The Hand

Several body parts are descriptively used in the Scriptures, including the hand. I will portray several of its usages, each being a ‘childism’ (some phrase or term easily understood by a child).

1. The Hand that Won’t Reach

In Leviticus 5:7 and 5:11, Young’s Literal Translation has:

Leviticus 5:7 And if his hand reach not to the sufficiency of a lamb, then he hath brought in his guilt-offering—he who hath sinned—two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to Jehovah, one for a sin-offering, and one for a burnt-offering . . .

Leviticus 5:11 And if his hand reach not to two turtle-doves, or to two young pigeons, then he hath brought in his offering—he who hath sinned—a tenth of an ephah of flour for a sin-offering . . .

We would say either “He can’t afford it” or “He is unable to acquire or get it.” The viewpoint of a young child is that he can’t reach it.

2. The Hand that is Strong

The hand represents power to a child. Whatever she can do is often measured and done by her hand. The hand of a ‘grown-up’ seems very strong. Consider these texts:

Exodus 13:3 And Moshe saith unto the people, “Remember this day which ye have gone out from Egypt, from the house of slaves. For by strength of hand hath Yehovah brought you out from this…”

Exodus 13:14 “And it hath been, when thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, ‘What is this?’ that thou hast said unto him, ‘By strength of hand hath Yehovah brought us out from Egypt, from a house of slaves.’”

Exodus 13:16 “…and it hath been for a token on thy hand and for frontlets between thine eyes. For by strength of hand hath Jehovah brought us out of Egypt.”

The Bible has many similar texts and other uses of hand. Anything given into the hand of someone is placed in his power and for his use, as a child would assume. The English language has absorbed some of these expressions:

Genesis 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth [upon] the earth and upon all the fishes of the sea. Into your hand are they delivered.

Children are physical, and they usually express toughness with their hands, as does Hebrew:

Genesis 16:12 And he is a wild-ass man. His hand is against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

The hand is so important that it is used 1,710 times in the King James translation. If it were counted in the Hebrew, the number of times would be increased to more than 1,825 times.

Yehovah desires that one have clean hands. Even some unbelievers do:

Psalm 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of Yehovah? Or who shall stand in His holy place? 4He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully. 5He shall receive the blessing from Yehovah and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Israel is clay in the hands of Yehovah the Potter:

Jeremiah 18:6 “House of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?” saith Yehovah. “Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Children often love working with clay. While they might not understand the importance of clean hands, they can learn about this quickly. They also understand how the hands of a more powerful child or adult can overcome or frustrate them.

Yehovah’s use of these ‘Childisms’ makes the Bible understandable to children of all cultures in the world, as long as these expressions are not hidden by translators. For example,

2 Kings 19:26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power…

should be rendered,

2 Kings 19:26 And their inhabitants were short-ones of hand…

describing that they were shorthanded and could not reach their goal.

Were someone to produce a truly literal rendering of the Bible, children would be better equipped than adults to understand it! May your understanding of the texts increase to the perspectives of a child!

Jeremiah 18:6 “House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” saith Yehovah. “Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, House of Israel!”

Yehovah will perfect this pottery. Since Israel is in His hand, should Christians ignore Israel? Modern Christianity in nearly all circumstances either ignores Israel or accuses Israel, becoming participant with the Accuser of the Brethren! Does your church (congregation) care about this unfinished pottery, or does it concentrate on its own navel? If Salvation is of the Jews, should the Jews be ignored? Many religions are in this world. The ‘hand’ of every pastor and congregation is either for Israel or is against the Jews. Ignoring Israel’s importance is untrue to the Word of God, and is a stand against Israel. Listen carefully to sermons to see how important (or unimportant) Israel is, and see if the hand of your congregation is for or against Israel.

February 8, 2009July 5, 2017

The Eyes

Many texts make use of the word eyes, far more in Hebrew than in English. The following texts make use of eyes:

Genesis 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee.

Genesis 18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.

Genesis 23:11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

Genesis 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.

Examine these same texts from the Hebrew:

Genesis 16:6 And Avram said unto Sarai, “Behold thy slave-girl is in thine hand. Do to her the good in thine eyes.”

Genesis 18:3 And he said, “My lords, if, pray, I found favour in thine eyes, do not cross-over from upon thy servant.”

Genesis 23:11 “No, my lord, hearken to me. I gave the field to thee, and the cave that is in him. I gave her to thee. I gave her to thee to the eyes of the sons of my people, a sepulcher of thy dead-one.”

Genesis 31:35 And she said unto her papa, “He will not be heat in the eyes of my lord that I will not be able to arise from thy faces. For a way of women is to me.”

Children learn about eyes long before they can speak. They also communicate with their eyes. Observant parents and guardians can often tell what a child will do next by the child’s eyes. If something is ‘good in the eyes of the child,’ the child will express this or will go toward it. If it is bad, another expression will be forthcoming.

The ‘Old Testament’ uses some form of eye over 900 times. Many of these portray a ‘childism,’ as the above texts. Many adults have become insensitive to the eyes of others, and some in some cultures do not look straight into the eyes of others. Hiding and lowering one’s eyes can show humility. This is also a characteristic behaviour of shy children.

Yehovah’s eyes are very important in the Bible:

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of Yehovah.

Deuteronomy 13:18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of Yehovah thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Yehovah thy God.

1 Samuel 26:24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Yehovah, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

2 Chronicles 14:2 And Asa did good and right in the eyes of Yehovah his God.

Yehovah’s eyes are everywhere (omnivident):

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of Yehovah are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Yehovah’s eyes are always on the Land of Israel:

Deuteronomy 11:12 …a land that Yehovah thy God careth for. The eyes of Yehovah thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

Children naturally use and respond to eyes in the same way Biblical characters and usages do. If Yehovah’s eyes are always on the land of Israel, do the eyes of your church (its pastor) also focus on the centrality of Israel in the plan of God, or does he manage to overlook Israel, except to refer to Israel’s unbelief? Yehovah’s eyes see, and He remembers. I have seen the look of hatred when I have spoken of Israel’s importance to the Bible. Doesn’t it make sense to look where Yehovah looks?

February 4, 2009August 25, 2016

Psalm 004 with footnotes

Psalm 4

Literally Rendered with Footnotes

1. To the overcomer¹ via strummings.² A ballad³ to David.⁴

2. Answer/Humble⁵ me in my calling, Gods⁶ of my righteousness! Thou hast broadened⁷ to me in Tribulation.⁷ Favour me and hearken⁸-to my prayer.⁹

3. Sons of a man, unto what is my importance¹⁰ for calamity? ¹¹ Ye shall love emptiness! ¹² Ye shall seek a lie! ¹³ Cast-up! ¹⁴

4. And know ye that Yehovah has segregated¹⁵ a graced-one¹⁶ for Himself! Yehovah will hearken⁸ in my calling unto Him!

5. Shake-ye-with-anger! ¹⁷ And do not sin. Say¹⁸ ye in your heart¹⁹ upon your bed, and be ye silent! ²⁰ Cast-up! ²¹

6. Sacrifice-ye sacrifices²² of righteousness. And trust ye unto²³ Yehovah.²⁴

7. Many are saying, “Who will show us good?” Ensign²⁵ upon us a light of Thy faces, Yehovah.

8. Thou gave happiness in my heart. They²⁶ have increased from the time of their grain and their new-wine.²⁷

9. I will both lie down and I have slept²⁸ in peace. For Thou, Yehovah, alone shall make me dwell securely! ²⁹

NOTE: Some footnote topics cover numerous texts. They have been recorded, and will be copied into documents discussing those topics. If you see footnote repetition from one text to another, this will explain why.

