אֱמֶת וְאֵיךְ נֶהְפַּכְתְּ לִי סוּרֵי הַגֶּפֶן נׇכְרִיָּה.
● Jeremiah 2:21
21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.
How then have you turned before Me
Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?
15. Yirmeyahu 10:10 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַי״י אֱלֹהִים אֱמֶת הוּא אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים וּמֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם מִקִּצְפּוֹ תִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא יָכִלוּ גוֹיִם זַעְמוֹ.
⦁ Jeremiah 10:10
10 But the LORD is the true God;
He (is) the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble,
And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
16. Yirmeyahu 14:13 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וָאֹמַר אֲהָהּ אֲדֹנָי יֱ־הֹוִה הִנֵּה הַנְּבִאִים אֹמְרִים לָהֶם לֹא תִרְאוּ חֶרֶב וְרָעָב לֹא יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כִּי שְׁלוֹם אֱמֶת אֶתֵּןלָכֶם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה.
● Jeremiah 14:13-14
13 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’”
14 And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.
17. Yirmeyahu 23:28 (Mikraot Gedolot)
הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ חֲלוֹם יְסַפֵּר חֲלוֹם וַאֲשֶׁר דְּבָרִי אִתּוֹ יְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִי אֱמֶת מַה לַתֶּבֶן אֶת הַבָּר נְאֻם י״י.
● Jeremiah 23:28-29
28 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream;
And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully.
What (is) the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD.
29 ”(Is) not My word like a fire?” says the LORD,
“And like a hammer (that) breaks the rock in pieces?
18. Yirmeyahu 42:5 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְהֵמָּה אָמְרוּ אֶל יִרְמְיָהוּ יְהִי י״י בָּנוּ לְעֵד אֱמֶת וְנֶאֱמָן אִם לֹא כְּכׇל הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁלָחֲךָ י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ כֵּןנַעֲשֶׂה.
● Jeremiah 42:5-6
5 So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you. 6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”
19. Yirmeyahu 51:13 (Mikraot Gedolot)
[שֹׁכַנְתְּ] (שכנתי) עַל מַיִם רַבִּים רַבַּת אוֹצָרֹת בָּא קִצֵּךְ אַמַּת בִּצְעֵךְ.
● Jeremiah 51:13
13 O you who dwell by many waters,
Abundant in treasures,
Your end has come,
The measure of your covetousness.
20. Yechezkel 18:8 (Mikraot Gedolot)
בַּנֶּשֶׁךְ לֹא יִתֵּן וְתַרְבִּית לֹא יִקָּח מֵעָוֶל יָשִׁיב יָדוֹ מִשְׁפַּט אֱמֶת יַעֲשֶׂה בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִישׁ.
21. Yechezkel 18:9 (Mikraot Gedolot)
בְּחֻקּוֹתַי יְהַלֵּךְ וּמִשְׁפָּטַי שָׁמַר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱמֶת צַדִּיק הוּא חָיֹה יִחְיֶה נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יֱ־הֹוִה.
● Ezekiel 18:8-9
8 If he has not exacted usury
Nor taken any increase,
(But) has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
(And) executed true judgment between man and man;
9 (If) he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully—
He is just;
He shall surely live!”
Says the Lord GOD.
22. Hoshea 4:1 (Mikraot Gedolot)
שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר י״י בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי רִיב לַי״י עִם יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי אֵין אֱמֶת וְאֵין חֶסֶד וְאֵין דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים בָּאָרֶץ.
⦁ Hosea 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD,
You children of Israel,
For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed דמים upon bloodshed דמים.
3 Therefore the land will mourn;
And everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
23. Mikhah 7:20 (Mikraot Gedolot)
תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ מִימֵי קֶדֶם.
⦁ Micah 7:20
20 You will give truth to Jacob
(And) mercy to Abraham,
Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.
24. Zekharyah 7:9 (Mikraot Gedolot)
כֹּה אָמַר י״י צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר מִשְׁפַּט אֱמֶת שְׁפֹטוּ וְחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים עֲשׂוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו.
⦁ Zechariah 7:9-10
9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts:
‘Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’
25. Zekharyah 8:16 (Mikraot Gedolot)
אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ דַּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם.
⦁ Zechariah 8:16-17
16 These (are) the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17 Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these (are things) that I hate,’
Says the LORD.”
