- (Definitions marked here with the ▸ are from the Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary from Olive Tree Bible study.)
(I was led in this direction by a devotional in The Berean. And, as always, my own life is another witness to me.)
⦁ Romans 10:2
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (g1922. ἐπίγνωσις epignōsis).
▸ g1922. ἐπίγνωσις epignōsis; from 1921; recognition, i.e. (by implication) full discernment, acknowledgement: — (ac-)knowledge(-ing, – ment).
AV (20) – knowledge 16, acknowledging 3, acknowledgement 1;
precise and correct knowledge
used in the NT of the knowledge of things ethical and divine
▸ g1922. ἐπίγνωσις epígnōsis; gen. epignṓseōs, fem. noun from epiginṓskō (G1921), to recognize. It is more intens. than gnṓsis (G1108), knowledge, because it expresses a more thorough participation in the acquiring of knowledge on the part of the learner. In the NT, it often refers to knowledge which very powerfully influences the form of religious life, a knowledge laying claim to personal involvement. When used as an obj. (Eph. 1:17; 4:13; Col. 1:9, 10; 2:2; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1; Heb. 10:26; 2 Pet. 1:2, 3), it shows the relationship of the learner to the object of his knowledge (2 Pet. 1:8). It increases spiritual blessings upon the believer (Eph. 1:17; 2 Pet. 1:2, 3) and determines the manifestations of the religious life (2 Pet. 2:20). When used without an obj. in a formal sense (Rom. 1:28; Col. 3:10), it gives a more precise definition as a knowledge which is self-determined or self-regulated, so that the difference mentioned in Col. 3:10 disappears. In Col. 2:2, meaning the discernment which comes in connection with possessing salvation which helps in determining the moral conduct (see Phil. 1:9 which refers to the knowledge which enables one to avoid error [cf. Rom. 10:2; 11:33; 2 Pet. 1:5]).
Syn.: pístis (G4102), faith, since it is the means of the acceptance of divine revelation as epígnōsis can be said to be the comprehension of divine revelation to man; gnṓsis (G1108), knowledge. See the contrasting use of ginṓskō in Rom. 1:21 and epígnōsis in Rom. 1:28.
Ant.: agnōsía (G0056), lack of knowledge as the ant. of gnṓsis (G1108), knowledge, while apistía (G0570) could be regarded as the theological opposite of epígnōsis when the subject is man and the object is God.
Concordance
▸ G1922. ἐπίγνωσις epignōsis
ROM. 1:28; 3:20; 10:2; EPH. 1:17; 4:13; PHIL. 1:9; COL. 1:9, 10; 2:2; 3:10; 1 TIM. 2:4; 2 TIM. 2:25; 3:7; TITUS 1:1; PHILE. 1:6; HEB. 10:26; 2 PET. 1:2, 3, 8; 2:20
- These are occurrences in the Septuagint = LXX:
- 1 Kings is one of those places in Septuagint with very different numbering (see screenshot). NETS is New English Translation of Septuagint.
⦁ 1 Kings 7:14
14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill (h1847. דַּעַת ḏa‘aṯ) for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.
⦁ Proverbs 2:5
5 τότε συνήσεις φόβον κυρίου
καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ εὑρήσεις.
Proverbs 2:5 NETS
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
and you will find divine knowledge.
Proverbs 2:5
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge (h1847. דַּעַת ḏa‘aṯ) of God.
⦁ Hosea 4:1
1 Ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου, υἱοὶ Ισραηλ, διότι κρίσις τῷ κυρίῳ πρὸς τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν, διότι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλήθεια οὐδὲ ἔλεος οὐδὲ ἐπίγνωσις θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· †
Hosea 4:1 NETS
1 Hear a word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,
for the Lord has a dispute with the
inhabitants of the land.
For there is no truthfulness or mercy
or knowledge of God in the land.
Hosea 4:1 ESV
1 Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,
for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge (h1847. דַּעַת ḏa‘aṯ) of God in the land;
⦁ Hosea 4:6
6 ὡμοιώθη ὁ λαός μου ὡς οὐκ ἔχων γνῶσιν· ὅτι σὺ ἐπίγνωσιν ἀπώσω, κἀγὼ ἀπώσομαι σὲ τοῦ μὴ ἱερατεύειν μοι· καὶ ἐπελάθου νόμον θεοῦ σου, κἀγὼ ἐπιλήσομαι τέκνων σου. †
Hosea 4:6. NETS
6 My people have become like one who lacks
knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being a priest
to me.