¹ The root of overcomer according to Gesenius’ lexicon means to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring; to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief. The noun form has the following acceptations (according to Gesenius): eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness; endurance in time, perpetual, continual, unto the end. Biblical usage, however, directed me toward overcomer, one who is victorious and who endures. This has connected with numerous other texts throughout the Bible.

² Guitars? I chose guitars since the Hebrew word indicated strummed instruments. Many stringed, strummed instruments can fit this description, so if you protest this choice, consider the options. The timing of the text will determine instrumental availability and existence.

³ A ballad is a story in song that tells of a person’s acts. While ballads can be mythical, Biblical ballads are never mythical, giving infallible information in their stories. Biblical ballads are nearly always future events, recorded as if they have already occurred.

⁴ David literally means beloved, but comes from a root supposedly meaning to boil. It is more like a lover, showing intense passion (not necessarily bad if the relationship is appropriate).

⁵ The same Hebrew word that means answer also means humble (both verbs). Context normally distinguishes between two definitions of words that are spelled the same way, but I have found numerous texts using this word in which I cannot distinguish; they are both equally true! Yehovah designed the language, and He sovereignly made sure those two words were that closely linked. Thus, I now frequently render that Hebrew word with ‘answer/humble’ so that the reader can see this.

⁶ Elohim means gods. When Elohim refers to Yehovah, it is describing Him as being all the true Gods there are. He is God of the mountains, God of the heavens, God of the seas, God of fruitfulness, God of justice, etc. The word is still plural, but normally demands a singular verb. When Elohim refers to false gods, it can also take a singular verb (when those referring to elohim are speaking of their gods), but often takes plural verb forms.

⁷ Broadened and Tribulation have a common concept. Tribulation has the flavour of a tight squeeze: being put into a bind. Broadening, on the other hand, has the opposite flavour. This is the provision of an escape so that the bind and tight squeeze are (at least temporarily) stopped. The Hebrew word for broadway or boulevard is the noun form of this word.

⁸ Hearken is not the same as hear; it also includes doing. The Hebrew uses a verb form of ear, also, which is more akin to hearing.

⁹ Prayer (of this type) comes from a root verb meaning to intervene, interpose, pray, to mediate, judge, to intercede. The main flavour can be described this way: rolling out details in order to properly determine what is appropriate. The Bible has several different words describing different types of prayer. This is the most common.

¹⁰ Glory means weight or importance. Its use is exactly like the English idiom, “Man, that’s heavy!” used by Hippies, and showing that something was important.

¹¹ The Hebrew word is cleemah. I quickly saw the sound-relationship between cleemah and calamity. I thus render this as calamity.

¹² Emptiness (Hebrew, reek) is one of several descriptions of an idol!

¹³ Lie is almost always singular in the Bible. The Bible seems to refer to one lie in particular. We researched this lie, and determined (to our satisfaction) that it referred to the original lie: that man, by knowing good and evil, can be as Elohim (Gods). Determine this for yourself.

¹⁴ Selah literally means cast-up, referring to mounting road base up for highway building. Highways are built higher than the surrounding lands so that they will not easily be washed out during heavy rains. Readers have usually not considered the importance of highways in the End Times (a great mistake!). Yehovah will conduct many back to Mount Zion, routing them over highways He has prepared. Selah texts (highway texts) give vital information to returners so that they can survive on the way.

¹⁵ Segregation is not always evil. Yehovah segregates for the purpose of service. He segregated Israel from the other races so that Israel can serve the other races, bringing His Word and His Truth to them by means of teachings in the form of show-and-tell.

¹⁶ Grace is a fervent, ardent zeal by which one is actuated. Defined a little simpler, grace is a very strong, burning zeal (conviction and drive to do something) by which one is motivated to take action regarding anything. That action can be on behalf of someone or something, or it can be against someone or something. It is like a mother who is both protecting her baby from an attacker (grace toward her baby) and is attacking the attacker at the same time (grace against the attacker). Many have rightly heard that Salvation is by grace (though few know what this means), but very few know that damnation is by the very same grace! Yehovah’s fervency and zeal is against those who spurn the price He paid in His grace, and who spurn His grace.

You must determine who this graced-one is.

¹⁷ Shake-with-anger is all in this word! It indicates a strong trembling, but also indicates a very strong anger.

¹⁸ The command, Say, is present, but the text does not indicate what to say.

¹⁹ Your is plural, while heart is singular (the same is true for your and bed). Folks involved will have a single heart. The heart is usually the mind in the Bible, though it can also be the center of something.

²⁰ The Hebrew word dōm seems directly related to the English word dumb (silent); I consider their definitions the same.

²¹ Footnote 14 describes about Selah. Being silent is a vital, life-saving command! What is occurring?

²² With some exceptions, sacrifices include blood being shed. (Some sacrifices are of grains and breads.) When a command to sacrifice occurs, the reader can know that the price is very high.

²³ Unto shows direction toward the target. Trusting in Yehovah is not the same as trusting unto Yehovah. In shows that the persons are already settled regarding Yehovah. Unto shows that the persons are not necessarily initially settled that way.

²⁴ Yehovah is a contraction (abbreviation) of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb, to be:

He will be, He is, He was

Yēhēyĕh+Hōvĕh+Häyäh

Take just the bold letters (if your program allows you to see bold), and you will have

Yĕhōväh

which is the correct pronunciation of His Name, and which means He will be, is, was. This also defines part of His Character (changelessness) and existence status (He always was, is and always will be).

²⁵ I constructed the verb ensign because I could not find another way to show the act of constructing and demonstrating a sign. Signify would not give the right flavour. A sign is nearly always miraculous, and if it isn’t miraculous it is so unlikely that its probability is nearly zero.

²⁶ See if you can identify the objects of this and all pronouns.

²⁷ New wine is always potently alcoholic. It has a sharp flavour, whereas aged wine is much smoother. It is never non-alcoholic grape juice.

²⁸ The second verb (slept) is past-tense because it shows result. In the Hebrew language, when a past-tense action follows a future-tense act, it is because it will certainly follow once the future act is done. For example, one might say in English, “I will go to the store, and I will pick up some bread.” Biblical Hebrew would word it, “I will go to the store, and I have picked up some bread.” This construction shows certainty that the past-tense action will follow the future-tense action.

²⁹ Be sure to establish the timing of this entire Psalm.

