exodus 25:23-30 hebrew roots

Hebrew paragraph divisions

Exo 25:23-30 {p} The pattern for the table of showbread

Hebrew roots

Table is Strong’s H7979, shulkan, a concrete noun meaning “table;” from Strong’s H7971 שלח shalach, a primitive root meaning, “to send.” The ancient pictographs are shin + lamed + chet. The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon shows the shin transposed over time from an original sin:

sin ס = the thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
lamed ל = the shepherd’s staff, thus teach, yoke, to, bind
chet ח = the wall, thus outside, divide, half

The story the pictographs are telling is of a sharp point (sin) at the tip of a staff (lamed) like a shoot of a young plant when it breaks through the barrier (chet) of the earth; thus, to send forth, as the seed sends forth its shoot. Words in the same family for weapons confirm this connection to the root.

How does “table” derive from “to send?” The table is where the family gathers to receive bread, both literally and figuratively, for the father sends forth his wisdom to his children around the table as well. Interestingly enough, the Greek translation for shalach according to the Septuagint, is apostello, from which we derive our English word, “apostle.” An apostle sends forth his wisdom to his children in the faith, who are gathered around him to receive from him.

Showbread is Strong’s H3899, lechem, a concrete noun meaning, “bread;” from Strong’s H3898 לחם lacham, a primitive root meaning, “to eat,” but only used poetically according to Gesenius; thus, “to devour, to fight, to wage war.” The ancient pictographs are lamed + chet + mem.

lamed ל = the shepherd’s staff, thus teach, yoke, to, bind
chet ח = the wall, thus outside, divide, half
mem מ, ם = the water, thus chaos, mighty, blood

According to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, related words in this family are “cheese,” “heat,” and “sun,” because of the ancients’ method of making cheese. They poured milk in an animal skin bag, and then hung it out in the sun while pushing the bag back and forth to mix the contents. The heat and the mixing activated an enzyme which caused the milk to separate into curds and whey. Thus the separated (chet) milk (mem, as indicative of any liquid) makes cheese. The making of bread is in a sense, opposite; the separated elements of flour and water are pushed back and forth, i.e., kneaded together to combine them, and then set out in the heat to activate the yeast. So “to fight” is to use one’s weapon (lamed) to devour (chet + mem, i.e., as one devours food, that is, cheese and bread as food staples).

But going back even further in history, I believe the original ancient connection to “bread” is found in that the husband and father (lamed, i.e., he who holds the family authority) was responsible for providing the family with food (chet + mem):

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread (lechem)
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” Gen 3:17-19

Please see Brad Scott’s teaching on the showbread for greater insight into this fascinating topic:

Showbread, part one
Showbread, part two