Today’s Old Testament chronological reading is in Genesis 23 and 24.
The Psalms/ Proverbs reading is in Psalm 33.
No New Testament reading today.
Hebrew root words.
The concepts of security and surety were all over in today’s reading.
Security. The quality or state of being secure, that is, relief from exposure to danger; made fast; being put beyond hazard; guaranteed; trustworthy, dependable. – Webster’s
Surety. Certain knowledge; assured confidence. – Webster’s
So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. Gen 23:17-18
Made sure. Strong’s H6965 קום quwm, a primitive root meaning, “to arise.” The 3-letter root is quph + vav + mem.
quph ק = sun on the horizon, thus condense, circle, time
vav ו = the tent peg, thus add, secure, hook
mem מ, ם = the water, thus chaos, mighty, blood
The related words will help us find the story. The verb is “to arise,” and the concrete noun is a standing grain stalk. Other nouns from this root are a stand, a height, or a decree as a standing word. A stalk or a plant arises and stands up when it gathers (quph, as light leaves the earth and sky to be gathered to the sun when it is on the horizon) to itself (vav, in the context of adding) water (mem) drawn up from the root.
How does an upright stalk relate to being made sure, or secure? An upright stalk stands to its fullest height; as does a mountain or a height which occupies the fullest height in a landscape. As a mountain is a secure height, generation after generation, so a deed, in Abraham’s day, was a secure and iron-clad guarantee of possession generation after generation.
*****
And he said: O YHVH, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray You, good speed this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Gen 24:12
Good speed. Strong’s H7136 קרה qarah, a primitive root meaning, “to happen.” The 3-letter root is quph + resh + hey.
quph ק = sun on the horizon, thus condense, circle, time
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
hey ה = man w/ raised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
The story: When the sun is on the horizon, it gathers to itself all the light from land and sky, so to gather (quph) to the man (resh) what is God-inspired or ordained(hey). I thought about different interpretations for the hey, for it has a wide range. But the man with his arms upraised, as in worship, as sending the man’s devotion to God, or in revelation, as God sending wisdom, revelation, or gifts to man, fit the parable better.
That which is God-ordained, is that which will happen. Abraham essentially told his servant this same thing, when he said to him,
YHVH, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying: To your seed I will give this land; He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. Gen 24:7
I.e., this thing is ordained, God’s favor is upon it, He will gather to you what He has ordained. Therefore it is a sure thing.
*****
For the word of YHVH is right; and all His works are done in truth. Psa 33:4
Right. Strong’s H3477 yashar, an adjective meaning, “right, upright, straight;” from Strong’s H3474 ישר yashar, a primitive root meaning, “to be straight.” The 3-letter root is yud + shin + resh.
yud י = the closed hand, thus work, throw, worship
shin ש = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
According to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, in ancient days, a cord was made when two (shin) strips of leather or sinew were attached at the top (resh) and then twisted together in such a fashion so as to lock their fibers. A cord is tied to the meaning of straight, in that when a weight is attached to one end of a cord and held above the ground, the cord hangs exactly vertical to the ground as a plumb line, and can be used to measure that a wall is being straightly built. The story: The hand (yud) holding the cord (shin + resh) as a straight plumb line, so also upright.
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For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psa 33:9
Stand fast. Strong’s H5975 עמד amad, a primitive root meaning, “to stand.” The 3-letter root is ayin + mem + dalet.
ayin ע = the eye, thus watch, know, shade
mem מ, ם = the water, thus chaos, mighty, blood
dalet ד = the door, thus enter, move, hang
The story: Looking out (ayin) over a large body (mem, like a body of water or the sea), thus a related word means people, as looking out over a large group. Adding the dalet brings the meaning to people (ayin + mem) like a strong upright frame (dalet, upon which the door curtain hangs), i.e. standing upright, often with the meaning of standing for something, or standing your ground.
The word, “Amen,” Let it be so, comes from the same ayin + mem pair.
Links to previous studies.
Gen 23:3-4, A stranger and sojourner
Gen 23:1-20 Chiastic structure
Gen 23 and the teaching tool of learning from the narrative
Gen 24:1-41 Chiastic structure
Gen 24:42-67 Chiastic structure
Gen 24:1-67 Chiastic structure
Gen 24:64-65 and the return of the king
Gen 23 and 24 Chiastic structure
Psalm 33 Chiastic structure
Psalm 33 Meditation
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