A closer look
at some Hebrew/Aramaic words in
Genesis 1:3-4
This of course is a very familiar verse from Torah (Tow-rah). However in the course of research looking at the original Hebrew and Aramaic languages, and the translations of some of the words; the following meanings were revealed, which are not only interesting but further help to illuminate the scriptures.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.
Berean Study Bible.
3 And Elohim said: Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim divided the light from the darkness.
(An Original Translation Made Directly from
Ancient Hebrew and Aramaic Sources.)
“3 ¶ And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
Lamsa Bible – English Peshitta translation.
Above is Dr. George Lamsa’s famous Peshitta Old Testament English translation.
The Peshitta Old Testament is the Aramaic version of a Hebrew Old Testament version (older and superior to the current accepted Massoretic Hebrew version).
The Massoretic Text –
Nusakh Ham’mas’sora: נוסח המסורה,
refers to the authoritative Hebrew manuscript and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism.
The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocalization and accentuation known as the mas’sora/the Massoretic Critical Edition of 1894.
The name comes from the word masora, the Hebrew textual tradition of the Hebrew Masorites (or Masoretes). These Masorites were Jewish rabbis who took extreme care to copy the Hebrew text of the Old Testament without error.
The Hebrew texts of the Bible were originally written with only the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which only represent consonantal sounds; meaning there were no vowel sounds a,e,i,o,u.
The Peshitta New Testament is believed to be the original New Testament and if nothing else, deemed far closer to the original than the Greek texts.
The Lamsa Bible utilizes this version,
containing the 22 books shared by the Eastern Peshitta
and the Western Peshitto, plus the extra 5 books
(2Peter, 2John, 3John, Jude, Revelation)
that are included in the Western Peshitto.
The Designation/Name – Peshito/Peshitta…
The word itself is in grammatical form, feminine,
meaning:
simple, easy to be understood.
It seems to have been used to distinguish the version from others which are filled with reference marks and signs.
As regards the Old Testament, the age of the Version is commonly agreed upon.
Returning to the verses in
Genesis/ B’resheet…
Let there be light then it was that God saw the light and it was good.
The sun, moon and stars were created on day 4 so this light was not from them.
LET THERE BE = yehi
which expresses:
a desire or wish (let)..
I desire that there be light.
LIGHT – OHR
and also means:
understanding.
As our idiom says of letting light in to our minds/thinking:
the light (bulb) came on.
The word SAW as in God SAW the light
is the word RA’AH
which has a secondary meaning of:
EXPERIENCING.
Finally the word for GOOD is TOV
which means: to be in harmony with God.
So it could read as:
God said I desire to understand and there was understanding.
God experienced this understanding and SAW that it was in harmony with Him.
Jesus/Yeshua – the Word and Wisdom,
were with Him in Genesis – the beginning – B’resheet.
Out of harmony with God – ra /evil – darkness
In harmony with God – tov/ good – light
Light – ra’ah – ohr = understanding – experiencing.
Further on in verse 26 We see the word: dominion.
Hebrew scholars teach YIREDU for DOMINION.
It comes from the root word RADAH which means:
to exert control over something – to overpower.
Did God really command us to overpower animals? Sometimes we are so one dimensional in our western thoughts and mind set, giving a singular, one thought narrow answer.
The root word here is apparently YARAD not RADAH
YARAD means
to DESCEND
to lower oneself and show respect.
Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.
Amplified Bible A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal,
God did not give us His creation to exert our control, cruelty and to overpower His creation; shooting it just for sport to hang trophies on our walls! But rather to
HUMBLE us…
To bring us down from our lofty prideful perch and to learn a few things about Gods’ beauty, character, love and mercy.
Our Heavenly Fathers’ creation is
HIS revelation of love to us.
It’s not there for us to do with as we please, to abuse and exert selfish desires and agendas with.
If we lower ourselves and show His creation respect –
if we YARAD –
His creation will speak to us and draw us
to the creator to love and respect Him with all our hearts.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. King James Bible He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:
Ecc. 3:11.
Not only did he make everything…….
He made it all beautiful in its time.
We have a sense of eternity because God exists.
Romans 1:20.
The narrow gate leads to life
The difficult way leads to life
Many don’t offer this as an evangelistic tool to win souls!
Many times, we hear and give only good news that God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus and it’s Him who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Here again we see the truth that we are not the one in overall charge our dominion and authority is imparted to those who believe and trust and obey! Its His good pleasure not ours!
We need to get the dynamics of this relationship inn its correct proper perspective. He made us for His pleasure He saved us to be His child and be part of His family and dwell eternally in His presence.
Ps 100:3 Know that the Lord he is God; he made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Below is a link to a free online site for the Aramaic Bible.
https://biblehub.com/galatians/5-1.htm Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Stand therefore in that liberty with which The Messiah has set us free, and do not be yoked again in a yoke of bondage.
Gal. 5:1…..
He set us free to serve Him
The Israelites groaned in their labors (avodah) and cried out, and their cry for help because of their labor (avodah) went up to God. Ex. 2:23
“Let my people go, that they may serve (avad) me in the wilderness” (Ex. 7:16).
