Derek, “Way,” Strong’s H1870

The first occurrence.

So He drove out the man. And He dwelt between the Cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and the fierce fire enfolding itself to preserve inviolate the way of the tree of life. Gen 3:24 (See here).

The primitive root.

Strong’s H1870 דרך derek, a concrete object; from Strong’s H1869 דרך darak, a primitive root meaning, “to tread.”

dalet ד = door, thus enter, move, hang
resh ר = head of man,  thus head, first, top, beginning, man
kaph כ ך = open palm, thus bend, open, allow, tame

The story: The back and forth movement (dalet) of the ox to turn the grindstone and tread out the grain, when the man (resh) has tamed him (kaph) to his way.

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