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Hidden
Hebrew Idioms
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Meet
John, John Idiom. John is a middle-aged businessman stuck in the rat race
of life. He had planned a corporate outdoor picnic until the rain clouds
violently rolled in. John was so mad he blew a fuse because of the wet
conditions. His big plans were now ruined and he was boiling over. “It's
raining cats and dogs,” he complained to himself. A meteorologist had
told him, straight from the horses’ mouth, that it was supposed to rain
hard. John thought his friend was just pulling his leg, yet now he was
really up the creek without a paddle. How could John host a cookout with
mouthwatering burgers in the pouring rain? “Well, I guess that’s just
the way the cookie crumbles”, John said under his breath as he pushed
his grill back to his carport. He worried that because of this failure,
his boss would give him the axe. Poor John.
As
we might guess, John Idiom is a fictional character, yet his life is just
like ours – full of clichés and idiomatic expressions to explain life.
What
is an idiom?
Idioms
are words that can’t be taken literally and don’t always stick out like
a sore thumb. This is because we have grown up using idioms to color our
speech and express ourselves. Comments like “a bull in a china shop” and
“when the cows come home,” fill the English language. One web site says
that an idiom is “a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers
of a certain language.” Idioms add lively ideas to our speech. These phrases
have been adapted into our language over the years, to the point where,
they have become part of normal speech. They are word pictures that describe
situations vividly. Yet, idioms can also be very confusing.
They
are confusing because they don’t mean what they say. When we say to someone
that “the cat's got your tongue,” we are not really suggesting that a
ferocious feline attacked the person's mouth. Instead, we are actually
expressing that the person doesn’t have anything to say. Go figure.
Perhaps,
we remember the use of the word “bad” in the 1980’s that suggested something
was actually “good.” Was Michael Jackson’s dancing good or bad? Who knows?
This
can be very confusing! Idioms can also be very frustrating to a foreigner
who tries to comprehend words literally. It is easy to be misled by word-for-word
speech because people don’t really “spill the beans” when they have something
special to say. We can’t, really “kill time.” We even attempt to convey
complex ideas, by using a single word or title, such as “America.” Do
we even know the origin and past, of these words, or their meaning? Probably
not.
Every
language and dialect has its own collection of sayings that imply and
suggest thoughts, naturally. For example, when a teen says you are “off
the chain,” they are actually giving you their seal of approval. Such
an age-specific phrase as this, like many idioms, doesn’t cross the culture
barrier very easily. People learning a new language; usually translate
individual words, to understand what is being communicated. Our minds
take in foreign information word-for-word, instead of thought-for-thought.
So, just as the phrase “absent without leave” would easily confuse a person
new to English, many Hebrew idioms that are hidden within the Scriptures
have misled millions.
Hidden
Hebrew Idioms
Various
Hebrew idioms have found their way into the everyday talk of millions
of people. Take for example, these Biblical expressions in the story about
a man unwilling to “go the second mile”, yet he still hoped to “kill the
fatted calf.” This man thought it was all right to “eat the forbidden
fruit.” Obviously he did not believe in following the “straight and narrow.”
This miserable person could not see the “handwriting on the wall.” He
thought he was a “law unto himself” and would probably end up “inheriting
the wind.” He expected “manna to fall from heaven,” probably because he
was the kind who thought he could “walk on water.” Maybe his trouble began
when his parents “spared the rod and spoiled the child.” In any case,
he seems never to have learned that the “love of money is the root of
all evil,” and he must have believed the lazy, not the “meek would inherit
the earth”.
Someone
may have told him that man does “not live by bread alone,” but it was
“casting pearls before swine,” because, like the leopard, “he could not
change his spots.” Undoubtedly, he will go on trying to be “all things
to all men” because he remembers from the Bible something to the effect
that one should “eat, drink, and be merry”. Oh well, let him go, are we
“our brother’s keeper”?
See,
most of the Scriptures were originally written in the Hebrew and Aramaic
languages. For hundreds of years, Hebrew idioms have been literally translated
into English. An ancient manuscript, written to a Jewish culture has been
deciphered and changed, to fit a modern society. When we read the scriptures,
we read the work of translators and scholars. These workers have transformed
an ancient document, by substituting English words for the original Hebrew
words. The problem is, many times, the words are translated correctly,
but the original Hebrew thought is lost. The words are there, but the
meaning is missing. Talk about being lost in the translation! To understand
this, just imagine writing that someone “kicked the bucket” and imagine
your reader actually thinking a bucket was physically kicked.
