Issue Index
Word of the Month - שמים Heaven
By: Jeff A. Benner
The Hebrew word for “heaven” is שמים shamayim. There is some debate over the origins and meanings of this word but, there are a few common theories.
1. Derived from the unused root שמה shamah possibly meaning lofty. The plural form of this word would be שמים shamayim.
2. Derived from the root שמם shamam meaning Desolate, in the sense of a dry wind blowing over the land drying it out. The plural form of this word would also be shamayim.
3. The word shamayim may be the Hebrew word מים mayim, meaning water, and the prefix ש sh meaning like. Combined, the word שמים shamayim would mean “like water.”
Aside from the debate over the origins of the word it is clear that the word is commonly used in the Biblical text for “sky.” It is frequently used in conjuction with the word ארץ erets, meaning land (see Gen 1:1, 2:1 and 14:19), representing the whole of creation and the domain of God.
In the New Testament this word was used as a Euphamism (one word used in place of another) for God. This can be seen in some of the parables where the book of Luke (written for Gentiles) uses the phrase “Kingdom of God” whereas Matthew (written to Jews) uses “Kingdom of Heaven.” In this context, heaven is meant to represent God, not a place.
Name of the Month - זבולון (Zebulun)
By: Jeff A. Benner
Note: At the request of one subscriber we will be doing a series on the sons of Jacob.
The root for the name Zebulun is זבל zaval meaning to reside, to dwell. This is seen in Leah's reason for naming him this name.
And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell (zaval) with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. (Genesis 30:20)
The noun derivitive זבול zevul means residence and is used in 1 Kings 8:13; I have surely built a house for you for a residence.
Question of the Month - The Reversing Vav
By: Jeff A. Benner
Q:
I have read that the letter י y prefixed to a verb represents “he” in the Imperfect Tense but, in all english Bibles why is וירא vayar and ויקרא vayiqra translated in the perfect tense?
A:
It is correct that the prefix י y (the letter yud) identifies the subject of the verb as masculine singular and in the imperfect tense. But, most of the time, when the letter ו v (the letter vav), meaning and, is prefixed to the imperfect verb, it reverses the tense of the verb. For instance the word יקרא yiqra means "he will call" while ויקרא vayiqra means "and he called." In the reverse, the verb קרא qara means "he called" while וקרא veqra means "and he will call."
Verse of the Month - Exodus 20:9
By: Jeff A. Benner
ששת
ימים
תעבד
ועשית
כל
מלאכתך
Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; (RSV)
ששת (shey-shet)
The base word is ששה shishah meaning six but is written in the construct - six of...; so the letter ה is changed to a ת.
ימים (yah-meem)
The base word is יום yom meaning day with the plural suffix ים iym.
תעבד (tah-ah-vod)
The verb is עבד '.b.d meaning to serve. The prefix ת identifies the subject of the verb as second person, masculine singular and the tense of the verb as imperfect - you will serve.
ועשית (ve-ah-siy-tah)
The verb is עשה '.s.h meaning to work. The suffix ת identifies the subject of the verb as second person, masculine singular and the tense of the verb as perfect - you worked. The prefix w means and but also reverses the tense of the verb - and you will work.
כל (kol)
A word meaning all.
מלאכתך (me-lakh-teh-kha)
The base word is the noun מלאכח melakhah meaning work. The suffix means ך is the possessive pronoun your (masculine singular)- your work.
The following is a literal rendering of this verse from its Hebraic meaning.
Six of the days you will serve and you will work all your work
In following issues we will continue with this chapter.
Mechanical Translation Excerpt - Genesis 2:11-19
For details on this new translation see the MTHB web site.
11 the title of the one is “Pishon [Scatter]”, the one going around all of the land of the “Hhawilah [Twisting]” which there is the gold, 12 and the gold of that land is functional, there is the amber and the stone of the shoham, 13 and the title of the second river is “Giyhhon [Burst]”, he is the one going around all of the land of “Kush [Black]”, 14 and the title of the third river is “Hhideqel [Rapid]”, he is the one walking eastward of “Ashur [Step]” and the fourth river he is “Perat [Break]”, 15 and “YHWH [He exists]” of “Elohiym [Powers]” took the human and he caused him to be deposited in the garden of “Eden [Pleasure]” to serve her and to guard her, 16 and “YHWH [He exists]” of “Elohiym [Powers]” directed upon the human saying, from all of the trees of the garden an eating you will eat, 17 and from the tree of the discernment of function and dysfunction you will not eat from him given that in the day you eat from him a dying you will die, 18 and “YHWH [He exists]” of “Elohiym [Powers]” said, it is not functional for the human existing by himself, I will make for him a helper like his opposite, 19 and “YHWH [He exists]” of “Elohiym [Powers]” molded from the ground all of the living ones of the field and all of the flyers of the sky and he made come to the human to see what he will call out for him and all of which the human will call out to him a being of life he was his title,
AHRC Web Site Excerpt - Hebrew Anatomy
Several audio teachings on the Hebrew language and thought are available on the website. Click here for a 17 minute, mp3, teaching on Hebrew anatomy.
Additional audio teachings are available at the AHRC Web Site.
Donnee's Corner -     (Hhatah)
By: Donnee
Donnee’s Corner will review a word, its meanings, and usage to verify by research. This column will start by a in-depth look at a featured hebrew word followed by various tools to deepen understanding. As well as e-Sword formatting in order to clip and paste into e-Sword, enabling the mouse-over advantages of e-Sword. These various tools will follow the review in order to assist in your research of Ancient Hebrew.