And you forgot the law of your God;
I also will forget your children.
Hosea 4:6 ESV
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge (h1847. דַּעַת ḏa‘aṯ),
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
⦁ Hosea 6:6
6 διότι ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ ἢ ὁλοκαυτώματα. †
Hosea 6:6
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge (h1847. דַּעַת ḏa‘aṯ) of God rather than burnt offerings.
▸ h1847. דַּעַת ḏa‘aṯ; from h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘; knowledge: — cunning, (ig-)norantly, know(-ledge), (un-)awares (wittingly).
AV (93) – knowledge 82, know 6, cunning 1, unwittingly 2 + h1097 2, ignorantly + h1097 1, unawares + h1097 1;
knowledge
- knowledge, perception, skill
- discernment, understanding, wisdom
- דעת cognate permutations (restrict; curtail) – which = חתת
To me (feel free to reject this line of thinking) the cognate permutation meaning of (restrict; curtail) means an ability to focus, to filter out/curtail outside inputs, the cacophony of life, to concentrate upon the topic at hand (be it a person, a task, an experience). This writer did an extensive study several years ago now to understand the root תחת p.285 (place below). It may have different English translations, but basically means “underneath” in its meaning. What the extensive study showed was that it had virtually the same meaning as the prefix/preposition ב, which I consistently translate as “in.” Think of it as being underneath someone being similar to their house of belief. You may have heard of being a follower of Shammai or Hillel as being expressed as “of the house of Shammai,” “of the house of Hillel.”
This is from my research on the Origins of Prefixes/Prepositional Prefixes:
One of the most telling appearances of תחת is in Genesis 35:4:
Jacob buries the idols and earrings under an oak tree near Shechem, renouncing any association with idolatry and paganism.
⦁ Genesis 35:4
4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under (h8478. תַּחַת ṯaḥaṯ) the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
⦁ Genesis 35:4
4 וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַנֵּכָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָדָ֔ם וְאֶת־הַנְּזָמִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּטְמֹ֤ן אֹתָם֙ יַעֲקֹ֔ב תַּ֥חַת הָאֵלָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִם־שְׁכֶֽם׃
BDB תַּחַת
GLOSS below; underneath; instead of
PARSING Hebrew, particle, preposition
- An important Biblical concept that you should be aware of in this regard, for “underneath” and “house,” is this – a son, particularly a firstborn son, might be sent to represent a father, with the interaction anticipated to reflect the character of the father. We see this represented in the Parable of the Vineyard in Mark 12:1-12, and search for “under wings” in your Bible search engine. There is protection, and there is a recognition by others. Our behaviors are representations of our household, our beliefs. This is the “universal language,” the language that is well-reflected in the concrete language of Hebrew, but it is the old maxim “actions speak louder than words.”
▸ h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘; a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) (as follow): — acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, x could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, x prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), x will be, wist, wit, wot.
AV (947) – know 645, known 105, knowledge 19, perceive 18, shew 17, tell 8, wist 7, understand 7, certainly 7, acknowledge 6, acquaintance 6, consider 6, declare 6, teach 5, misc 85;
to know
- (Qal)
- to know
- to know, learn to know
- to perceive
- to perceive and see, find out and discern
- to discriminate, distinguish
- to know by experience
- to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess
- to consider
- to know, be acquainted with
- to know (a person carnally)
- to know how, be skilful in
- to have knowledge, be wise
- to know
- (Niphal)
- to be made known, be or become known, be revealed
- to make oneself known
- to be perceived
- to be instructed
- (Piel) to cause to know
- (Poal) to cause to know
- (Pual)
- to be known
- known, one known, acquaintance (participle)
- (Hiphil) to make known, declare
- (Hophal) to be made known
- (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself
- ידע cognate permutations (permit/withhold)
❶ knowing; recognizing
⦁ Genesis 18:19
19 For I have known (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) 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.”
||
⦁ Psalms 1:6
6 For the LORD knows (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
||
⦁ Psalms 75:1
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 We give thanks to You, O God, we {give thanks} (h3034. יָדָה yâḏâ)!
For Your wondrous works declare (that) Your name is near.
❷ discriminating; differentiating
⦁ Genesis 18:21
21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘).”