In this sentence the same word for labor and slavery
is being used to describe worshipping God.
The reason for this is that:
the same word, avad,
can mean
to serve or
to worship.
Exodus 20:22-24:8
To love Him and worship Him – to have a relationship with Him.
We did not do anything other than rebel against ignore and sin against Him.
If we are to live as His talmidim/disciples, we must remember that all efforts that have any worth or excellence are difficult. This chaim/life, is in fact glorious but at the same time, difficult, it is not to cause us to give up and be weak willed; it should stir us up to be those over-comers.
The question is do we really appreciate the salvation He provided?
Do we comprehend the miracle of new birth spiritually enough, to totally lay down everything and give our all to Him?
We have to work out that salvation Phil 2:12 everyday; and if He is not our life….. then it will be a constant struggle, trying to do things ourselves.
We must begin on the foundation of His redeeming life, now working in us and do what He commands us.
These commands are not grievous if we truly love Him.
If we spurn them, ignore them, choose to disobey them; then we are not truly a loving child whose grateful heart is fully given to Him; and we will remain full of our own ways – preferring them to His and will wander off track onto the broad way.
Interesting that Broadway is the NewYork name to its’ entertainment center. His way is THE WAY… we will fulfill all we are called here for and we will find we can do it HIS WAY.
If we fail, it’s probably due to us not walking in, and operating by the things He has placed within us. Obeying His spirit and practicing in our day to day lives, that Spirit which has been placed there. When a crisis comes, we will find the combination of His nature and ours will stand and not crumble.
The difficult things are the tests of our faith, not for Him, but for us; for us to see exactly where we are and what we truly believe.
Salvation requires
bravery and courage
and above all
holiness,
and will test us for all we are worth.
Why?
Because Hebrews 2:10 and He as a good father will not shield us from the requirements of son ship. God’s children who have a strong family traits to Jesus/Yeshua, are not weaklings, not pampered or spoiled children. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the life of a disciple/talmidim, and to be worthy leading a life like Daniel, with a spirit of excellence and faithfulness enduring in the ever-pressing harsh realities of lifes’ worldly temptations.
This life requires effort – our whole hearted participation and if it’s not born out of relationship rooted in love, joy and peace (ahava, simchah and shalom) together with total trust/faith in a GOOD Heavenly Father… that narrow door will seem unreachable.
It’s not hard if you love Him and that love should inspire our heartfelt thanks.
Thanksgiving in Hebrew is Todah =
heartfelt thanksgiving in today’s modern Hebrew.
it’s simply used for thank you Todah raba
תּוֹדָה רַבָּה
The word comes from the root word;
YUDAH or JUDAH יהודה
From yadah; meaning celebrated;
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites;
also of the tribe descended from the first,
and of its territory –
pronounced ye-huw-dah
From the verb הוד ( hod ), meaning:
to be praise-worthy,
comes the noun הוד ( hod ), meaning:
splendor, majesty, vigor, glory or honor.
The importance of this name and its meaning rests in the fact that it is the source of the name of the people of Israel:
‘Ye•hu•dim’ = Jewish
The name “Yehudah”
(“Judah” in English)
in Hebrew it is spelled
“yud, heh, vav, dalet, heh”.
In the Torah, God has many names, however the most common is the Tetragrammaton – YHVH
as we pronounce it in English.
Judah means: a heartfelt thanksgiving or praise.
And of course was the name of one of the 12 sons of Israel.
Judah always led the WAY and went first on their journey.
Praise and heartfelt thanksgiving was first.
Spelled
Taw Daleth Hei Tav Dalet Hay
Taw letter represents the heartfelt thanksgiving
Dalet letter represents a doorway
Hei letter represents the presence of God.
So heartfelt praise and thanksgiving is a doorway to Gods presence!
Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his name.
In Rev 3:20. Yeshua/Jesus calls the congregation of Laodicea neither hot nor cold …. but what made them that way?
He stands at the door and knocks He’s reminding them of TODAH that heartfelt thanksgiving opens the door to his presence
When He knocks let’s open that door quickly to His presence and give TODAH – heartfelt thanksgiving Todah to our redeemer Mashiach.
Probably the most important meaning of behold I stand at the door and knock is
the heart of Yeshua/Jesus which is:
to desire intimate fellowship with you and me.
Revelation 3:20 says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Strong’s Hebrew: 8426. תּוֹדָה (todah) — thanksgiving
From yadah; properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration;
specifically, a choir of worshippers —
confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (-giving,
The third Hebrew word for praise, Todah, means thanksgiving.
It also means: Praise and thanksgiving;
The offering of thanks or sacrifice of thanksgiving;
תּוֹדָה.
תּוֹדָה tôwdâh, to-daw’; from H3034; properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers:—confession.
At this time in our walk when seemingly there may not be so much to give thanksgiving and praise for…Lets make sure we have not put out the…
…sign…
…but rather are offering Todah from our hearts…
a true sacrifice of thanksgiving!
Shalom shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
