Signs of humility are plentiful in the original Hebrew text, because our Heavenly Father’s principles are inclusive with the idea of humility. A good example is in the word bless, which in Hebrew is

barak and means, “to kneel” 

and another is the Hebrew word for

worship which is shakhah, and means, “to bow down.” Strongs 1872

שָׁחָה (shachah) — To bow down, to prostrate …

It is not surprising that translators have taken a wide view in choosing what words to use when dealing with humility because there are five or six different Hebrew words that can be translated as humble.  The we find these same words are translated even further into different words like

poor, low, meek, bowed down, defiled, subdued, afflicted, submit, crushed etc. etc.

What do we picture when we hear the words

poor, afflicted and meek?

When we hear the word poor, we probably picture someone with little income and few possessions; and the word afflicted may bring to mind an individual who is sick or in pain.

When we think of the word meek, most people picture a shy and retiring, a quiet person who seems to lack self-confidence; one who is not confrontational and maybe even a little fearful. We no doubt instinctively recall Yeshua’s words in Matthew:  the meek will inherit the earth.

But what is humble?  What is meek? 

Is Scripture telling us that those who are shy and quiet will inherit the earth

or is it those who are poor? 

Or maybe is it those who are afflicted, defiled, crushed or low?

Is it all of these or none of these?

How can we make a distinction and discern between all the different words that are used?  More importantly how can we identify with, and learn from His Word if His most important principles have been translated with words that are inconsistent?   This is very likely the biggest reason why gentile Believers primarily shy away from the Hebrew Scriptures, because it makes it hard to follow when there is a lack of consistency in translation. It can seem confused and obscure in our modern vernacular and so, people don’t identify personally with what is written.

For those in the West the New Testament/Brit Chadashah is comfortable however, that level of comfort is flimsy and weak and lacks deep roots without the strong foundation of what is revealed in the Old Testament/TaNaKH, to build upon. The Hebrew language is very consistent and self-explanatory. Every one of the 22 letters in the alefbet/alphabet has meaning, these letters are built into root words, which also have meaning; and then root words are added to, or combined, to make other words. The resulting words that are created by this process, carry the meaning of all that they are built upon.  We need to remember the New Testament is built upon the old and is the original teaching all the disciples knew of; and all they had in Yeshuas day until the gospels and letters were written decades later. 

This application of the Hebrew language, its depth, and dimension of understanding is sadly lost in translation; and we know that lack of a strong foundation makes whatever is built upon it weak!

When Messiah said that the meek shall inherit the earth.  We need to remember that the promise of the meek inheriting the earth is not a New Testament revelation. Most of what we read as New promises are reaffirmations of what was promised in The Old Testament and confirmations of prophetic fulfillments in Jesus/Yeshuas first coming.

In Scripture the Hebrew word anav or anavah is often translated as humble.

Strong’s Hebrew: 6038. עֲנָוָה (anavah)

Strong’s Hebrew: 6035. עָנָו (anav) 

H6038 – ʿănāvâ – Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (KJV) – Blue Letter Bible

This word has its roots from the actions of ‘responding or answering’, as in testifying to something and also ‘being low”. Anav is also found in verses where it has been translated as poor, meek and lowly.

The first time we read about being humble is in the account in the wilderness, Miriam and Aaron have a problem with Moses when they questioned why God only spoke to him and not them; and why Moses was doing and not doing certain things. Numbers 12. The Lord was giving specific and serious instructions concerning how sinful man can approach a Holy God, and it requires us to be clean to enter into His presence. In Exodus 19, when Moses told the people that they would be called to come near the mountain to see the Lord descend in the clouds and to hear His voice, they were given three days to prepare, to cleanse and purify themselves.

Because our Heavenly Father requires cleanliness, Moses was obedient and diligent to remain clean, fully aware in his heart that he must be clean in order to approach or to be approached by the Lord God; he didn’t want to be found in an unclean state making him unable to answer the call. 

Miriam and Aaron found fault with this. Numbers 12:2, “Has the LORD only spoken by Moses?  Has He not also spoken by us?”