26. Malakhi 2:6 (Mikraot Gedolot)
תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת הָיְתָה בְּפִיהוּ וְעַוְלָה לֹא נִמְצָא בִשְׂפָתָיו בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְמִישׁוֹר הָלַךְ אִתִּי וְרַבִּים הֵשִׁיב מֵעָוֺן.
● Malachi 2:4-6
4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
5 “My covenant was with him, (one) of life and peace,
And I gave them to him (that he might) fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.
6 The law (h8451. תּוֹרָה tôrâ) of truth was in his mouth,
And injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And turned many away from iniquity.
27. Tehillim 15:2 (Mikraot Gedolot)
הוֹלֵךְ תָּמִים וּפֹעֵל צֶדֶק וְדֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבוֹ.
⦁ Psalms 15:1-2
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
28. Tehillim 19:10 (Mikraot Gedolot)
יִרְאַת י״י טְהוֹרָה עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד מִשְׁפְּטֵי י״י אֱמֶת צָדְקוּ יַחְדָּו.
⦁ Psalms 19:9-10
9(10H) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
29. Tehillim 31:6 (Mikraot Gedolot)
בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי פָּדִיתָ אוֹתִי י״י אֵל אֱמֶת.
⦁ Psalms 31:3-5
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5(6H)Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
30. Tehillim 45:5 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַהֲדָרְךָ צְלַח רְכַב עַל דְּבַר אֱמֶת וְעַנְוָה צֶדֶק וְתוֹרְךָ נוֹרָאוֹת יְמִינֶךָ.
⦁ Psalms 45:3-4
3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4(5H) And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
31. Tehillim 51:8 (Mikraot Gedolot)
הֵן אֱמֶת חָפַצְתָּ בַטֻּחוֹת וּבְסָתֻם חׇכְמָה תוֹדִיעֵנִי.
● Psalms 51:5-6
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6(8H) Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden סתם you will make me to know wisdom.
32. Tehillim 85:12 (Mikraot Gedolot)
אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח וְצֶדֶק מִשָּׁמַיִם נִשְׁקָף.
⦁ Psalms 85:10-12
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11(12H) Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
- Psalms 85:11. BHS
- 11 חֶֽסֶד־וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁלֹ֣ום נָשָֽׁקוּ׃
33. Tehillim 111:7 (Mikraot Gedolot)
מַעֲשֵׂי יָדָיו אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט נֶאֱמָנִים כׇּל פִּקּוּדָיו.
⦁ Psalms 111:7
7 The works of His hands are verity and justice;
All His precepts are sure (h0539. אָמַן ’âman).
34. Tehillim 119:43 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאַל תַּצֵּל מִפִּי דְבַר אֱמֶת עַד מְאֹד כִּי לְמִשְׁפָּטֶךָ יִחָלְתִּי.
⦁ Psalms 119:41-43
ו WAW
41 Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD—
Your salvation according to Your word.
42 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
35. Tehillim 119:142 (Mikraot Gedolot)
צִדְקָתְךָ צֶדֶק לְעוֹלָם וְתוֹרָתְךָ אֱמֶת.
● Psalms 119:141-142
141 I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law (h8451. תּוֹרָה tôrâ) is truth.
36. Tehillim 119:151 (Mikraot Gedolot)
קָרוֹב אַתָּה י״י וְכׇל מִצְוֺתֶיךָ אֱמֶת.
● Psalms 119:151
151 You are near, O LORD,
And all Your commandments (h4687. מִצְוָה miṣwâ) are truth.
37. Tehillim 119:160 (Mikraot Gedolot)
רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת וּלְעוֹלָם כׇּל מִשְׁפַּט צִדְקֶךָ.
● Psalms 119:160
160 The entirety (h7218. רֹאשׁ rô’š) of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
- h7218. רֹאשׁ rô’š more commonly would be as “beginning.”
38. Tehillim 132:11 (Mikraot Gedolot)
נִשְׁבַּע י״י לְדָוִד אֱמֶת לֹא יָשׁוּב מִמֶּנָּה מִפְּרִי בִטְנְךָ אָשִׁית לְכִסֵּא לָךְ.
⦁ Psalms 132:11-12
11 The LORD has sworn in truth to David;
He will not turn from it:
“I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.
12 If your sons will keep My covenant )h1285. בְּרִית ḇerîyṯ)
And My testimony which I shall teach them,
Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”
- If is a very big word
39. Tehillim 146:6 (Mikraot Gedolot)
עֹשֶׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כׇּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם הַשֹּׁמֵר אֱמֶת לְעוֹלָם.