❸ acknowledging
⦁ Proverbs 3:6
6 In all your ways acknowledge (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
||
⦁ Leviticus 5:5-6
5 ‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these (matters), that he shall confess (h3034. יָדָה yâḏâ) that he has sinned in that (thing); 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.
||
⦁ Psalms 9:1
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.
1(2H) I will praise (h3034. יָדָה yâḏâ) You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
❹ informing
⦁ Psalms 90:11
11 Who knows (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
❺ bringing to senses
⦁ Psalms 138:6
6 Though the LORD (is) on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) from afar.
❻ knowledge
⦁ Psalms 19:2
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘).
❼ known kin
⦁ Ruth 3:2
2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, (is) he not our relative (h4130. מוֹדַעַת môḏa‘aṯ; from h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘)? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
❽ oracle consulting the dead
⦁ Leviticus 19:31
31 ‘Give no regard to mediums (h3049. יִדְּעֹנִי iyḏ‘ôniy; from h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
❾ confidant
⦁ Psalms 55:13
13 But (it was) you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘).
❿ thought
⦁ Ecclesiastes 10:20
20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought (h4093. מַדָּע maḏâ‘; from h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘);
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.
I find it very interesting to compare the two cognate permutation groups shown above, which are:
- ידע cognate permutations (permit/withhold)
(There appears to be more of a spectrum or continuum in the ידע group than the דעת group.)
- דעת cognate permutations (restrict; curtail)
Obviously, what these two have in common is the two-letter word דע, so let’s begin with a look at the cognate permutation group דע:
את/עד cognate permutations (restrain/express emotion)
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First, a comment on the two, two-letter words shown here, עד and את. The two-letter word עד occurs with different vowel pointings as different words/meanings/parts of speech:
עד
▸ h5703. עַד ‘aḏ; from h5710. עָדָה ‘âḏâ; properly, a (peremptory) terminus, i.e. (by implication) duration, in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition): — eternity, ever(-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, + world without end.
AV (49) – ever 41, everlasting 2, end 1, eternity 1, ever + h5769 1, evermore 1, old 1, perpetually 1;
- perpetuity, for ever, continuing future
- ancient (of past time)
- for ever (of future time)
- of continuous existence
- for ever (of God’s existence)
▸ h5704. עַד ‘aḏ; properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with): — against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.
AV (99) – by, as long, hitherto, when, how long, as yet; prep
- as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as
- of space
- as far as, up to, even to
- in combination
- from…as far as, both…and (with ‘min’ – from)
- of time
- even to, until, unto, till, during, end
- of degree
- even to, to the degree of, even like conj
- of space
- until, while, to the point that, so that even
▸ h5705. עַד ‘aḏ; (Aramaic) corresponding to 5704; x and, at, for, (hither-)to, on till, (un-)to, until, within.
AV (32) – till 11, until 5, unto 4, ever 2, for 2, to 2, but at 1, even 1, hitherto + h3542 1, mastery + h7981 1, on 1, within 1; prep
- even to, until, up to, during conj
- until, up to the time that, ere that
h5706. עַד ‘aḏ; the same as 5703 in the sense of the aim of an attack; booty: — prey.
AV (3) – prey 3;
- booty, prey
▸ h5707. עֵד ‘êḏ; contracted from 5749 ; concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince: — witness.
AV (69) – witness 69;
- witness
- witness, testimony, evidence (of things)
- witness (of people)
▸ h5708. עֵד ‘êḏ; from an unused root meaning to set a period (compare 5710, 5749); the menstrual flux (as periodical); by implication (in plural) soiling: — filthy.
AV (1) – filthy 1;
- menstruation
- filthy rag, stained garment (fig. of best deeds of guilty people)
(▸ h5710. עָדָה ‘âḏâ; a primitive root; to advance, i.e. pass on or continue; causatively, to remove; specifically, to bedeck (i.e. bring an ornament upon): — adorn, deck (self), pass by, take away.
AV (10) – deck … 6, adorn 2, passed 1, take away 1;
- to pass on, advance, go on, pass by, remove
- (Qal) to pass on, put on
- (Hiphil) to remove)
I want to really point out in the words particularly the two important concepts of “witness” and of “passage of time.” The relationship of those two concepts may help us understand why “waiting” is such a clear message in Scripture. You have heard the old saying, “Time will tell.” And recall that the Teacher said in John 18:37 that he came to bear witness to the truth. And there are so many pointers to the passage of time in his ministry, including his repeatedly saying, “My time has not yet come,” and reminders of a return at some unknown time in the future.
