Read Exodus 23:20-33 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Exo 23:20-25 {s} The angel of YHVH will go before them on the way to Canaan
Exo 23:26-33 {p} What YHVH will do to bring them in
Hebrew root words
To pardon is Strong’s H5375 נשא nasa, a primitive root meaning, “to take up, to lift up.” We have seen this root before as it forms part of Issachar’s name. The pictographs are nun + shin+ aleph.
According to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, the shin was transposed from an original sin, the thorn:
nun נ, ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
sin ס = the thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
aleph א = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
The nun represents continuing, as sons continue the family into the next generation. The sin represents grabbing hold, as a thorn grabs hold of clothing that brushes against it. The story the pictographs are telling is of persistently (i.e., continually, nun) grabbing hold (sin) with strength (aleph), thus labor, work, to take up or lift up a burden.
To understand how this root applied to forgive, I turned to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament:
[One application of this root is in] the taking away, forgiveness, or pardon of sin, iniquity, and transgression. So characteristic is this action of taking away sin, that it is listed as one of God’s attributes (Exo 34:7; Num 14:8; Mic 7:18). Often this form of nasa is used in prayers of intercession. e.g., by the messenger of Joseph’s brothers (Gen 50:17), by Pharaoh (Exo 10:17), by Moses for Israel (Exo 32:32, Num 14:19), by Abigail for Naboth (1 Sam 25:28), and by Saul to Samuel (1 Sam 15:25). It is used by Joshua in his farewell address (Jos 24:19). No doubt the classical expression of this meaning is to be found in Psa 32:1, 5.
Of David. Maschil. Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven [nasa], whose sin is pardoned. Psa 32:1
I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have I not hid;
I said: “I will make confession concerning my transgressions unto Yehovah”–
and You, You forgave [nasa] the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Psa 32:5
Sin can be forgiven and forgotten, because it is taken up and carried away.
Transgression is Strong’s H6588, pesha, a concrete noun meaning, “transgression, rebellion;” from Strong’s H6586 פשע pasha, a primitive root meaning, “to rebel.” The ancient pictographs are pey + shin + ayin.
pey פ, ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
shin ש = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
ayin ע = the eye, thus watch, know, shade
The story being told is of the border or boundary (pey, in the sense of an edge) pressed against (shin) with knowledge (ayin). Rebellion is not merely a mistake or an accident, it is knowingly seeking to break through the boundary of restraint.
To be continued …
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