February 4, 2009August 25, 2016

Psalm 002 with footnotes

Psalm 2

Literally Rendered with Footnotes

1. Why have races¹ raged? ² And folks³ will meditate⁴ emptiness! ⁵

2. Kings of land⁶ shall position⁷ themselves. And rulers⁸ ‘secreted’ ⁹ unified concerning Yehovah¹⁰ and concerning His Messiah:¹¹

3. “We shall break their bonds! ¹² And we have slung their ropes¹³ from us!”

4. Sitter¹⁴ in the heavens shall laugh! ¹⁵ My Lords⁴⁶ shall deride¹⁶ at them!

5. Then He shall speak unto them via His nose.^{17 or 18} And He will terrify them via His heat! ^{17 or 18}

6. “And I—I ¹⁹ poured²⁰ my king upon Zion the mountain of my holy-[One]!” ²¹

7. “I will scroll ²² unto a statute of Yehovah. He said unto me, ‘Thou art My son! I, today, I begat Thee! ²³

8. Ask from me, and I will give races, thine inheritance,²⁴ and disappearings²⁵ of land, thy possession! ²⁶

9. Thou wilt shepherd²⁷ them with a rod of iron. Thou wilt shatter them like vessels²⁸ of the potter!’” ²⁹

10. “And now, kings, be prudent!³⁰ Be ye corrected,³¹ judges³² of land! ³³

11. Serve³⁴ ye Yehovah via³⁵ fear! ³⁶ And circle-dance³⁷ ye with trembling! ³⁸

12. Kiss-ye [the] Son³⁹ lest He will be infuriated, and ye have damned a way! ⁴⁰ For His nose¹⁷ will burn⁴¹ as a little!” ⁴²

Happy⁴³ are all refugees⁴⁴ in Him! ⁴⁵

Regarding the accuracy of these conclusions: Were I gifted by the Spirit of Yehovah to do this work, it would be infallible, as was the case for all ministerially gifted persons in the Bible. No true prophet of God ever erred while prophesying. No true teacher of God ever taught any erroneous teaching. The standards of God have not changed, and the Spirit of God hasn’t weakened over the centuries. Since I am not gifted, my conclusions contain numerous errors, and must be considered and challenged if you (the reader) will not be deceived. I know some answers are correct, but I will have to change some answers as I learn more and as folks like you show me that my proposed answers need changing. If you don’t like this factor of uncertainty, ask Yehovah to give me a ministerial gift along these lines in His Word so that I can give infallible responses. If He does so, you will then be responsible to believe whatever He communicates through me. In the meantime, don’t be a sucker.

Regarding Hebrew words: If you see what appears to be computer nonsense when a Hebrew word is being discussed, your computer does not have the font to view it. If you desire to see the same article with the Hebrew word being visible and correct, let me know; I will send you a PDF form of the same document. (You will need an Adobe Acrobat reader to see it, which is freely available from the Adobe web site.)

¹ A race is a large group of individuals who are all the offspring of the same ancestral mother and father. The Hebrew word h¨, goy, only means race or nation (a nation is a race, and is always a race in the Bible; never a country). The term gentile is another way translators render goy. They are then expressing the meaning, an individual of another race besides Israel. I don’t fully disagree with this definition, but it actually means a race, and should always be viewed that way. One more way translators translated goy was heathen. They reserved this rendering for texts in which the heathen was doing an idolatrous (or some other evil) practice. I am always against the rendering heathen because it carries with it an editorial that the word itself does not carry.

² This shows a tumult, a chaotic, angry or frightened crowd.

³ I rendered this word folks to indicate cultural groups. The lexicographers seem to have a difficult time distinguishing this word from the regular word for people, peoples. I gained the impression that it referred to cultural groups, and found folks (as in folk art) was close to its meaning.

⁴ A meditation is usually a deep, relaxed thought. It is sometimes pictured by rumination in ruminants (like sheep and cattle) that chew, swallow, then bring up what they swallow into another stomach area to again ingest more. One who Biblically meditates on the Word of God thinks carefully about it literally, desiring to understand its implications and connections.

In other texts, however, it is a deep thought that precedes and accompanies a plot.

⁵ Terms of emptiness and vanity always refer to idolatry in the Bible (unless a container is being discussed). Idols are even called the vanity of the races. Any plot against Yehovah is considered an emptiness since it is an idolatrous plot that will never go anywhere.

⁶ This Hebrew word means land. Translators often rendered it earth as if it referred to the whole planet, but it only means land. It can refer to all the land (above the water) on the earth, or it can refer to a particular land. It usually refers to Israel when it is not modified.

⁷ This act of positioning has to do with taking a stand (literally), setting oneself in a place, determined to hold that position.

⁸ Rulers means bosses, leaders (like clan leaders), warlords.

⁹ I have coined a verb from the word secret. (One may already exist.) This indicates getting together in secret to plan secret plans.

¹⁰ Yehovah is a contraction (abbreviation) of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb, to be:

He will be, He is, He was

Yēhēyĕh+Hōvĕh+Häyäh

Take just the bold letters (if your program allows you to see bold), and you will have

Yĕhōväh

¹¹ Messiah is a transliteration (making a word in one language that sounds similar to the word in another language) of Meshiakh, the Hebrew being 8jh!A7n. It literally means one anointed, referring to the act in which a prophet pours olive oil (in large amounts) over the head of someone to designate that that person has been chosen and empowered to do a task (whether good or bad). It is drawn from what some shepherds do with their sheep, using oil to keep bugs and problems from the sheep’s ears and face so that the sheep can graze with little distraction. Yehovah’s Messiah is the One Yehovah anointed to be and do very specific salvational and redemptive functions, as well as rule His People Israel.

¹² Bonds come from a verb with the following acceptations: to chasten, admonish, to instruct, to discipline.Thus, these bonds are moral in nature, and they restrain from sin, violence, immorality, etc.

¹³ Ropes comes from a verb meaning to wind, weave, weave together. These folks feel tied!

¹⁴ You might carefully consider Psalm 110:1 in light of this text.

¹⁵ While related to the name Isaac, it isn’t spelled exactly the same. The lexicographer showed these acceptations: to laugh (usually in contempt or derision), play, mock, to sport. I don’t think this will be funny!

¹⁶ This word has the following acceptations: to mock, deride, ridicule. These are strong reactions from the Living God!

¹⁷ The nose is most often used to describe great anger. It is often combined with a word having the following root meaning: to be hot with vexation, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled, be incensed. The heat of the nose is a ‘childism’ (a word or expression that a child can understand more easily than an adult), since a child held close can feel the heat of an adult’s nose. This also pictures an angry bull on a cool day, with the heat of its nose being one of the major symptoms of its anger. The English expression, “He has his nose out of joint” at least brings the nose into the picture, and “Man, is he hot!” combines heat with anger. Yehovah’s anger is shown through His nose. No fire-breathing dragon can match!