את
Author Catherine Darnell has a great interest in את and includes discussion on it in her book, Discovering Hidden Treasures in the Hebrew Scriptures: a simple study guide for those who want to study Hebrew without the emphasis on vowel points and with our focus on the divine Aleph Tavs! It is her contention that what we are told is “the untranslatable marker of the direct object” reflects the activity of the Messiah. Think of how John says in John 1:3 that all was made through “the Word.” The word for “made” is included three times in that verse, g1096. γίνομαι ginomai. That Greek word appears 2031 times in Septuagint. I can honestly say I did not check all 2000 occurrences, but all the ones that I did check translated to היה. The Hebrew word היה translates as “to be; exist; become.” Perhaps you can see the connection between the “marker of the direct object” and something coming to be?
And, as with עד, there is more than one way that את is translated:
▸ h0852. אָת ’âṯ; (Aramaic) corresponding to 226; a portent: — sign.
AV (3) – sign 3;
- sign, miraculous signs, wonders
▸ h0853. אֵת ’êṯ; apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely): — (as such unrepresented in English).
AV (22) – not translated;
- sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
▸ h0854. אֵת ’êṯ; probably from 579; properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.: — against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.
AV (24) – against, with, in, him, me, upon;
- with, near, together with
- with, together with
- with (of relationship)
- near (of place)
- with (poss.)
- from…with, from (with other prep)
▸ h0855. אֵת ’êṯ; of uncertain derivation; a hoe or other digging implement: — coulter, plowshare.
AV (5) – plowshare 3, coulter 2;
- ploughshare
(▸ h0226. אוֹת ’ôṯ; probably from h0225. אוּת ’ûṯ (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: — mark, miracle, (en-)sign, token.
AV (79) – sign(s) 60, token(s) 14, ensign(s) 2, miracles 2, mark 1;
- sign, signal
- a distinguishing mark
- banner
- remembrance
- miraculous sign
- omen
- warning
- token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof
▸ h0579. אָנָה ’ânâ means deliver; befall; happen, but this is an unlikely root for h0854. אֵת ’êṯ… here is a place I disagree with Strong.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What about the actual word דע? From my Two-Letter Word research:
This is an unusual “family” in EDBH, there being only one root in this family. [The phonetic cognates for ידע are: ידה cast; גדע chop off; גדה separate; קדה bow; יתח catapult; קדח kindle; יתא project, so you can see where the (acquire/cast off) spectrum/continuum came from.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The point made in the Berean devotional (date 01/04/2025) (for which I have tried to give you some background above, as the true nerd that I am) is that this g1922. ἐπίγνωσις epignōsis is a knowledge of “truth.” As the Strong’s definition above says, it is a knowledge “laying claim to personal involvement.” We are all familiar with the Hebrew Scripture use of “knowing,” as intimate knowledge:
⦁ Genesis 4:1
1 Now Adam knew (h3045. יָדַע yâḏa‘) Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Restating as “דע,” we recall:
דע cognate permutations (restrain/express emotion)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now we want to take what we have learned thus far into the noun “knowledge” דעת.
- From Appendix 13. Aleph Bet Meanings
ת –
AHLB – mark, sign or signature
TWHA – The symbol of truth and perfection
DeviantArt – a mark, sign “x” or cross, ownership, to seal, covenant, join two things together, the last
EDBH says only of ת, p.297, that it can be added as prefix or suffix to a three-lettered root to form a noun or adjective
Thus, Biblically speaking, True Knowledge would lie along the spectrum/continuum of being “the mark of restraining or expressing emotion.”
We should all be able to agree that Artificial Intelligence (AI) would lie at one end of this spectrum – a complete restraint of emotion.
Here is my argument – feel free accept it or agree with it. I want to make certain there is no misinterpretation here in today’s society where there is so much polarization. This is a clear (in my mind) lesson from Scripture. Thinking along the lines of absolutes is not the way of the LORD. (( I did much work on the Amalekites last year which has not yet been shared with anyone. It must be shared at some point, in this context of a spectrum or continuum – “the LORD battles with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:16)) The LORD is about both judgment and mercy; Scripture gives the message of grays between extremes of white and black. The prophets went out of their way to call out their own Hebrew people on many occasions, and this was the message of the Teacher, personally delivered so we could experience it in a real person, a tangible way. We must balance our approach. This is the message of the Log and the Speck. Compassion and mercy must always balance judgment. Only God is capable of judging, because it is he who looks on the heart. I cannot list all, but here are some examples:
⦁ Isaiah 16:5
5 In mercy the throne will be established;
And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David,
Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.”