When
idioms are hidden behind literal reading, confusion sets in. This disorder
portrays Biblical concepts in incorrect manners and presents ideas that
are not representative to the original Hebrew thought. The fact is, that
most people don’t recognize the hidden Hebrew idioms that they have adopted
into their belief systems. The only thing worse than being wrong, is to
be wrong and to not know it.
While
reading the Scriptures, we come across many Hebrew idioms. We read statements
that seem to be mixed up. We skim over passages that seem to contradict
themselves. As innocent and unsuspecting Bible readers, we just skip over
the hard parts, to understand the familiar verses. We ignore the weird
word pictures, as if they weren’t there. We know that it is human nature
to ignore big words and difficult concepts when reading. This is just
the way the Western brain works. This 'skip reading' is coupled with a
church that many times teaches people to have “more faith and believe”
what doesn’t seem to make sense. Very seldom are people encouraged to
study and search for the deeper and true meaning of the Scriptures. However,
as believers, our minds are to be different than that of the world. Our
approach to the Bible should be different than our approach to other reading.
“Do
not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind” -- Romans 12: 1, 2.
Our
minds must be made new, to understand the difficult passages of scripture
and the hidden Hebrew idioms. This renewal is aided by investigation,
analysis, and carefully examination of the Bible, instead of just reading
it.
LET'S
TRY SOME WORD PLAY
Why
are a wise man and a wise guy, opposites?
Why
is the man who invests money called broker?
When
cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
If
an oriental person spins around several times, does he become disoriented?
Or,
if a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
The
plain just doesn’t make sense sometimes! To just read the Bible is to
take every word at face value, to gloss over the difficult passages and
weird suggestions. When we read the Scriptures we don’t experience the
full potential of the written word to change us. We are commanded though
to study, to dig for the deeper hidden meanings and to apply what we learn
to our lives.
From
Genesis to Revelation, there are hundreds of commandments and ordinances
from the Almighty. Yet, believers are never told to read the Bible. Out
of all the mitzvot, this one is just not there. We are told though, to
“study to show yourself approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed,
who correctly handles the word of truth,” -- 2 Timothy 2:15. This admonishment
to study is a call to go deeper than just casual reading. It’s an appeal
to discuss, to explore, and to delve into the context of what is being
communicated. It is the path to gaining insight into the original meaning
of what was written. No longer will Hebrew idioms and bad translations
cloud our understanding. Thousands of years of humanism & theology
are washed away as we really study the Torah. Clarity comes through word
studies and research with books like Hebrew dictionaries and lexicons.
Recognizing Hebrew idioms and learning the differences between modern
translations and the ancient Hebrew language, is just the start to really
studying the scriptures. We also need to learn the Hebrew culture.
Imagine
hearing the French phrase, “petit dejeuner” and literally translating
it as “little lunch.” If you don’t know much about life in France, then
“petit dejeuner” doesn’t make a lot of sense. Do people eat a little lunch
early in the morning? Well, this French expression really means “breakfast.”
If you know the French culture, then you probably already knew this. Being
aware of culture brings clarity to context. The more we know, the more
we live the Hebrew culture, the more of Yahshua’s words we understand.
The more we accept the Yisraelite lifestyle, the more Hebrew idioms and
tough parts of the Torah will make sense.
A
few examples
If
the English idiom is true, that “you are what you eat,” then let’s chew
on a few hidden Hebrew idioms. The following might upset some of your
dearly-held beliefs, just proving that sacred cows do make the very best
burgers!
Remember
that an idiom is an expression from a local culture. One such statement,
understood by those in the Hebrew culture, was used by Rabbi Yahshua.
Matthew 5: 17-18 says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or
the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily, I
say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle shall
pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.”
For
the modern-day Christians the previous verse means that the Torah and
the others books of the “Old Testament” have been fulfilled, or done away
with. They say that, “all was fulfilled” when Yahshua said, “it is finished”
and the Law is no longer relevant. Such a belief about the Torah could
not be farther from the truth. Just consider the Master’s own words. Has
heaven and earth passed away? Of course not! Then, the Torah and the prophets
remain necessary and essential to living the Almighty’s will.