¹⁸ This word has the following root meaning: to be hot with vexation, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled, be incensed. It is combined with the nose to describe great anger. The heat of the nose is a ‘childism’ (a word or expression that a child can understand more easily than an adult), since a child held close can feel the heat of an adult’s nose. This also pictures an angry bull on a cool day, with the heat of its nose being one of the major symptoms of its anger. The English expression, “He has his nose out of joint” at least brings the nose into the picture, and “Man, is he hot!” combines heat with anger. Yehovah’s anger is shown through His nose. Even Leviathan’s fury doesn’t match this!

¹⁹ Past- and future-tense verbs have built-in pronouns. I note when a pronoun is supplied in addition to the built-in pronoun by placing the two same pronouns. Thus doubling is a great emphasizer (that translators just ignored).

²⁰ This word has the following lexicographic acceptations: to pour out (as a libation), pour, offer, cast (metal images); to anoint. The last acceptation isn’t right, since another word (Mashakh) means to anoint.

This text gives a picture as if Yehovah is making an idol: He is metal casting His image on Mount Zion—the difference being that His image is truly a Living God! It also gives another picture: He is pouring a libation (a sacrifice that is in the form of a liquid, usually referring to a wine sacrifice) on Mount Zion!

²¹ (Technical Explanation) Translators ignored the Hebrew construction of a noun followed by an adjective with a connected pronominal ending, choosing to render it as if it were a noun with a pronominal ending followed by an adjective. This ignores Biblical Hebrew grammar rules. The adjective that has a pronominal ending becomes a nominal adjective (an adjective that behaves as a noun). An English example of this is the adjective green. “The grass was green.” Yet it can become as a noun: “They golfed on the green.” I maintain that the two following examples greatly differ:

His Holy mountain

Mountain of His Holy-[one]

The first describes who owns the holy mountain. The second shows that the holy one that he owns in turn owns the mountain.

I do not know why translators have traditionally ignored the Hebrew grammar. I refuse to ignore what I see in the Hebrew. I believe that the Word of God (in the original manuscripts) is infallible. Why should I ignore anything?

²² The Hebrew word sefer is normally translated book. Yet it always refers to a scroll. The verb root has the following lexicographic acceptations: to accurately count, recount, relate, to number, take account of, reckon, rehearse, declare. This is the purpose of a written document.

A scroll differs from a book in a vital way. A book is bound in such a way that the pages can be easily turned, and several pages can be viewed together. A page can also be removed and/or lost without being obviously missing. A scroll, on the other hand, has pages tied one to another, a page to only two neighbours at the most. Pages distant from each other cannot be easily accessed. If a page is missing, the scroll falls into two segments. The scroll’s intent is to be read through consecutively, while a book may be spot-read in various places (possibly ignoring contexts). While the scroll is far less ‘handy’ for many types of study, it is far more excellent presenting data in a continuous manner. Even modern computers using scrolling.

²³ Do not assume that you know to what this refers! Make sure you know by an appropriate cross-reference.

²⁴ Try this to obtain the sense: “I will give races to thee for thy inheritance.”

²⁵ The Hebrew word x3p#t, ephess, has the following lexicographic acceptations: to cease, break, come to an end, finality. It is not the same as cease in Shabbat, however. It is more like a Hebrew word for zero. When combined with eretz, land, it indicates those places where the land stops and waters begin. I rendered it disappearings to show this and to distinguish it from the more commonly used edges or ends of the land (a different word).

²⁶ Possession is a ‘childism’, a word that is more easily understood by a child than by an adult. It literally means a grasping. I left possession in place because that is a right understanding of the word.

²⁷ While some translations use break for this word, claiming the Hebrew root to be eer, I noted the following textual citation:

Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father.

Thus, I determined that the correct root is her meaning to pasture, tend, graze, feed, to shepherd. Curiously, the first acceptation for the Greek word cited in Revelation 2:27 for rule means to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep! Thus, the Greek needs to be likewise adjusted!

²⁸ I used Revelation 2:27 to determine that vessels should be plural. The Hebrew spelling of the construct case (a technical and frequently used Hebrew form that always assumes an of between that word and the next noun) allows for both the singular and the plural, and the context would have to determine which is in view.

²⁹ (Exactly why will He shatter them in this manner? Think!)

³⁰ This Hebrew word has the following lexicographic acceptations: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper, to look at or upon, have insight, to give attention to, consider, ponder, have comprehension. A person who is prudent is very considerate and diligent, carefully determining the best possible course of action or inaction.

³¹ This Hebrew word has the following lexicographic acceptations: to be chastened, admonished; to be instructed, disciplined. I used corrected because it takes from all the acceptations.

³² A judge is one who renders a decision based on presented evidence. A judge who has the Spirit of Yehovah is one who renders a right decision based on Truth (which includes all the facts).

These judges are secular (and/or idolatrous). Yehovah is giving them warning.

³³ This Hebrew word means land. Translators often rendered it earth as if it referred to the whole planet, but it only means land. It can refer to all the land (above the water) on the earth, or it can refer to a particular land. It usually refers to Israel when it is not modified.

Judges of land (or, judges of a land) refer to land judges. Yehovah is a heavens Judge!

³⁴ Service and slavery are hardly distinguishable in the Bible. While slavery always has an evil connotation in English, it does not automatically carry with it that connotation in Hebrew. Everyone is a slave: some to sin, others to righteousness, but all are slaves. Some were slaves to other human masters, and some were over slaves, but all in the Bible have masters. Thus, servant and slave cannot be easily distinguished in the Bible (if at all).

³⁵ I often use via in translations for the Hebrew prefix c (the letter beit). Normally, this prefix supposedly means in, into, with, through. It often shows the means of something occurring if it isn’t showing location (in, into, with). While through can show the means, it can also reflect piercing (which is changing location from the outside to the inside). The Latin/English word via best declares by means of, and this is a very useful and appropriate rendering for many cases of the prefix c (the letter beit).

Serving Yehovah in fear and serving Him with fear are not as strong as serving Him by means of fear.

³⁶ Fear (as of God) in the Bible never means ‘reverential awe’ since this is far too weak a definition. It is a very strong emotional and ethical response against bringing wrath against oneself by displeasing another, along with a knowledge of what terrible things that other can do,and is often combined with a very strong emotional and ethical desire to please another if that other is good, along with a knowledge of the good things that other can do. The proper fear of Yehovah always prods a person to refuse to sin, and to do good works.

³⁷ Acceptations of the word lyg (geel) or lwg (gool) supposedly include to rejoice, exult, be glad, to tremble (from fear). I disagree. I maintain that the root actually is llg, galal, meaning to roll, roll away, roll down, roll together, and in this form meaning to roll-dance or to circle-dance. I especially found this connection in the famous modern Hebrew song, “Hava, Nagilla” meaning “Come-on! We will circle-dance!” with nagilla being (I propose) from the root above.

Circle-dancing is a group expression of joy.

³⁸ This form of trembling is very strong.

³⁹ The is added. The Hebrew word r8c, bar, is an alternative word for son (the normal word being i3c, ben) made famous in the expression, bar mitzvah, ‘son of the commandment’. Since Son did not have the before it, a specific Son is in mind. (Otherwise, it would read, “Kiss a son.”)