⦁ Isaiah 30:18
18 Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
⦁ Isaiah 49:9-11
9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
“They shall feed along the roads,
And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
11 I will make each of My mountains a road,
And My highways shall be elevated.
⦁ Isaiah 49:13
13 Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the LORD has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.
⦁ Jeremiah 33:11
11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say:
“Praise the LORD of hosts,
For the LORD is good,
For His mercy endures forever”—
and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the LORD.
⦁ Hosea 2:19-20
19 “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the LORD.
⦁ Hosea 2:23
23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;
Then I will say to those who were not My people,
‘You are My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”
Read all of chapter 4 of Jonah. Jonah’s heart was along the extreme side of judgment, and the LORD strove to teach him mercy and compassion.
Micah 6:8
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
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.’
Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
משפט cognate permutations (restrain/release)
There was a great lesson that I learned years ago when some close friends, a covenant group, were meeting in one another’s homes, and we began a non-profit called Common Ground Community. That lesson (to which my eyes were opened most by my friend Mary Thoma – I remember the moment so well – it was a Log and Speck moment, an AHA! moment) is that justice ≠ judgment. True justice is the balance of judgment + mercy/compassion. The sad thing about all of our translations of Scripture, even to Jewish and Christian translations alike, is that we translate משפט equally as justice and judgment. That was my background. That was the “house” in which I was raised. That was the Log that had to be removed. It was SO deeply ingrained because it is so deeply ingrained in our literature. It was only the witness of Truth that Yeshua/Jesus, the Teacher, brought to us – that intimate knowledge, that “knowing” that can only come to pass by the emotion brought about by relationship. We must see that God’s domain is a world of cognate permutations. There is a spectrum, a continuum, and the true knowledge of life is brought about only by being able to recognize, by way of relationship, the extremes and the necessity of living between the extremes. Black and white end-points are markers, bookends. Life is to be lived in the shades of gray between the bookends, between the extremes. How is this accomplished? Only in love. Love brings this intimate knowledge. It shows when to restrain and when to release. We must both love Hod and love neighbor.
CWSBD – H4941. מִשְׁפָּט mišpāṭ: A masculine noun meaning a judgment, a legal decision, a legal case, a claim, proper, rectitude. The word connotes several variations in meanings depending on the context. It is used to describe a legal decision or judgment rendered: it describes a legal decision given by God to be followed by the people (Isa. 58:2; Zeph. 2:3; Mal. 2:17). These decisions could come through the use of the Urim and Thummim (Num. 27:21). The high priest wore a pouch called the breastpiece of justice, containing the Urim and Thummim by which decisions were obtained from the Lord (Ex. 28:30). Doing what was right and just in the Lord’s eyes was far more important than presenting sacrifices to Him (Gen. 18:19; Prov. 21:3, 15). God was declared to be the Judge of the whole earth who rendered justice faithfully (Gen. 18:25; Isa. 30:18). In the plural form, the word describes legal judgments, cases, examples, laws, and specifications.
The word describes the legal case or cause presented by someone. The Servant spoken of by Isaiah asked who brought his case of justice against him (Isa. 50:8); Job brought his case to vindicate himself (Job 13:18; 23:4). The legal claim or control in a situation is also described by the word. Samuel warned the people of the civil and legal demands a king would place on them (1 Sam. 8:9); Moses gave legislation to protect the rightful claim of daughters (Ex. 21:9). The Hebrew word also described the legal right to property (Jer. 32:8). Not surprisingly, the place where judgments were rendered was also described by this word; disputes were to be taken to the place of judgment (Deut. 25:1). Solomon built a hall of justice where he served as judge (1 Kgs. 7:7).
The word also describes plans or instructions: it describes the building plans for the Tabernacle (Ex. 35); and the specifications for the Temple (1 Kgs. 6:38); the instructions the angelic messenger gave to Samson’s parents about how he was to be brought up (Judg. 13:12). In a more abstract sense, it depicts the manner of life a people followed, such as the Sidonians (Judg. 18:7; 1 Sam. 2:13).