Yahshua
quoted a Hebrew idiom when He said He came not to destroy the Law or the
prophets. He was using a familiar phrase easily understood during Biblical
times. If someone heard a Torah teaching and didn’t agree, they would
say that the Teacher was “destroying the law.” If they heard a heard a
teaching they thought was the right interpretation they would then say,
“yes, this is fulfilling the law.” Yahshua had been accused of misinterpreting
the Torah, yet He said that He was actually rightly and correctly teaching
it. Traditional Jewish writings support this idiom, “Should all the nations
of the world unite to uproot one word of the Law, they would be unable
to do it,” Leviticus Rabbah 19:2. To understand the meaning of this verse,
everything hinges on the meaning of the words “destroy” and “fulfill”
in verse 17. What does Yeshua mean by “destroy the Law” and “fulfill the
Law”? “Destroy” and “fulfill” are technical terms used in rabbinic argumentation.
When a sage felt that a colleague had misinterpreted a passage of Scripture,
he would say, “You are destroying the Law!” Needless to say, in most cases,
his colleagues strongly disagreed. What was “destroying the Law” for one
sage was “fulfilling the Law” (correctly interpreting Scripture) for another,”
wrote Bivin and Bizzard in their book Understanding the Difficult Words
of Yahshua.
In
plain English, Yahshua is saying, “Never imagine for a moment that I intend
to abrogate the Law by misinterpreting it. My intent is not to weaken
or negate the Law, but by properly interpreting Elohim’s written Word,
I aim to establish it, that is, make it even more lasting. I would never
invalidate the Law by effectively removing something from it through misinterpretation.
Heaven and earth would sooner disappear than something from the Law. Not
the smallest letter in the alphabet, the jot or yod, nor even its decorative
spur, the tittle, will ever disappear from the Law,” wrote Bivin and Blizzard
on page 155.
If
looks could kill
When
people look at others with a cold stare or squinting eyes, more is being
communicated than just a nasty glance. Envy and jealousy can easily be
seen through the windows of the eyes. This is just the issue our Rabbi
Yahshua dealt with on many occasions throughout the Gospels.
Unfortunately,
for many years translators and teachers have struggled with the Hebraic
concept of the "evil eye." This idiom has created many problems,
and has been misunderstood, because the Hebrew culture has been misunderstood.
"The light of the body is the eye; If therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole
body shall be full of darkness," Matthew 6:22-23a, KJV.
The
people who heard Yahshua speak these very words immediately recognized
what Yahshua meant when he talked of the evil eye.
This
idea was and is common in the Hebraic culture. Yet, just pick up any different
Bible translation and in it will be a quagmire of different words used
to express this hidden Hebrew idiom. Each translation seems to deal with
the issue differently. A few examples include, eye be whole, eye be simple,
eye be sound, eye be plain, eye be healthy, sincere, clear, honest, or
eye be good. This is very confusing! What did Yahshua really mean? Hebraically,
what is an evil eye?
To
answer these questions and bring clarity to this idiom, let’s look at
the context of Yahshua’s words and consult two pillars of the Hebrew culture,
the Tanakh and the Talmud.
First,
let’s look at the context. The very next verse after the evil eye quotation,
explains exactly what the evil eye squints at. “But if your eyes are bad,
your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you
is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters.
Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both Elohim and Money,”
Matthew 6:23,24 NIV. When he spoke of the bad eye, Yahshua wasn’t talking
about bad eye sight or the need for lasik surgery! From the context it
is easy to grasp that Yahshua was using a Hebrew expression to comment
on people’s greed. Each time Yahshua spoke of the eye being good or evil,
or “plucking out the eye,” he was speaking of the issue of greed. An evil
eye is a greedy eye. A person with an evil eye is controlled by the desire
to receive for self.
The
writings and the words of the Rabbis explain this issue further. "he
that has a good eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the
poor," Proverbs 22:9. Again, if your eyes is good or 'tov' then you
are not greedy. The opposite is also true. If your eye is evil then you
shall not be blessed because you withhold from the poor. Traditional Judaism
agrees with this. "A good eye gave fortieth, the house of Shammai
say, the thirtieth part; a middling one, the fiftieth; and an evil one,
the sixtieth part," Mishnah Trumopt, 4:3. Upon these words, the Jewish
commentators say, a 'good eye' means one that is liberal, and an 'evil
eye' the contrary. The Talmud reads of 'trading, dedicating' and 'giving
with a good' or an evil eye. "A good eye and a humble spirit and
a lowly soul, those who have these are disciples of Abraham our father,"
Mishnah Aboth 5:19.