⦁ Psalms 146:5-6
5 Happy (is he) who (has) the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope (is) in the LORD his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that (is) in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
40. Mishlei 8:7 (Mikraot Gedolot)
כִּי אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע.
⦁ Proverbs 8:5-7
5 O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips (will come) right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness (is) an abomination to my lips.
41. Mishlei 11:18 (Mikraot Gedolot)
רָשָׁע עֹשֶׂה פְעֻלַּת שָׁקֶר וְזֹרֵעַ צְדָקָה שֶׂכֶר אֱמֶת.
⦁ Proverbs 11:17-18
17 The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But (he who is) cruel troubles his own flesh.
18 The wicked (man) does deceptive work,
But he who sows righteousness (will have) a sure reward.
42. Mishlei 12:19 (Mikraot Gedolot)
שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר.
⦁ Proverbs 12:19
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue (is) but for a moment.
43. Mishlei 14:25 (Mikraot Gedolot)
מַצִּיל נְפָשׁוֹת עֵד אֱמֶת וְיָפִחַ כְּזָבִים מִרְמָה.
● Proverbs 14:25
25 A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful (witness) speaks lies.
44. Mishlei 22:21 (Mikraot Gedolot)
לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶיךָ.
⦁ Proverbs 22:19-21
19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;
I have instructed you today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who send to you?
45. Mishlei 23:23 (Mikraot Gedolot)
אֱמֶת קְנֵה וְאַל תִּמְכֹּר חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר וּבִינָה.
⦁ Proverbs 23:22-23
22 Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell (it),
(Also) wisdom and instruction and understanding.
46. Kohelet 12:10 (Mikraot Gedolot)
בִּקֵּשׁ קֹהֶלֶת לִמְצֹא דִּבְרֵי חֵפֶץ וְכָתוּב יֹשֶׁר דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת.
⦁ Ecclesiastes 12:10-11
10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and (what was) written (was) upright—words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
47. Daniel 8:12 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְצָבָא תִּנָּתֵן עַל הַתָּמִיד בְּפָשַׁע וְתַשְׁלֵךְ אֱמֶת אַרְצָה וְעָשְׂתָה וְהִצְלִיחָה.
⦁ Daniel 8:12
12 Because of transgression, an army was given over (to the horn) to oppose the daily (sacrifices); and he cast truth down to the earth. He did (all this) and prospered.
48. Daniel 8:26 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וּמַרְאֵה הָעֶרֶב וְהַבֹּקֶר אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמַר אֱמֶת הוּא וְאַתָּה סְתֹם הֶחָזוֹן כִּי לְיָמִים רַבִּים.
⦁ Daniel 8:26
26 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
Therefore seal up the vision,
For it (refers) to many days (in the future).”
49. Daniel 10:21 (Mikraot Gedolot)
אֲבָל אַגִּיד לְךָ אֶת הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתָב אֱמֶת וְאֵין אֶחָד מִתְחַזֵּק עִמִּי עַל אֵלֶּה כִּי אִם מִיכָאֵל שַׂרְכֶם.
⦁ Daniel 10:20-21
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.
50. Daniel 11:2 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְעַתָּה אֱמֶת אַגִּיד לָךְ הִנֵּה עוֹד שְׁלֹשָׁה מְלָכִים עֹמְדִים לְפָרַס וְהָרְבִיעִי יַעֲשִׁיר עֹשֶׁר גָּדוֹל מִכֹּל וּכְחֶזְקָתוֹבְעׇשְׁרוֹ יָעִיר הַכֹּל אֵת מַלְכוּת יָוָן.
⦁ Daniel 11:2
2 And now I will tell you the truth: Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.
51. Nechemyah 7:2 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וָאֲצַוֶּה אֶת חֲנָנִי אָחִי וְאֶת חֲנַנְיָה שַׂר הַבִּירָה עַל יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם כִּי הוּא כְּאִישׁ אֱמֶת וְיָרֵא אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרַבִּים.
⦁ Nehemiah 7:1-2
1 Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
52. Nechemyah 9:13 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְעַל הַר סִינַי יָרַדְתָּ וְדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם מִשָּׁמָיִם וַתִּתֵּן לָהֶם מִשְׁפָּטִים יְשָׁרִים וְתוֹרוֹת אֱמֶת חֻקִּים וּמִצְוֺת טוֹבִים.
