Read Hebrews 13 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
Heb 13:1-21 Chiastic Structure
Heb 1:1-13:25 Whole Book Chiastic Structure
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb 13:20-21
Webster’s defines perfect as being entirely without fault or defect, flawless. Knowing by experience that perfection is outside our grasp, what is this passage actually saying? The Greek Root Word is Strong’s G2675, καταρτίζω katartizo, a primitive root meaning, “to perfect, to make perfect,” according to the Greek dictionaries. The translators of the Hebrew Bible into Greek translated this word with katartizo:
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. Psa 8:2
The Hebrew is from Strong’s H3245 יסד yasad, a primitive root meaning, “to found, to lay a foundation, to establish, to begin.” The ancient pictographs are yud + sin + dalet.
yud י = closed hand, thus work, throw, worship
sin ס = thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
dalet ד = door, thus enter, move, hang
The parable being told by the Hebrew Root Word is of work (yud) employed to clear ground of weeds (sin, as thorns) and grade it back and forth (dalet, as a door swings back and forth on its hinges), that is, to level a piece of ground for planting or building.
And they also translated this word with katartizo:
It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky. Psa 89:37
The Hebrew is from Strong’s H3559 כון kuwn, a primitive root meaning, “to be established.” The ancient pictographs are kaph + vav + nun.
kaph כ, ך = the open palm, thus bend, open, allow, tame
vav ו = the tent peg, thus add, secure, hook
nun נ, ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
The parable being told is of the opening (kaph) of the seed (nun); i.e., the going down of the root, which secures (vav) or establishes the plant—it is the thing which allows it to stand upright. That the vav, meaning security, is at the heart of the word, provides a further picture of that which firmly establishes coming from the core, or heart.
That katartizo was chosen to translate both yasad and kuwn from Hebrew into Greek, reveals that at that time, the understanding of its meaning was “to establish, to lay a foundation.”
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, establish you in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb 13:20-21
That is, according to Webster’s, He will make you firm and stable in every good work to do His will. Amen!
Leave a Reply