⁴⁰ Damned a way makes no sense in English. The Hebrew word for damn has the following acceptations: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed, be exterminated, to blot out, do away with. Since another word rightly covers blot out, I have chosen another acceptation that combines perish with do away with. This is to damn. This word goes beyond execution, having to do with the everlasting state of destruction for some, and the total destruction for objects. Perish doesn’t quite have the force of this word.

While this way is not defined or described, it is often mentioned in the Bible. Folks who destroy this way for themselves will be damned. (The way itself cannot be destroyed or damned.)

⁴¹ This burning is truly a fire-type burning. He is far more frightening and deadly than any fire-breathing dragon (mythical), or even than Leviathan (real)!

⁴² This burning as a little is small compared to the great burning of the Lake of Fire and Sulfur!

⁴³ Happy gives the sense of this word more than blessed, since blessed is covered with a much more frequently used different word. While some find fault with the origins of the word happy, it is a good word, describing one who is content, settled and pleased.

⁴⁴ This word means to seek refuge, to flee for protection.

⁴⁵ Why in the world would refugees in Him be happy? If you understand this, you understand much. (Don’t spiritualize.)

February 3, 2009July 5, 2017

Matthew 1 Literally Rendered

(See Accompanying Matthew 1 Questions and Proposed Answers on this site.)

¹Scroll of the generation of Yeshua, anointed son of David, son of Avraham. ²Avraham childed Isaac, and Isaac childed Jacob. And Jacob childed Judah and his brethren. ³And Judah childed Pharez and Zerah of Tamar. And Pharez childed Hezron. And Hezron childed Ram. ⁴And Ram childed Aminadav. And Aminadab childed Nahshon. And Nahshon childed Salmon. ⁵And Salmon childed Boaz of Rakhav. And Boaz childed Obed of Ruth. And Obed childed Jesse. ⁶And Jesse childed David the king. And David the king childed Solomon of her of Uriah. ⁷And Solomon childed Rehoboam. And Rehoboam childed Abijah. And Abijah childed Asa. ⁸And Asa childed Jehoshaphat. And Jehoshaphat childed Jehoram. And Jehoram childed Uzziah. ⁹And Uzziah childed Jotham. And Jotham childed Akhaz. And Akhaz childed Hezekiah. ¹⁰And Hezekiah childed Manasseh. And Manasseh childed Amon. And Amon childed Josiah. ¹¹And Josiah childed Jeconiah/Jehoiachin and his brethren about the time they were carried away to Babylon. ¹²And after the carrying away of Babylon Jeconiah/Jehoiachin childed Shealtiel. And Shealtiel childed Zerubbabel. ¹³And Zerubbabel childed Abihud. And Abihud childed Eliakim. And Eliakim childed Hazor. ¹⁴ And Hazor childed Zadok. And Zadok childed Joiakim/Jehoiakim. And Joiakim/Jehoiakim childed Elihud.¹⁵And Elihud childed Eleazar. And Eleazar childed Mattan. And Mattan childed Jacob. ¹⁶And Jacob childed Joseph the husband of Miriam of whom was born Yeshua who is called Messiah. ¹⁷So all the generations from Avraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David until the carrying away of Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the carrying away of Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

¹⁸Now the birth of the Anointed Salvation was thus. For His mother Miriam, having been betrothed to Joseph, was found to be with child from the Spirit of the Holy-[One] before they came together. ¹⁹But Joseph her husband secretly purposed to put her away, being righteous and not willing to expose her publicly. ²⁰And when he had pondered these things, behold an angel of Yehovah appeared to him in a dream saying, “Yoseph ben David! Fear not to take to Miriam thy wife! For what is in her is holy, is begotten of the Spirit! ²¹And she shall bring forth a son. And thou shalt call His Name Salvation. For He shall save His people from their sins!” ²²Now this all came to pass that what was spoken by Yehovah through the prophet will be fulfilled, saying, ²³ “Behold the pregnant virgin! And she shall child a son. And they shall call His Name Immanuel,” which being interpreted is God-With-Us. ²⁴And having been aroused from sleep, Joseph did as the angel of Yehovah had ordered him and took his wife. ²⁵And he knew her not until she brought forth her son—the firstborn. And he called His Name Salvation [Yeshua].

February 3, 2009August 24, 2016

Matthew 1 Questions and Proposed Answers

Matthew 1

Questions and Proposed Answers

(See Accompanying Matthew 1 Literally Rendered on this site.)

Note: This document has not been finely edited. It is written during studies. Please expect to find errors in spelling, words missing, etc. If you use the document and desire to participate in editing it, please do so. I will need the number-letter address along with a partical quote of the error, and what you know or think it should say. Please send it to james842@eeweems.com.

1. a) Why is all of Matthew called the “Scroll of the generation of Messiah Yeshua…”? The entire scroll spoke of the historic generation in which Yeshua lived, but also spoke of the future generation that will believe on Him.

1. b) How long is a generation? The Bible doesn’t give an exact length to a generation. One generation lasted 40 years: that generation that came out of Egyptian bondage only to be killed off in the wilderness due to unbelief, disobedience and blatant rebellion against Yehovah’s commands. Another generation mentioned in the Bible lasts 100 years:

Genesis 15:13 And He said unto Avram, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs, and shall serve them. And they shall afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴And I will also judge that nation whom they shall serve. And shall they come out afterward with great substance. ¹⁵And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace. Thou shalt be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶But they shall come hither again in the fourth generation. For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

This text associates 400 years with a fourth generation, thus making an average of 100 years per generation.

1. c) What is the advantage of a scroll over a book? A scroll in which a page has been removed will show the evidence by the scroll falling into two, whereas a book can have a page torn out without the reader knowing it is missing for a long time. Even computers scroll through their pages, showing continuity. Thus, the most modern of equipment uses scroll descriptions and design.

1. d) What does Yeshua mean? This name means Salvation.

1. e) What does anointed mean? It means selected for a particular assignment, including any empowerment needed to carry out that assignment (often accompanied by the pouring of olive oil over a person’s head, signifying the stopping of bugs and other things that would inhibit a person, like a sheep, from concentrating on the appointed task). Only God or a prophet has the power to anoint.

1. f) For what purpose was Yeshua an anointed son of David? He was anointed to fulfill the Scriptures. He was anointed to:

Be the sacrifice for sin
Live according to the Teaching of Yehovah in a perfect manner
Bring the announcement of the Kingdom of God/Heaven to the Israelis
To be the Salvation of His people Israel
To instruct regarding the End Times
To bring every aspect of the Word of God to them that He brought

It is imperative that a reader know that Messiah had to be of specifically David’s lineage because of the promise Yehovah made.

1. g) When was Yeshua anointed?

Luke 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And the same man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Yehovah’s Messiah.

Yeshua was already the Messiah, therefore anointed, at eight days old. Thus, His anointing must precede His birth.

1. h) Why did He have to be the son of David? This was the proper lineage for the Messiah. He could not be of the tribe of Levi. The Levites will never produce the Messiah. Messiah is from a different priestly line (that of Melchizedek). David’s lineage is the kingly lineage, and thus it makes sense for King Messiah to be born in that lineage.