; As, “Het”, the “wall” initiates “”, “” enveloped by the “Tet”, the “basket”, powered by “Alef”, for “strength” “”, resting on the “Hey” “” “beheld” by self. Comprising as “BODY” “ENVELOPED”,”LEADS”,as a, “WITNESS” thereby “STRAY”. More widely known as the “sin offering”, Scripture details:
Gen 4:7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.“ (AMP)
Num 8:7 “And thus shalt thou do unto them, to make them tahor: Sprinkle water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over their basar, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves tahor.” (OJB)
Num 19:17 “And for an unclean2931 person they shall take3947 of the ashes4480, 6083 of the burnt heifer8316 of purification for sin,2403 and running2416 water4325 shall be put5414 thereto5921 in413 a vessel:3627” (KJV+)
Zec 14:19 “This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that don't go up to keep the feast of booths. “ (HNV)
Pro 13:6 “Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in the way; but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.” (JPS)
H2403 הטאת הטאה khat-taw-aw', khat-tawth' From H2398; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender: - punishment (of sin), purifying (-fication for sin), sin (-ner, offering).
BDB Definition: 1) sin, sinful 2) sin, sin offering 2a) sin 2b) condition of sin, guilt of sin 2c) punishment for sin 2d) sin-offering 2e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong's Number: from H2398
Same Word by TWOT Number: 638e
AHLB: B1170-E (Nfl): (HhTh-AH) ac: Measure co: ? ab: Sin: When shooting an arrow or other object to a target, the distance that one misses is measured with a cord. The wrong actions of one are also measured against the correct action. (Nfl)Sin: A missing of the target. Also the sin offering which by transference becomes the sin. [Hebrew and Aramaic][freq. 305] |kjv: sin, sin offering, punishment, purifying| {str. 2401, 2402, 2403}
Total KJV Occurrences: 294
For a list of occurrences for this word Click Here.
Mila Yomit (Daily Word) - תהו (Tohu)
By: Rabbi Itzchak
The following is Word is from an ongoing Hebrew word by Hebrew word cyber learning journey and is being presented to you here as an introduction. For additional information on the 'MILA YOMIT: The Torah, Word By Word' and its author, Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein, click here. To receive more of these, please contact Rabbi Itzchak.
MILA YOMIT 9: TOHU
תהו
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OTIOT- Letters
ת TAV - last letter of Aleph Bet, first in this word, perhaps suggesting something closed off
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ה HEH - Expression
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ו VAV - connection
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MEANING:
תהו means 'desolate', 'matter without substance'
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WORDS CONTAINED WITHIN and RELATED WORDS:
הו - HU - literally 'him' - has Kabbalistic significance.
תהוי - TaHUI - Amazed.
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CONCEPTUAL MEANING
Zohar: - Tohu (chaos), the abode of 'slime', the nest of 'refuse'... Tohu is a place which has no color and no form, and the esoteric principle of 'form' does not apply to it. It seems for a moment to have a form, but when looked at again it has no form. Everything has a 'vestment' except this.
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Sefer Bahir- (first century Kabbalistic text): What is TOHU? Something that confounds (Taha) people and causes people to sin.
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From Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's notes on Sefer Bahir: "Every concept that is necessary for creation must therefore also be created. As we see, two of the most basic of these are the concepts of giving and receiving. In Kabbalistic terminology, the concept of giving is referred to as "Light" while that of receiving is called a "Vessel".
TOHU refers to the first Vessels, which were shattered. All they could do was receive from God. ... The first state of creation is called the Universe of Chaos or Tohu. This is a state where the Vessels which were the primitive Ten Sefirot, could receive God's Light, but could neither give to one another or interact...these Vessels were incomplete, and therefore could not hold the Light. Since they could not fulfill their purpose, they were overwhelmed by the Light and shattered, this being the concept of the Breaking of The Vessels. The broken pieces of these Vessels fell to a lower spiritual level and subsequently became the source of all evil.
It is therefore said that TOHU-chaos is the source of evil. The reason why the Vessels were originally created without the ability to hold the Light was so that evil should come into being, thus giving the human the freedom of choice, which was necessary for the rectification of the Vessels.
Kabbalists also speak of Tohu as the intermediate state between potential and realization. ... For initiates, this also contains a lesson for those who would enter the mystical realm. The Husks (Kelipot) derived from Tohu-Chaos, are the forces that 'confound people' and cause them to have misleading visions. A complete vessel is a vision that contains a complete, understandable idea, whereas a broken vessel is one that is confounding and confusing." (P.89-90)
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Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki) the pre-eminent 12th century commentator) and others defined Tohu as 'astonishment' or 'amazement'.
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Ramban (Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman, the preeminent 13th century commentator) mystically interprets -TOHU- as being the very thin substance-entirely devoid of form but having potential. This primary matter was created from absolute nothing by the Creator. It was this that the Divine formed and brought everything else into existence, clothing the forms, putting them into finished condition. (From Artscrolls on Genesis)
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Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (19th century commentator): TOHU- would describe a chaotic condition which would give us the impression of everything being mixed up and nothing consolidated separately...the subjective effect of chaos on us.
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Midrash Rabba (an early source of the oral tradition): “Rabbi Judah Bar Simon interpreted the text as referring to the generations: 'And The Earth Was TOHU-this refers to Adam who was empty and amounted to nothing.' Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish interpreted the verse as referring to the various exiles. 'And The Earth Was TOHU-refers to Babylonia, as it is written, 'I look at the earth, is it unformed (TOHU)...' (Jeremiah 4:23)”
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TOHU- the unformed, non material potential of existence, not yet realized. Only in interacting, in giving and receiving is this manifested into a form worthy of the Divine Light. Is this perhaps a guide for us in our work of transforming chaos into harmony?
תהו
Editorials
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Corrections
Last month's issue's (Word format only) Name of the Month was titled yis-sas-kar/Egypt but should have been titled yis-sas-kar/Issachar.
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