Just Do It
March 19, 2023
Yesterday, we explained our distractibility by telling you we are pausing our Jeremiah walk to detour into the life of Samson in the Book of Judges. Familiar territory, the story of SAMSON. Everyone but the Veggie Tales has told his story. This mini-series will not re-explain Samson’s life story. Rather, we will tell it as it is in the Text, hopefully shedding new light on the well-trodden path, while turning up treasures lying there the whole time…in
We are beginning at the beginning, in Chapter 13. In the Book of Judges, every Judge’s story begins the same way: “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” And so so begins Samson’s tale.
Yesterday, we talked about the Hebrew words for “again” (YASAPH) and “eyes” (AYIN). Today, we will pick up with “did” and “evil”.
The word behind “did” is the Hebrew verb ASAH (עָשָׂה), which means “to do, to make”. It is used over 2600 times in the Hebrew text, making it not only one of the most frequently used verbs, but also one of the most frequently used words (though it is a piker next to AMAR (to say), which used over 5300 times). To choose an easy example, ASAH is used seven times on the first page of the Bible to describe the making of the Heavens and the Earth.
“So God MADE the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.”
Genesis 1:7
Like all Hebrew words, however, ASAH is not content to simply translate as “do” or “make”. English translators like to make it do other remarkable actions. Here it is in Genesis 1:11:
“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that BEAR fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.” I suppose the trees MAKE the fruit, but that sounds odd to our modern ears. So, “bear fruit” it is.
In Exodus 10:25, the NIV reads: “But Moses said, ‘You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings TO PRESENT to the Lord our God.” ASAH is behind “to present”. The close-to-literal reading would be, “But said Moshe also, ‘You must give us sacrifices and burnt offerings that we MAY DO to the LORD our G-d.” Have we mentioned how challenging translation is?
ASAH’s frequent use underscores the importance ACTION – of DOING – in Hebraic thinking. Throughout the Text, the children of Israel are encouraged to DO G-d’s commands, to DO righteousness, to DO justice.
“For I have chosen him (Abraham), so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by DOING what is RIGHT (TSEDAQAH) and JUST (MISHPAT), so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him”
Genesis 18:19
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? TO ACT justly (MISHPAT) and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”
ASAH is essential
to understanding the action orientation of the Hebrew Bible. G-d does
not simply want you to think
a certain way or believe the right things. G-d wants you to DO it. But not just do anything. Do right.
Of course, in Judges, G-d people often are DOING it. But the “it” is often EVIL, which we will take up in our next post.
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