From
a Hebraic viewpoint it is now easy to grasp the difficult words of Yahshua.
“And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it
is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having
two eyes to be cast into hell fire,” Matthew 18:9. Yahshua was not literally
suggesting his followers mutilate themselves. Such a literal suggestion
and teaching would be a direct contradiction and violation to Torah. “You
are the children of the YHWH your Elohim. Do not cut yourselves,” Devarim
14:1. Yahshua in the previous verse was suggesting that we run away from
greed and idolatry. We should take precautions to guard and protect ourselves
from the evil eye of want, to get rid of the evil eye of desire.
The
Eye of a needle?
Speaking
of eyes, another often-misunderstood passage in the Messianic writings
deals with the eye of a needle. “Then Yahshua said to his disciples, “I
tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Elohim.”
This
odd phrase of the Messiah has for many years been explained away by Sunday
school teachers and preachers.
We’ve
been told that in Yisra’el there was a small area in Jerusalem for animals
to pass through called the ‘needle gate’. The camel could not enter Jerusalem
unless it first stooped down and had all of its’ baggage removed. The
story goes that after dark, when the main gates in Jerusalem were shut,
travellers or merchants would have to use this smaller gate, through which
the camel could only enter unencumbered and crawling on its knees! This
is a “great sermon material, with the parallels of coming to YHWH on our
knees without all our baggage. A lovely story and an excellent parable
for preaching but unfortunately unfounded! From at least the 15th century,
and possibly as early as the 9th but not earlier, this story has been
put forth, however, there is no evidence for such a gate, nor record of
reprimand of the architect who may have forgotten to make a gate big enough
for the camel and rider to pass through unhindered,” says one web site.
The often-quoted explanation of this idiom is unfounded.
Unfortunately,
the issue with the camel and the eye of the needle is not an idiom but
a bad translation. This ‘opens up a whole new can of worms,’ as a separate
issue of mistranslating the texts and the need to search for the truth.
What did Yahshua really mean? To find this answer let’s consider the teaching
of Rabbi Moshe Konichowsky and his study Bible.
The
Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition is correct as translating the
Master. "It is easier for a large rope to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the malchut of YHWH," Mark
10:25. Within the RSTNE, the study notes clarify this “gemala” can mean
rope, or camel and here in context it means rope." Again, with idioms
and phrases that look like idioms, we must "study to show yourself
approved."
As you can see from the idioms we have studied together and one bad translation,
we should not just settle for what we have always been taught. Idiomatic
expressions and the changes that occur when the Writings are taken out
of the Hebrew language can really mix up the truth. We should not gloss
over the confusing “contradictions” in the Scriptures. Nor should we mix
up the modern and the ancient. We need to learn, learn to study and learn
to live the Hebrew culture.
We
can explore more idioms on the graph of Hebrew idioms provided below.
As we do these actions, as we use a few more idioms, the Torah will go
from being as clear as mud to being as clear as day!
*for
more teachings from this author go to
www.emetministries.com
Below
is a sample graph of over 140 hidden Hebrew idioms compiled from various
sources. Use this guide as you study the Scriptures to find out what’s
hidden behind the idiom…
in
Book of
Scripture
Idiom
Meaning
Genesis, chapter 22
17: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the
sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
seed
descendants
Genesis, chapter 24
60: And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister,
be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess
the gate of those which hate them.
possess the gate
capture the city
Genesis, chapter 27
41: And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father
blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father
are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
said in his heart
thought to himself
Genesis, chapter 31
35: And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot
rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched,
but found not the images.
the custom of women
menstruation
Genesis, chapter 40
13: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore
thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand,
after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
lift up thine head
restore you to honor
Exodus, chapter 1
5: And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy
souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
came out of the loins
descendants
Exodus, chapter 3
8: And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto
a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites,
and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites,
and the Jebusites.
flowing with milk and honey
fertile, productive
Exodus, chapter 3
19: And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not
by a mighty hand.
a mighty hand
a strong force
Exodus, chapter 13
2: Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among
the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
openeth the womb
is born
Exodus, chapter 15
25: And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which
when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he
made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
the waters were made sweet
water was made fit to drink
Exodus, chapter 32
19: And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he
saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast
the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
anger waxed hot
became very angry, his anger increased, he became incensed with anger
Exodus, chapter 34
6: And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD
God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth,
longsuffering
patient, slow to get angry
Leviticus, chapter 20
18: And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall
uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered
the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among
their people.