⦁ Nehemiah 9:13
13 “You came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
53. Nechemyah 9:33 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כׇּל הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִׂיתָ וַאֲנַחְנוּ הִרְשָׁעְנוּ.
⦁ Nehemiah 9:32-33
32 “Now therefore, our God,
The great, the mighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us,
Our kings and our princes,
Our priests and our prophets,
Our fathers and on all Your people,
From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
33 However You (are) just in all that has befallen us;
For You have dealt faithfully,
But we have done wickedly.
54. Divrei HaYamim II 9:5 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֱמֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּאַרְצִי עַל דְּבָרֶיךָ וְעַל חׇכְמָתֶךָ.
⦁ 2 Chronicles 9:5
5 Then she said to the king: “(It was) a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.
55. Divrei HaYamim II 15:3 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וְיָמִים רַבִּים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי אֱמֶת וּלְלֹא כֹּהֵן מוֹרֶה וּלְלֹא תוֹרָה.
⦁ 2 Chronicles 15:3-4
3 For a long time Israel (has been) without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
56. Divrei HaYamim II 18:15 (Mikraot Gedolot)
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ עַד כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים אֲנִי מַשְׁבִּיעֶךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא תְדַבֵּר אֵלַי רַק אֱמֶת בְּשֵׁם י״י.
⦁ 2 Chronicles 18:14-15
14 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!”
15 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
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As you look at this cognate permutation investigation, see that for טמא, question marks ¿ ? are placed. You will recall from prior discussion on this website that there is some controversy about the topic of “unclean,” and I had referred to presentations from some AlephBeta Scholars. What I can say is that what might be defined as “unclean” in different societies is dependent upon the societal mores of that individual culture. There are God’s Truths and “truths” in individual cultures or even households. These are what must be distinguished. Based upon our frequent LogAndSpeck references, we must be certain that the stance that we take is the stance that God takes if we are judging others, and not just some “gut feeling” that we have based upon the society or even household that we grew up in. The standard that we use for measuring/judging is what will be used upon us (re-read Matthew 7:1-5). What is “unclean” in my eyes does not necessarily equal what is “unclean” in God’s eyes, though I often act as if it is. The very important Scriptural message about טמא is in the “separation,” the “time out,” the “sabbath” that is required for it. For a period of time, there is a “loss of independence,” which is a time to ponder. It is a time set aside to consider the things that are truly important and things we may have simply built up in our own minds. If you will recall the previous discussion covered the times set aside for the woman’s menstruation נדה, and after she has given birth to children. Set aside times, times when we are not “in control,” are the times when we really learn. This is Truth. The Hitlers of the world believe in their “truths” and are able to convince others of their “truths.”
One of our biggest difficulties today is that we have each staked out our territory of what we believe to be “truth,” believing our own version of what God says. I refer you back again to Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural address, when he speaks of the two sides,
- “Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. ‘Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.’”
Lincoln is far more eloquent than I, but indeed, the Almighty does have his own purposes. Some times “set aside” are simply quiet times, without interruption, when we can truly listen שמע for God’s still, silent voice. Some times “set aside” we see as disasters, such as wars, pandemics, twin towers burning. These are the times we are to hear the Voice of God, to hear the Witness of his Truth. These are set-aside times, separate times, sabbath times. May you make space in your life to really question your own beliefs, ponder that Log in your own eye, before confrontation comes. The purposes of God will be realized one way or another. The way that we can influence when and how is by the limits we set upon our own self-interests. Truth → establish limits. We do not like limiting ourselves. But limits will come, one way or another. This is the Wisdom that comes in “the hidden.” May we open our eyes and see.
I will leave you with a brief introduction to a related topic that we hopefully will get to share in the future. We have shared enough today, but perhaps you can be pondering how what I see as connected interacts with the discussion above. Here are some Scriptures that speak of a time for which we yearn (there is context):
Isaiah 11:6-8
6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
Isaiah 65:24-25
24 “It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the LORD.
Two questions to be pondering. The first is what these animal examples mean to you. If these graze together, dwell together, lie down together, is this not a picture of oppression and self-interest weakening, the greater becoming more like the lesser?
The second is the colon in 65:25 (and in 11:7) saying, “The lion shall eat straw like the ox.” Connect that thought to similar passages by reading about King Nebuchadnezzar, who he was and who he became. A “truth” moment came for him. And a change of heart. We may not like it when Truth comes from without. It is good to work on those revelations within. We must humble ourselves or anticipate being humbled. Truth.
Ⓒ Copyright LogAndSpeck August 2023. Please cite if copying.