1. i) What is the significance of His being a son of Abraham? The promises went through Avraham. One of those promises was specifically to the seed, a reference to the Messiah (Galatians 3:16).

1. j) Define David: This word means lover, but is a different root from the normal word for love. It is a term that shows a particular type of affection that is far more sexual in its implications automatically than the other word ahavah that is used for love. Thus, the term dodi (directly related to David) is used in Song of Solomon over and over again: my lover.

1. k) What does Avraham mean? It means father of a crowd.

2. a) Verse 2 has a very curious detail: “Jacob childed Judah and his brethren.” Judah was not the firstborn. Why mention Judah instead of Reuben the firstborn? Verse 3 gives the answer, since this lineage will not be concerned with any other son of Jacob except Judah. This is the lineage through Judah.

2. b) What does Isaac mean? It means he will laugh.

2. c) What does Jacob mean? It means he will heel(pull). It also implies coming afterward, but not in time as much as in position. The word for heel in Hebrew is also the word showing the furthest back position. Thus, it is used as an adverb to describe something occurring afterward.

2. d) What does Judah mean? It means he confessed Yehovah.

3. a) What does Pharez mean? It means he breached.

3. b) What does Zerah mean? It means Sunrise.

3. c) What does Tamar mean? It means palm tree.

3. d) What does Hezron mean? It means either courtyard or trumpet-blast.

3. e) What does Ram mean? It means elevated.

4. a) What does Aminadav mean? It means my people is generous.

4. b) What does Nahshon mean? It means enchantment.

4. c) What does Salmon mean? It means garmented.

5. a) What does Boaz mean? It means in strength.

5. b) What does Rakhav mean? It means broad.

5. c) What does Obed mean? It means server.

5. d) What does Ruth mean? It means abundantly watered (with a good drink).

5. e) What does Jesse mean? It means he will exist.

6. a) What does Solomon mean? It means her peace.

6. b) What does Uriah mean? It means light of Yah.

7. a) What does Rehoboam mean? It means he broadened a people.

7. b) What does Avijah mean? It means my Father is Yah.

7. c) What does Asa mean? It means I will measure.

8. a) What does Jehoshaphat mean? It means Yehovah judged.

8. b) What does Jehoram mean? It means Yehovah elevated.

8. c) What does Uzziah mean? It means strength of Yah.

9. a) What does Jotham mean? It means Yehovah is perfect.

9. b) What does Akhaz mean? It means he grasped.

9. c) What does Hezekiah mean? It means Yehovah strengthened/will strengthen.

10. a) What does Manasseh mean? It means Forgetter.

10. b) What does Amon mean? It means Faith.

10. c) What does Josiah mean? It means Yah will do.

11. a) What does Jeconiah/Jehoiachin mean? It means Yah will foundation.

12. a) What does Shealtiel mean? It means I asked a mighty [one].

12. b) What does Zerubbabel mean? It means He scattered confusion.

13. a) What does Abihud mean? It means My father is majesty.

13. b) What does Eliakim mean? It means a mighty-one shall make-stand.

13. c) What does Hazor mean? It means helped.

14. a) What does Zadok mean? It means justified.

14. b) What does Joiakim/Jehoiakim mean? It means Yehovah will make-stand.

14. c) What does Elihud mean? It means My mighty-one is majesty.

15. a) What does Eleazar mean? It means Mighty [one] helped.

15. b) What does Mattan mean? It means gift.

15. c) What does Jacob mean? It means He will heel(pull).

16. a) What does Joseph mean? It means He will gather.

16. b) What does Miriam mean? It means Myrrh of the sea.

16. c) If we propose to add together all the meanings of the names given above, and if we rearrange them just a little so that adjectives are in the right order and articles (a, the) are supplied, what type of a statement is forthcoming? We propose that it will be prophetic. The following is what we derived by the above means:

Lover of Father of a crowd will laugh. He will heel(pull). He confessed Yehovah. He breached a Sunrise. Palm tree Elevated a trumpet blast. My people is generous, enchantment garmented in broad strength. A server abundantly watered (with a good drink). Lover of her peace will exist, the Light of Yah. My Father Yah broadened a people I will measure. Yehovah judged! Yehovah elevated! The Strength of Yah Yehovah is perfect. Yehovah grasped; He strengthened [and] will strengthen a forgetter of Faith. Yah will do! Yah will foundation! I asked a mighty [one]; He scattered confusion. My father is majesty! A mighty-one shall make-stand a Helped [and] Justified [one]. Yehovah will make-stand! My mighty-one is majesty. Mighty [one] helped, a gift. He will heel(pull)! Salvation will gather Myrrh of the sea.

16. d) If the above is correct, what does this mean about the process of naming children in this lineage? What took place? Yehovah is sovereign, including over the naming process. If these names together are also the Word of God (through their meanings), Yehovah made sure that all names were given exactly as He determined. That means that some names may never be used for another human again. All the parents had other children (if more than one child was born), but only those listed are important if prophecy is implanted in these names.

16. e) Are all the names mentioned the names of firstborn? No. Some will be, because the lineage of kings is among them.

If these names were meant to make a sentence that speaks of the End Times and Yeshua, this would be why some of these names were chosen instead of another sibling’s name. A number of the folks in this lineage were unrighteous, and a few were slime. Yet their names are what is important to the lineage if the names form a paragraph.

16. f) What is the difference between adding all the names together to form a supposed paragraph and skipping every other letter in order to obtain a new writing that is secret, the technique of numerologists? The differences include the following:

Connecting Names	Skipping Letters
This uses names that are part of open infallible Scripture.	This is an occult (hidden) technique that has no open example.
This employs definitions that usually can be found.	This assumes that all scrolls have the same Hebrew letters, which they don’t.
This is concentrating on the text.	This is distracting from the text to find occult messages.
This assumes that texts are literal.	This assumes that messages are hidden; from whom are they hidden?

16. g) Why is Joseph mentioned in this lineage when he had nothing to do with Yeshua’s birth? Why even have a lineage of Joseph when he is a non-participant? The Bible is never meant to be read and understood in a piecemeal fashion when the other parts are available. (If they are not available, the pieces that are available may be read in this fashion, for Yehovah can supply what is missing. If they are available, however, there is no reason for Yehovah to supply what isn’t missing; He doesn’t reward laziness.) Since Luke gives the genealogy of Miriam, the reader can see where the two lineages departed from each other, and can see that both Miriam and Joseph were from David. But Joseph was from a lineage with a curse, while Miriam is from a lineage without a curse. One king in Joseph’s lineage did such a wrong that Yehovah pronounced a curse on that line. Thus, the careful reader will know that the lineage of Joseph was included fully to substantiate that there is no way that Joseph could have fathered the Messiah.

Jeremiah 36:30 Therefore thus saith Yehovah of Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

From verse 14, Jehoiakim is given a specific curse: he will never have anyone to sit upon the throne of David. (This did not mean that this lineage was excluded from being greatly blessed in all other ways.) If Messiah had come through him, Messiah could not have sat on David’s throne.

