Read Psalm 12 at Bible Gateway.
The words of YHVH are pure words, {n} as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O YHVH, You shall preserve them from this generation for ever. Psa 12:6-7
Men are not the only things which endure testing. YHVH’s words are tested as silver is tested in a furnace of earth, so that they are purified seven times. The analogy is this: when gold or silver ore is taken from the earth, other elements are bound to it in the rock. It’s a mixture. The ore is put in a furnace and heated to a high degree. As the silver or gold liquifies, the heat breaks the chemical bonds between the silver and gold, and the other elements mixed with it. Everything “other” that was mixed with it, is called dross, and when the liquid ore is hot enough, the dross rises to the surface where it is skimmed off. What is left is elementally pure silver or gold. Now the pure molten silver or gold can be poured into ingots or used to make valuable items.
When men are tested, that is when the word of God is also tested. How? The man may have mentally assented to the truth of God’s word when life was wonderful, but when the rubber meets the road in a time of trial, he must put the full weight of his life upon the truth of that word. A lot of people talk a good talk, but do they walk a good walk? Do they act as if the word were true? Testing reveals what is true.
This is a universal principle: repeatable experimentation is the bedrock of science, and cross examination of witnesses is the bedrock of the courtroom. An experiment tests whether a scientist’s theory is true or not. A cross examination tests whether a witnesses’ testimony is true or not. A test is not necessarily a set of bad circumstances. It can be merely a situation where one must choose to believe, or speak, or do what is right.
The man undergoing a test or trial must put his faith in the words of God, that is, test them, like a man putting his weight on a high bridge he has not crossed before. When the bridge holds him, he has proved it to be a sturdy structure. But how interesting that the Hebrew word translated tried, tells the parable of smelting silver ore.
Hebrew root words.
Psa 12:6 pure Strong’s H2889 tahowr, an adjective meaning, “clean, pure;” from Strong’s H2891 טהר taher, a primitive root meaning, “to shine, to be bright.” The 3-letter root is tet + hey + resh.
tet ט = the basket, thus surround, contain, hold, mud
hey ה = the man with upraised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
Tet can sometimes signify mud, as baskets were most often used to carry mud. The story: When mud (tet) or tarnish covers an item, polishing it so that it shines (taher) reveals it (hey) as it was at first (resh).
One cognate word from this verbal root is prison, the place that contains or holds (tet) the man (resh). The purpose of the prison is to either purify society from lawbreakers, by removing them, or purify the criminal from lawbreaking, by removing his freedom and hopefully cause him to reflect on why he is there; so that he leaves off folly and gains wisdom.
Psa 12:6 tried Strong’s H6884 צרף tsaraph a primitive root meaning, “to smelt a metal,” that is, to purge gold or silver (of the dross which is bonded in the ore) by fire. The 3-letter root is tsadey + resh + pey.
tsadey צ ,ץ = the trail, thus a man concealed, journey, chase, hunt
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
pey פ ,ף = the mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
The story: To cause that which is concealed (tsadey) to rise to the top or surface (resh), so that it may be blown away or dispersed (pey).
Psa 12:7 keep Strong’s H8104 שמר shamar, a primitive root, “to keep, to watch, to guard as a husbandman or shepherd.” The 3-letter root is shin + mem + resh, however the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon tells us that the shin + mem in this root were originally a sin + nun, the similar sounds becoming transposed over time:
sin ס = the thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
nun נ ,ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
Shepherds would surround their flocks at night with thorn branches to protect them from predators when they were pasturing them away from the fold. They kept or guarded their flocks so that their children would be provided for. Thus, to closely guard (sin) for the next generation (nun) that which is of first importance (resh).
Psa 12:7 preserve Strong’s H5341 נצר natsar, a primitive root meaning, “to keep, to watch over.” The 3-letter root is nun + tsadey + resh.
nun נ ,ן = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
tsadey צ ,ץ = the trail, thus a man concealed, journey, chase, hunt
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
The story: We ensure the continuation (nun) of a thing when we hunt and acquire (tsadey) its first foundations (resh).
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