her sickness
her period
Leviticus, chapter 22
6: The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and
shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
soul
person
Deuteronomy, chapter 5
6: I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
from the house of bondage.
house of bondage
(land of) slavery
Deuteronomy, chapter 8
14: Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which
brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
thine heart be lifted up
you become overwhelmed with pride
Deuteronomy, chapter 15
7: If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any
of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt
not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
shut thine hand
selfishly keep
Deuteronomy, chapter 20
8: And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall
say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and
return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his
heart.
heart faint
lose courage
Deuteronomy, chapter 21
17: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by
giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning
of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
the beginning of his strength
his first child
Deuteronomy, chapter 23
13: And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when
thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn
back and cover that which cometh from thee:
ease thyself abroad
defecate outside / along the way / 'en route'
Deuteronomy, chapter 23
13: And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when
thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn
back and cover that which cometh from thee:
that which cometh from thee
excrement
Deuteronomy, chapter 28
28: The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment
of heart:
astonishment of heart
blankness of mind,
Joshua, chapter 10
6: And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying,
Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save
us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains
are gathered together against us.
slack not thy hand
do not let go, do not abandon
Judges, chapter 3
28: And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered
your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him,
and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass
over.
delivered your enemies into your hand
defeated your enemies for you
Judges, chapter 13
5: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come
on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb:
and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
from the womb
from birth
1 Samuel, chapter 10
9: And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel,
God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
gave him another heart
changed his attitude
1 Samuel, chapter 24
3: And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul
went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides
of the cave.
cover his feet
relieve himself
1 Samuel, chapter 25
22: So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all
that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the
wall.
any that pisseth against the wall
any male, any men
2 Samuel, chapter 1
12: And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for
Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of
Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
the house of Israel
the nation of Israel
2 Samuel, chapter 18
25: And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he
be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
there is tidings in his mouth
he brings good news
1 Kings, chapter 2
10: So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
slept with his fathers
died
2 Kings, chapter 2
7: And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar
off: and they two stood by Jordan.
fifty men of the sons of the prophets
a group of 50 prophets
2 Kings, chapter 4
29: Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine
hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any
salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the
child.
gird up thy loins
get ready
2 Kings, chapter 19
26: Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed
and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green
herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be
grown up.
of small power
weak, of little strength
2 Chronicles, chapter 25
17: Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son
of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see
one another in the face.
see one another in the face
meet each other in battle
2 Chronicles, chapter 36
13: And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him
swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning
unto the LORD God of Israel.
stiffened his neck
became stubborn
Esther, chapter 1
Sorry, Dani'el… I cannot make sense of verse 7. Where is that "hand"?
7: And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse
one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state
of the king.
Open hand
generosity
Esther, chapter 1
14: And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres,
Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw
the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
saw the king's face
had access to him
Esther, chapter 2
21: In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's
chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth,
and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
lay hand on the king
assassinate
Esther, chapter 6
10: Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and
the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that
sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou has spoken.
let nothing fail
neglect
Book of Job, chapter 1
12: And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power;
only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the LORD.
put not forth thine hand
do not harm
Book of Job, chapter 20
20: Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save
of that which he desired.
feel quietness in his belly
greedy
Book of Job, chapter 23
16: For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:
my heart soft
me fearful
Book of Job, chapter 31
10: Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon
her.
bow down upon
have sex with
Book of Job, chapter 33
16: Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
openeth the ears
informs, reveals
Book of Job, chapter 35
8: Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may
profit the son of man.
the son of man
other humans
Psalms, chapter 3
7: Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies
upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
broken the teeth
make powerless
Psalms, chapter 4
1: Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged
me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
hast enlarged me
set free
Psalms, chapter 5
9: For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very
wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their
tongue.
their throat is an open sepulchre
they speak deceitfully
Psalms, chapter 6
7: Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all
mine enemies.
eye is consumed
vision is blurred
Psalms, chapter 7
3: O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
iniquity in my hands
guilty
Psalms, chapter 7
9: Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the
just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
the hearts and reins
thoughts and emotions
Psalms, chapter 10
5: His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his
sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
puffeth
scoffs
Psalms, chapter 11
6: Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible
tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
the portion of their cup
their destiny
Psalms, chapter 12
2: They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips
and with a double heart do they speak.