16. h) Why does the text explain that Yeshua was called Messiah instead of indicating that He was and is the Messiah? The Bible usually leaves conclusions up to readers rather than telling them what to believe. This is the tenor of the entire Bible. It gives Truth in a way that a reader can easily twist it into error. It also gives Truth in a way that one who desires to know will find it presented in a most candid way.

16. i) What does Messiah mean? It means anointed. Thus, this text indicates that Yeshua is called anointed.

16. j) For what purpose was He anointed? This text states that He is anointed by using the word Messiah. He was anointed to be the sacrifice for sin. Yet this is a death issue. For what was He anointed while He lived? He was anointed to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and to do many miracles.

16. ?) What is the purpose of anointing? It is not for the purpose of equipping. If it were, everyone anointed while functioning in the anointing would do right. Some are anointed to positions in which they will do violence. One king was anointed to slaughter Israelis. He was a wicked and cruel man. Anointing is not necessarily for good. Anointing is an assignment. The anointing, therefore, guarantees that a person will succeed in doing a task or series of tasks (if the person lives). Anyone who lays a hand on one anointed by Yehovah in such a way that it would stop the person from that assignment (whether good or bad) is challenging Yehovah. If a person does violence against one who is anointed without knowing that the person was anointed, that is still a violation. One man put King Saul out of his misery. He then came to David to give him the crown that King Saul wore, telling what he had done. David paid him well with a sword in his gut for his trouble. He should have known that King Saul was anointed by Yehovah. This is also why Yehovah makes sure to have anointings eventually be publicized.

An anointing is not a calling. The callings of Yehovah are always for good and for benefit (even if one is killing Palestinians). An anointing is an assignment, especially to a position. What one does in that position can greatly vary.

The only persons who are legitimately able to anoint are prophets and God. Anyone who anoints is claiming to be a prophet. Thus, if the person isn’t really a prophet, the person is a false prophet, and that is a lethal profession. The one anointing is absolutely claiming to speak for God. This includes folks who anoint for healing.

16. k) When was Yeshua anointed? The anointing was official when John baptized him.

16. l) What is the normal tool of anointing? Olive oil being poured over one’s head (in large quantities) is the normal tool; baptism is not. Yet this is when the Spirit of Yehovah came on Him to start His ministry.

16. m) Who usually anoints (in the Bible)? Only a prophet or Yehovah can anoint, since the anointing is accompanied by infallible information and an assignment of a position from God. Anyone claiming the right and power of anointing is also necessarily claiming infallibility in that anointing. The person is also claiming to prophesy, whether the person understands that or not.

I know of no seminary that refrains from anointing their graduates to the ministry.

Modern ordination is exactly the same as anointing. A person or a group is declaring that another is ordained by God to a work.

16. n) If a person, then, anoints another without being called of God to do that (with a calling that meets Biblical requirements), is that person blaspheming? Yes.

16. o) If a person anoints another with oil, then prays for the person’s recovery (not claiming that the God will heal the person), is that blasphemy? No; it is just stupid and can eventually lead that person to blaspheme.

If they pray over the person while anointing the person with oil, and their prayer is a request, they combining error with a prayer as if that error will aid the prayer in being answered. They think they are following the command in the Book of Jacob (James):

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

This text has a target (the Israelis) and a timing. It has guarantees. Folks who do not consider these things are playing.

17. a) What does this verse indicate about the definition of a Biblical generation? This verse shows that generations hang on particular families and ranks in their areas. Thus, Yehovah viewed these generations as three times 14, or 42 generations, regardless of the many other birthings and deaths that occurred at the very same time. Yehovah sees a generation in terms of one ruling or important culture and family, not in terms of death to death and birth to birth. Therefore, the term “World War II generation” is correct in Biblical terms. Three other texts speak of one thousand generations from the giving of the Covenant to Avraham to the end of the planet. Therefore Yehovah must have 1,000 specific generations in mind regardless of what is occurring in other cultures in the world. These generations must pertain to Israel, to Avraham’s offspring, the David’s lineage, and indeed to David’s lineage! These generations are attached to a particular administration. They move quickly because they depend on one person each. Other generations can outlive five or six births and deaths of fathers to sons. The Greek word genea, genea does not carry the same meaning as the Hebrew word rwd, dor. The Greek word indicates genesis, beginnings, while the Hebrew word indicates periods, ages. The three texts refer to the Hebrew generations, and we will not be able to tell how long that is until it has occurred unless Yehovah gives more information.

17. b) Why did Yehovah divide the 42 generations into threes with the first three being specifically from Avraham to David, the second three being from David to the carrying away of Babylon, and the third being from the carrying away of Babylon to Messiah? Doesn’t this mean that the last of the first two sets also is the first of the last two sets, making it two less than 42? The ending of the first two sets took place during the administration of the last generation. Thus, David both oversaw the ending of the 14th generation AND oversaw the first of the 15th generation. The same is true of the Babylonian exile; it ended one generation, and it also began a new generation. Thus, it is mentioned twice. These divisions are because (I propose) Israel was not important as a world power before King David’s time. Israel became a true world power during King David’s administration, and was a major force in the Middle East until the Babylonian captivity. Then Israel resumed being a minor force in the world with very few exceptions. (We are living during a curious exception.)

18. a) What is so important about giving the details of Yeshua’s birth?

This is necessary to show regarding the virgin birthing a child while she is still in her virginity.
This shows the responses of the various folks involved.
This shows how Yehovah communicates and does when His plan is being directly activated.
This shows how others not directly involved responded to Yeshua’s birth.
This shows the controversies over His birth.
These details demonstrate prophetic fulfillment (in a few cases).

18. b) Does this verse claim that Yeshua was indeed anointed? Yes! It is part of the text.

18. c) What does betrothed mean? It does not mean promised, and it does not mean engaged. It means that they are fully husband and wife, but they have not sexually consummated the marriage. The only way to break a betrothal is through a divorce.

18. d) What type of ceremony occurred at a betrothal? The ceremony wasn’t at the betrothal. The betrothal instead was a covenant or an agreement of some type akin to the purchase of a house or the selling of a mule. The folks who make this betrothal agreement can be parents or can be the adults themselves who are about to be betrothed. Many factors can determine who does what. Kings would sometimes use diplomats to become betrothed.

18. e) Who participated in the betrothal agreement between Miriam and Joseph? The text does not say. It only states, “having been betrothed” as if Miriam was either not the one doing the betrothal or that she was already betrothed to him at the time indicated in this verse.

18. f) How old were Miriam and Joseph at the time of this betrothal? The text doesn’t say. Assuming an age for them will lead to error, not truth.

18. g) Who found Miriam to be pregnant? We can’t tell who was the first to determine that she was pregnant. She did not tell anyone that she was pregnant; she hid the information in her heart. There is no indication that she discussed this with Joseph. He was clueless regarding what was occurring.