It would seem they were not as zealous to stay as clean as Moses tried to be. Reading on we find that our Heavenly Father steps in and Miriam finds out very quickly how it feels to be unclean and separated from our Heavenly Father and His people. Remembering here that He disciplines those He loves!

With regard to Moses verse 3 in Numbers 12, and if we are willing to see it, shows us for the first time what the connection is that unites us so strongly to our Heavenly Father “And the man Moses was very meek, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.”

Meode anav meaning: very meek

meode anav meaning: exceedingly meek.

Strong’s Hebrew: 3966. מְאֹד (meod) — Very, exceedingly, much

Anav is a condition of a person, it is a characteristic of a person’s heart; and the condition of an individual’s heart shows through their actions.  We now understand from the Hebrew that we cannot ascribe one English word to anav.  We can examine some of the other places this word appears in scripture and see if it help our perspective on the fullness of what anav means.

Take the time to read all the verses and everywhere 

anav (singular),

 anavim (plural) or 

anavah (state of being)

appears, replace it… thinking of Moses and all that he did.

But with righteousness shall He judge the poor and decide rightly for the meek(anav) of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of his lips He shall slay the wicked.     Isaiah 11:4

The humble ones (anavim) also shall increase their joy in the LORD and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.     Isaiah 29:19

When He makes inquisition for blood, He remembers them: He will not forget the cry of the afflicted (anavim).  Psalm 9:12

The meek (anavim) shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seeks Him: your heart shall live forever.  Psalm 22:26

The meek (anavim) will He guide in judgment: and the meek (anavim) will He teach His way.  Psalm 25:9

But the meek (anavim) shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  Psalm 37:11

The humble (anavim) shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.  Psalm 69:32

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people: He will beautify the humble (anavim) with salvation.  Psalm 149:4

Seek the LORD, all you meek (anav) of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness (anavah): it may be you shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger. Zeph 2:3

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before glory is humility (anavah).  Proverbs15:33

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before glory is humility (anavah).  Proverbs 18:12

By humility (anavah) and the fear of the LORD are riches and glory and life.  Proverbs 22:4

It’s important to note that in these three verses from Proverbs many translations say ‘honor’ instead of correctly translating the Hebrew word kavod as glory.

In Torah Deuteronomy 18:18, God informs Moses that in the future He will raise “one like Moses” from among the Jewish people.

I shall raise up a Prophet to them from among their brothers, like you; and I will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak to them all that I shall command Him.

And in Deuteronomy 34:10 it is confirmed that, “there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face”

Face to face – Al pene. According to the story of Miriam and Aaron, our Heavenly Father said this humility in Moses heart was the very thing that separated him from them. This wholehearted submission to and reliance on the Lord God, his complete willingness to trust, follow and obey was an example of anav and this was why Moses endeavored to remain clean. 

And we, know that the prophet said in Deuteronomy that the One Who would be like Moses is our Messiah, Yeshua/Jesus.

We would do well to absorb all these concepts concerning anav because in reality when we anav ourselves, it is a testimony that we are totally dependent on Him alone.

Messiah Yeshua, the prophet like Moses, was the perfect example of and spoke of anav. Come to Me, all those laboring and being burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, because I am meek and lowly in heart; and you will find rest to your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.  Matthew 11: 28, 29.

The Greek word for meek that appears here is praus.  Praus, and its forms, are used just as clearly in the Greek as anav, and its forms, are used in the Hebrew.  However praus does not mean humble and when we find the word humble in the New Testament, it’s an entirely different word… tapinos, whereas praus is much, much more.

When we re-read these verses from Matthew replacing meek with the idea of like Moses, we can see that it has come full circle. Messiah Yeshua is stating that He contains within Himself the very traits of service to His Heavenly Father, and all that service encompasses, in the same manner as Moses did. He is confirming that He is anav.