double heart
duplicity
Psalms, chapter 17
8: Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
apple of the eye
pupil
Psalms, chapter 24
4: He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up
his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
clean hands
pure actions
Psalms, chapter 25
1: Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
lift up my soul
pray
Psalms, chapter 27
8: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face,
LORD, will I seek.
seek ye my face
seek me
Psalms, chapter 33
18: Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them
that hope in his mercy;
the eye of YHWH is upon
YHWH watches over
Psalms, chapter 41
9: Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of
my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
lifted up his heel against
turned against
Psalms, chapter 73
9: They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh
through the earth.
tongue walketh through the earth
arrogantly order everyone
Psalms, chapter 75
5: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
Lift not up your horn on high
Do not defy Elohim
Psalms, chapter 89
13: Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right
hand.
right hand
might
Psalms, chapter 89
22: The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict
him
son of wickedness
wicked person
Psalms, chapter 90
12: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom
number our days
use our time wisely
Psalms, chapter 94
9: He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye,
shall he not see?
planted
created
Psalms, chapter 102
2: Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline
thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
hide thy face from
refuse to answer
Psalms, chapter 121
1: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
lift up eyes
look up toward
Psalms, chapter 124
3: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against
us:
swallowed us up
killed
Proverbs, chapter 17
22: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth
the bones.
drieth the bones
drains strength
Proverbs, chapter 18
20: A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and
with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
fruit of his mouth
his words
Proverbs, chapter 24
20: For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked
shall be put out.
the candle shall be put out
will die
Canticles, chapter 2
4: He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
his banner over me was love
he loved me very much
Canticles, chapter 2
17: Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved,
and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
until the day break
until dawn
Canticles, chapter 4
2: Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came
up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren
among them.
none is barren
none is missing
Isaiah, chapter 9
9: And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria,
that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
stoutness of heart
arrogant
Isaiah, chapter 14
12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how
art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
son of the morning!
morning star
Isaiah, chapter 35
10: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
joy upon their heads
they will be joyful
Isaiah, chapter 52
7: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good,
that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
feet
person
Isaiah, chapter 57
4: Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth,
and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed
of falsehood,
make ye a wide mouth
sneer
Isaiah, chapter 60
16: Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the
breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and
thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
suck the milk of the Gentiles
receive the wealth of other countries
Isaiah, chapter 61
3: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit
of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
the oil of joy
joy
Jeremiah, chapter 4
4: Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your
heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come
forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil
of your doings.
take away the foreskins of your heart
dedicate yourselves fully to Elohim
Jeremiah, chapter 4
19: My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh
a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul,
the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
My bowels, my bowels
pain
Jeremiah, chapter 4
30: And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest
thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold,
though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself
fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
seek thy life
want to kill you
Jeremiah, chapter 5
5: I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they
have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these
have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
broken the yoke
rejected Elohim's authority
Jeremiah, chapter 6
10: To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold,
their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word
of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
their ear is uncircumcised
they don't listen
Jeremiah, chapter 7
12: But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name
at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people
Israel
where I set my name at the first
where I chose to be worshiped
Jeremiah, chapter 9
1: Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that
I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
waters
spring of water
Jeremiah, chapter 25
15: For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of
this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee,
to drink it.
the wine cup of this fury
my anger
Jeremiah, chapter 50
33: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children
of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held
them fast; they refused to let them go.
the children
people of
Jeremiah, chapter 51
37: And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment,
and an hissing, without an inhabitant.
an hissing
a scorn
Lamentations, chapter 1
16: For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water,
because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children
are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
eye runneth down with water
eyes flow with tears
Ezekiel, chapter 3
7: But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not
hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
impudent
stubborn
Ezekiel, chapter 16
25: Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast
made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one
that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.
opened thy feet
offer self for sex
Ezekiel, chapter 16
26: Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours,
great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.
great of flesh
lustful
Malachi, chapter 1
11: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same
my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense
shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall
be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
my name
me
Malachi, chapter 2
12: The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the
scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering
unto the LORD of hosts.
the master and the scholar
every single person
Matthew, chapter 1
18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost.
she was found with child
was pregnant
Matthew, chapter 3
8: Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
bring forth fruits
produce results
Matthew, chapter 5
"17": Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. "18": For verily I
say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
to destroy the law, or the prophets
Correctly interpreted the law and prophets
Matthew, chapter 6
22: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light.