The word means simple justice in some contexts, often in parallel with synonymous words, such as ḥōq (H2706) or ṣeḏeq (H6664), meaning ordinance or righteousness. It describes justice as one thing Jerusalem was to be filled with along with righteousness (Isa. 1:21). Justice and righteousness characterize the Lord’s throne (Ps. 89:14[15]); and these were coupled with love and faithfulness (cf. Ps. 101:1; 111:7). Executing or doing justice was the central goal that Yahweh had for His people (Jer. 7:5; Ezek. 18:8), for that equaled righteousness (Ezek. 18:9). ((See how, even here the CWSBD definition so easily slides from judgment to the term “simple justice.” It speaks of parallels that are very clearly law-based. But then it tries to show the balance of true “justice” when it says “these were coupled with love and faithfulness.” True justice includes God’s balance of judgment and mercy.))
The Urim and the Thummim
CWSBD H224. אוּרִים ’ûriym: A masculine plural noun, which occurs seven times in the Old Testament, usually with “the Thummim.” Our knowledge of the Urim and Thummim is limited. They were kept in the breastplate which the high priest wore over his heart (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8) and were given to the Levites as part of Moses’ blessing (Deut. 33:8). Some believe they were flat objects which were cast to determine the will of God, one providing a negative answer and the other a positive, much like casting lots. However, that is somewhat conjectural. Joshua received God’s revelation by Eleazer’s use of the Urim (Num. 27:21). God didn’t answer Saul when he consulted the Lord with the use of the Urim (1 Sam. 28:6). The Urim and Thummim were also used to approve priestly qualifications (Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65).
Concordance
H224. אוּרִים ’ûriym masc. noun
(Urim [lit. “lights,” pl. of 217]; part of the high priest’s breastplate)
Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65.
- אורים cognate permutations (manage activity)
CWSBD H8550. תֻּמִּימ tummiym: A proper noun meaning Thummin. Its meaning is not certain. It may mean perfection(s), truth, integrity. It refers to one of two small sacred lots used by the high priest to discern God’s will (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Deut. 33:8). It disappeared after the exile (Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65). The word begins with the last letter of the alphabet.
H8550. תֻּמִּימ tummiym proper noun
(Thummim)
Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Deut. 33:8; Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65.
See that תמים is cognate with דמים
- דמים cognate permutations (determine)
You can see there is no consensus as to precise meaning of the use of these stones. Again, think for yourself, do your own research, be Berean. My interpretation, based upon the cognate permutations, is that casting lots with the Thummim coming up (determine) might mean a definite following of the judgment of the “rules” laid out in Torah. The Urim coming up, however (manage activity) might give some leeway for compassion/mercy. And the idea of casting lots always meant leaving the decision up to God. And notice that Urim אורים is the plural of אור, light. God’s very first command is “Let there be light אור. The root is EDBH p.6 אור light; illuminate;; expose/conceal (A8). From the perspective we have been using, the casting of lots with the Thummim and the Urim could be to go with the strict letter of judgment תמים, an extreme like דמים, one end point of the continuum, or to shine some light אורים, bringing some mercy/love into the decision. Again, I will convince no one. Make your own decisions, form your own opinions. But make your decision not on your doctrine/your Log, but based upon some thorough study of God’s Word, God’s way. It seems to me that it is the extremists who are the terrorists. Our world must see the bookends, but our lives must be lived in the books between those bookends. These are the stories of life.
When denoting the “Alpha and Omega,” can the Hebrew from Aleph א and Tav ת be referring to the Urim אורים and the Thummim תמים ? (Alpha and Omega four times in Revelation: 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, 22:13.) when he says “the beginning and the end, the idea of Thummim “determine” seems like an end point, whereas Urim אורים in two ways, besides the beginning of the alephbet, might reflect beginning. The pattern with God seems to be beginning with mercy/compassion, but less so with repeated failings. The other reason we might consider ארים as beginning is that the first command from God was “Let there be light אור,” the singular for אורים. In the beginning was darkness and chaos… is it judgment/determining that is chaos? Let there be light… is light the ability to see the other that we may give mercy/have compassion?
Forgive the meanderings of an old man… accept or not.
Blessings, PG
Ⓒ Copyright Philip E. Gates; LogAndSpeck.com January 2025.