He is saving the people from bondage, making intercessions, testings, trials, burden of leadership, teaching, even the offering of self to atone for the people and more, were shared by them both. In Exodus 32: 30-32, Moses pleads with the Lord to let his name be blotted out from the Book of Life to atone for the sins of the people, which didn’t happen; but what is revealed as we continue to read through Exodus 33, is just how close of a relationship our Heavenly Father did have with Moses.

If there is one verse that stands out in the Tanakh referring to the character trait, anav, which both Moses and Yeshua personified; it’s Isaiah 61:1,2.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good tidings unto the meek (anav); he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;   Isaiah 61:1, 2.

The Anointed One speaking here, through Isaiah, is Yeshua. Even Jewish people today, who might not yet see Yeshua as their Messiah, understand, as did the Sages, that the Anointed One here is Messiah.

When Messiah proclaimed:

Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted
Blessed are the meek – praus, for they shall inherit the earth.  Matt 5:3-5

He also said the the crowds who were listening, “those with ears can you hear” Can you hear and recall the words of the prophet Isaiah, the Psalms, Moses and Torah?

Messiah Yeshua was not saying anything new, we think its new because we call it the new testament.  In fact, in Luke 4:16 we find Yeshua going into the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth, as was his custom, where He stood to read.  In the synagogue, then as it is today, men are called to read from Torah and the Prophets. People don’t just walk in and stand up to read neither do they choose what to read. This is because the Torah is divided into weekly portions allowing it to be read in its entirety in a calendar year. Together with the Torah portion, portions from the Prophets and Writings that correlate to the Torah portion are also read.  In Yeshua’s day, the entire Torah was read according to a three-year cycle and in this account in Luke, Messiah was called to read from the scroll of Isaiah, and the portion for Him to read was already predetermined. Isaiah 61. And in Luke 4: 21 He says to those in the synagogue “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears.”

And for those who had eyes to see and ears to hear, for those whose hearts were firm in the truth laid out by Moses and the Prophets, for those who were anav…Messiah was confirming exactly Who He was the foundation upon what had already been written about Him!

There was no separation of chapters and verses back then but notice how He ended His reading. Isaiah’s words immediately before and after the part that He read, speak of times yet to come and not yet fulfilled. Isaiah 61: 1-2. Yeshua stopped and rolled up the scroll before speaking of the “day of vengeance of our God”. 

No doubt our eyes would have been fixed on Him just as “the eyes of all those in the synagogue” were!  What He said after was even more of a shock to the hearers, this man from their ‘town’ and a family they knew how was He speaking and doing such things?

Here we must remember Messiah knows our weaknesses. In the same way some were excited, some questioned, some dismissed and others denying Him outright; He knew what was still to come. He knew that after His crucifixion many who were excited would be disappointed because their expectation was for salvation from Roman occupation and rule.  He knew that those who were defiant would feel validated after His death, and would continue in denial. He also knew that many of those who were unsure and questioned, after his crucifixion, would be fearful and be led astray.

This surely explains His words and the people’s reaction that follow in Luke 4: 22-30. However there were a few who were anav... a few who understood who had ears to hear and were full of joy!

This is a caveat to us today that we are to be watchful and truly standing firm on a strong foundation. These are days for choosing, days for readiness. These are days for those who are anav to be consistently diligent and discerning, so that we can stand in the evil day against doubt and deception.

Our Heavenly Father delights in the condition of our hearts, that quality of anav pleases Him and secures our relationship with Him, It cannot be contrived or be just be for show because it’s forgetting self and being completely open, trusting and prepared for Him, anav is always being mindful of Him and His instructions.

King Solomon told us in Proverbs 15, that the fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom and that before glory is anavah. Psalm 25 says that He will guide the anavim in judgment, teaching them His way.

Just as a young ox would be yoked with an older ox to learn to walk the straight path through the fields, Messiah invites us to take His yoke and learn from Him. We learn by immersing ourselves in the Word. He is the Door.

If He is the Living Word, which He is, we must walk with Him along the Way of Torah and the Prophets, indeed, the whole Bible, to fully realize and illuminate His desired potential in us. His Way, the Way of anav.

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen