Read Exodus 13:17-22 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph division
Exo 13:17-22 {p} God led them Himself in a pillar of cloud and fire
Exo 13:17-22 Chiastic structure
Hebrew roots
Remember is Strong’s H6485 פקד paqad, a primitive root meaning, “to visit, to reckon.” The pictographs are pey + quph + dalet.
pey פ, ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
quph ק = sun on the horizon, thus condense, circle, time
dalet ד = the door, thus enter, move, hang
The various translations translate paqad as “remember,” “visit,” “take care of,” “come help,” “come to your aid,” “attend to.” Quite a variation! One of the derived nouns from this root is riverbank. To understand why this is so, we see that the river is edged (pey) by the bank which keeps the river condensed (quph) to its channel instead of flowing willy-nilly. Just as the river is compassed by the bank to keep it on its path, so Israel is compassed by the Lord God to keep them whither they go to and fro (dalet, as the door swings open and shut). Isn’t that beautiful? ♥
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