if thine eye be single
if you are generous
Matthew, chapter 6
23: But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that
darkness!
if thine eye be evil
if your are stingy
Matthew, chapter 8
12: But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
outer darkness
a place away from righteous
Matthew, chapter 10
27: What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear
in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
what ye hear in the ear
what you hear in secret
Matthew, chapter 10
38: And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy
of me.
he that taketh not his cross
does not follow Messiah’s Torah intreptation
Matthew, chapter 11
15: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear
Everyone should listen carefully
Matthew, chapter 22
16: And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying,
Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth,
neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of
men.
neither carest thou for any man
you do not judge on outward signs
Matthew, chapter 23
32: Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Finish what was started
Mark, chapter 1
32: And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that
were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
all that were diseased
Those who were sick
Mark, chapter 2
19: And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast,
while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom
with them, they cannot fast.
children of the bridechamber
Guests of the bridegoom
Mark, chapter 3
21: And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him:
for they said, He is beside himself.
his friends
His family
Mark, chapter 9
1: And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of
them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen
the kingdom of God come with power.
taste of death
die
Luke, in chapter 3
15: And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their
hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
To be into
To change into
Luke, in chapter 6
22: Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name
as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
cast out your name as evil
publish false information about you
Luke, in chapter 16
22: And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the
angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Abraham’s bossom
Be with Abraham, heaven
John, in chapter 1
16: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
grace for grace
Blessing after blessing, very blessed
John, in chapter 2
4: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour
is not yet come.
what have I to do with thee
What does that have to do with us?
John, in chapter 9
24: Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him,
Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
Give God the praise
To promise under oath to Elohim
John, in chapter 20
26: And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and
said, Peace be unto you.
Peace be unto you
Hello! Literally “shalom alechiem”
Acts 11: 22
22: Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which
was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far
as Antioch.
came unto the ears of the church
The people heard about it
Book of Acts, chapter 15
10: Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
put a yoke upon the neck
burden with obligations
Book of Acts, chapter 17
21: (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their
time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
spent their time
spending time
Book of Acts, chapter 18
6: And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment,
and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from
henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
Your blood be upon your own heads
You take the blame
Book of Acts, chapter 18
14: And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the
Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason
would that I should bear with you:
to open his mouth
to speak
Book of Acts, chapter 20
33: I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
silver, or gold
Money
Book of Acts, chapter 22
14: And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest
know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of
his mouth.
hear the voice of his mouth
hear him speak
Book of Acts, chapter 26
14: And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking
unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
kick against the pricks
hurt oneself by active resistance
Book of Acts, chapter 28
27: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.
ears are dull of hearing
be slow to understand
Book of Acts, chapter 28
27: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.
hear with their ears
listen intently
Romans, chapter 1
17: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
from faith to faith
from start to finish
Romans, chapter 12
9: Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave
to that which is good.
let love be without dissimulation
Love without hypocrisy
Romans, chapter 12
20: Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him
drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
heap coals of fire on his head
be very kind to
1 Corinthians, chapter 7
35: And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare
upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the
Lord without distraction.
cast a snare upon
restrict, control
1 Corinthians, chapter 14
9: So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood,
how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
speak into the air
talking with no one understanding
1 Corinthians, chapter 15
40: There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory
of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
celestial bodies
celestial objects
2 Corinthians, chapter 3
18: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by
the Spirit of the Lord.
from glory to glory
becoming more like YHWH
Ephesians, chapter 1
23: Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
fullness of him that filleth all in all
YHWH is everywhere, omnipresent
Colossians, chapter 1
23: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached
to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
under heaven
on earth
2 Thess., chapter 3
12: Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ,
that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
eat their own bread
work for a living
Hebrews, chapter 8
9: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the
day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord.
I took them by the hand
I guided them carefully
Hebrews, chapter 12
28: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
let us have grace
let us be thankful
James, chapter 1
23: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto
a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
his natural face
his natural face
James, chapter 3
6: And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among
our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the
course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
the course of nature
Cycle of life
1 Peter, chapter 1
13: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the
end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ;
gird up the loins of your mind
prepare your thoughts
Book of Jude, verse 13
13: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars,
to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
the blackness of darkness
gloomy sheol
Revelation, chapter 16
3: And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became
as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
living soul
living creature
Revelation, chapter 20
10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented
day and night for ever and ever.
lake of fire
place of destruction
compiled from various sources…
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