Bible Geek Word Nerd - to Fulfill

16 September 2021

(the second post)

LEQAYEM (לְקַיֵּם֮) means "to fullfill" (see Esther 9:21). It is derived from the primitive Hebrew root QUM (קוּם) which means "to stand or arise". The reason to focus on this unusual (used only five times in this form in the Hebrew Bible) is its meaning and its use in historic rabbinic Judaism of the Second Temple period. From “The Yeshiva World”

 

The Gemorah in several places (see Gittin 35a, Rashi Kesuvos 69b) discusses the notion of “Mitzvah lekayem divrei hamais” which literally means, “it is a Mitzvah to fulfill the words of the deceased.” The concept is codified in Shulchan Aruch (CM 252:2) as well. (Yeshiva World, July 2016)

 

In rabbinic Judaism, this verb had much to do with the notion of living out properly (or FULFILLING) the Torah.

 

"If the Sanhedrin gives a decision to abolish (uproot, la’akor) a law, by saying for instance, that the Torah does not include the laws of Sabbath or idolatry, the members of the court are free from a sin offering if they obey them; but if the Sanhedrin abolishes (la’akor) only one part of a law but fulfills (lekayem) the other part, they are liable. " (MISHNAH, Harayot 1:3)

 

The phrase “to fulfill the Torah” means to carry it out – to do what it says. For an instance of this, one rabbi criticizes another’s interpretation of the Torah, which caused him to violate what the instruction really intends (although it might be tempting to laugh at this as Hebrew trash talk, it is a common charge amongst teachers as they wrestled with the Text

"If this is how you act, you have never in your whole life fulfilled the requirement of dwelling in a sukkah!" (MISHNAH, Sukkoth 2:7)

 

Or for another example, where the implication of LEQAYEM is “to obey”:

"Whoever fulfills the Torah when poor will in the end fulfill it in wealth. And whoever treats the Torah as nothing when he is wealthy in the end will treat it as nothing in poverty." (MISHNAH Pirke Avot 4:9)

 

By the time of Jesus, the phrase “fulfill the Torah” meant to live it out properly. A rabbi who was respected was one who “fulfilled the Torah.”

 

Jesus said, “I came to fulfill the Law” (Matthew 5:17).

What, pray tell, does He mean with respect to Torah? Are Andrew Farley and Andy Stanley and Marcion correct about "ending" the Law?

Bible Geek Word Nerd - the innaugural post - RUACH

14 September 2021

The word for today is RUACH ( רוּחַ), Like a lot of Hebrew words, it does double duty, meaning several potential things depending on context.

 

First, it means "wind".

 

Second, it means "spirit".

 

It also means "breath" (as in "breath of life"). Although another Hebrew word is used in Genesis 2 -- NESHAMAH (נְשָׁמָה) from the verb NASHAM (נָשַׁם), which means "to pant", RUACH is used in Genesis 6 when G-D told Noah He intended to destroy all who had the RUACH of life in them.

 

RUACH is used almost 400 times in the Hebrew Bible.

 

Want an interesting thought experiment? Jesus undoubtedly spoke Hebrew, based on the emerging evidence today (He probably spoke Aramaic and Greek, too).

 

Read the account from the Gospel of John of Jesus' interaction with Nicodemus. Substitute "RUACH" for both wind and spirit, and you get a sense of the playful wordplay used by a skilled rabbinic teacher.

Bible Geek Word Nerd - Peacemaker

1 November 2021

One of Jesus' most famous sets of sayings takes place during St. Matthew's record of the Sermon on the Mount. We are (during this season of division across our Body Politic) brought back to Jesus' extolling of the virtues of being a PEACEMAKER ("Blessed are the peacemakers..." or "cheesemakers" as the Monty Pythons misheard it).

 

The Greek word Matthew uses (EIRENOPOIOI / εἰρηνοποιοί) is a portmanteau of two other words:

EIRÉNÉ / εἰρήνη means "peace, quietness, rest, undisturbed"

POIEÓ / ποιέω means "to make, to do, to manufacture"

 

Jesus, who almost certainly was not speaking Greek to his Jewish audience, probably would have used a very common Hebrew expression: "OSEH SHALOM", which means "doer or maker of peace". Drawn for the Book of Job, it was said daily phrase in the concluding blessing of the Amidah (or Standing) Prayer of ancient Judaism.

 

"May He Who makes peace (OSEH SHALOM) in His high places make peace (YA'ASEH SHALOM) for us, and for all Israel. And say ye, Amen."

 

In both the Job verse and the prayer, God Himself is the peacemaker. When mankind takes on a peacemaking role, they are like their Father in heaven (AVINU SHABASHAMAYIM) and are thus children of God.