18. f) This verse states that she was found pregnant from the Spirit of the Holy One. Who would have known that the source of the child was Yehovah’s Spirit? This isn’t referring to what humans determined, but instead what Yehovah and the angels knew. No human except Miriam knew. And Miriam found herself pregnant. She had been told that she would become pregnant, but she didn’t know when. Luke 1 explains, and does not include a timing for the pregnancy nor even that she knew when the conception occurred. She only knew that it would occur.

18. g) What is significant if she was found to be pregnant before they came together? She would know that the testimony of the angel was true; she would certainly know if Joseph and she had had sexual intercourse. Readers who believe the text would also know that no sexual act of a man took place before the pregnancy.

18. h) Could Miriam and Joseph participate in sexual intercourse after she was found pregnant? The issue is not whether they could have done that; it is instead that they didn’t:

Matthew 1:25 And he knew her not until she brought forth her son—the firstborn.

19. a) What was Joseph planning to do (described as putting her away)? He was planning to divorce her. She was pregnant; she had not stated how that came about; he would not be able to trust her.

19. b) Could he have suspected that Messiah’s being born of a virgin might have been fulfilled in Miriam? Wouldn’t Joseph, a spiritual man, have thought that Miriam could have been the bearer of the Messiah? Joseph’s spirituality was of a nature to not presume or assume without evidence. He would know that Yehovah could do as Yehovah desired, but that didn’t mean that he would give a pregnant woman that means of escaping her participation even in the plan of God without some type of evidence or proof.

19. c) Would Joseph have known Miriam very well, or would they have been betrothed without knowing each other? Had parents arranged the marriage, they would have known each other in most cases (unless the marriage was for power or wealth). Parents normally knew each other before ‘selling’ their children together. I have found no indication of parental participation in the betrothal of Joseph and Miriam. My impression is that Joseph was older. His reaction to her pregnancy doesn’t sound like a 20-year-old.

19. d) What is the difference between the two following statements?

“Joseph her husband secretly purposed to put her away”

“Joseph her husband purposed to put her away secretly”

In the first statement, he was planning in secret: Miriam would not know. In the second statement, he was going to put her away in a manner that others would not find out he had done that in order to save her from shame.

19. e) Which of the above is correct? The first is correct: “Joseph her husband secretly purposed to put her away” as if he would not tell her until he did it. Yet the rest of the verse shows that his intention was to not publicly expose her.

19. f) What does his being righteous have to do with his unwillingness to expose her publicly?

Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a woman and married her, and it come to pass that she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he shall write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. ²And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s.

If Joseph had ruined her reputation, he would have drastically cut the possibility of her becoming another man’s (wife). He was going to do according to the Torah, and not taint her in the process. Joseph had no proof that she had been whoring around. All he knew was that she was pregnant, and had not explained to him how that had come about. For all he knew, she might have been raped.

19. g) How did Joseph know that Miriam was pregnant? Was she showing? Yes, she was showing, but that may not be the full explanation. Thanks to Kristen, I add the following thoughts: In Luke 1, Miriam goes to see Elizabeth. In verse 1:43 Elizabeth seems to be speaking in the present tense when she says, “the mother of my Lord should come to me” as though Miriam is already with child. Miriam stays with Elizabeth about 3 months according to Luke 1:56. At the time of her return, if Miriam is with child, she could be showing entering possibly her 4th month. Word of mouth about Elizabeth’s exclamation could have gotten to others and then to Joseph. I know the text does not tell specifically. (Thank you, Kristen, for that correction.)

19. h) Did folks gossip about them after they did come together? Absolutely. That was a scourge that they both faced. Some knew that the child was from Yehovah; most didn’t. A prophet and a prophetess both publicly spoke of His being the promised one, the Messiah. Anyone challenging them would be calling them false prophets. Thus, there was a split in Israel over Yeshua’s legitimacy.

20. a) What was he pondering? He was pondering about her pregnancy and how to divorce her without publicly exposing her. He also would have been pondering the hurt and heartbreak that he was experiencing.

20. b) Why did the angel of Yehovah wait to appear to him at this last moment, thus increasing Joseph’s suffering? The question is flawed. The angel didn’t wait; Yehovah didn’t dispatch the angel until this time. Therefore, the question must be address to Yehovah’s timing. Why did Yehovah wait? Yehovah often waits. This is how Joseph’s character is shown. Joseph’s character was right and righteous up to the very point at which he was going to act. This character aspect was exposed to all readers of the Bible.

20. c) Why did the angel appear to Joseph in a dream instead of in person? Joseph did not need a personal appearance to believe what he was told. That dream was enough for Joseph, showing Joseph’s character. Others might have insisted on or needed a personal appearance.

20. d) How can an angel appear in a dream? If Yehovah has sent an angel to a person to appear in a dream, Yehovah will give that angel interactivity in that dream. Yehovah is sovereign over dreams.

20. e) Why did the angel refer to Joseph as “Yoseph ben David,” or “Joseph son of David” when Yoseph’s father was another Jacob (verse 16 above)? Joseph was in the direct lineage of King David. Yet this had nothing to do with Yeshua, since Yeshua did not come from Joseph. Still, the angel recognized that Yeshua’s caretaker was as much from King David’s lineage as Yeshua’s mother, though through separate lines. This connection with the righteous King David was a very good way to refer to Joseph.

20. f) The next statement (“Fear not to take to Miriam thy wife”) implies that Joseph may have feared to take Miriam his wife. Is this true? If so, explain. Because the angel had complete information, the reader can rightly assume that Joseph did fear to take her as his wife. (They were already married!)

20. g) Why did Joseph fear to take his wife Miriam? I will propose some ideas why he feared:

Joseph knew that her reputation in this community was ruined; her living there would be torture.
Joseph’s own reputation could easily be ruined such that his business would be greatly diminished because he had taken a tarnished woman in spite of her being tarnished.
Joseph had not heard the true events from Miriam; she had not said a word. How could Joseph deal well with a woman who could experience something as important as a pregnancy, yet not speak to him about it? How could he participate in her happiness when he had no idea of the events that led to it?
How would Joseph know whether she would be faithful to him if she could become pregnant by some other means even while they were married (and they were already married!)?

20. h) Explain the wording of “What is in her is holy”: The baby is the object of the pronoun what. This is no insult, but was a normal expression. Since the child was described as holy, the child was owned. The angel didn’t specify the owner, but the sender of the angel sent to let Joseph know that that child was owned, implying Yehovah as the Owner.

20. i) What does “what is in her is begotten of the Spirit” mean? This directly links Yeshua to the Spirit of Yehovah. Thus, anyone who challenges Yeshua’s station is challenging the Spirit of Yehovah, according to this text.

21. a) Who was assigned to call the child’s name Salvation? (Who is thou?) The first pointer is to Joseph. He has been given an assignment, and thus he is now involved. Then, this text is prophetic, for all Israel will call His Name Salvation.

21. b) Whom will He save, according to this verse? He will save His people from their sins. His people refers to the People of Israel, and no other group.

21. c) What is a people? It is a group of individuals with a common culture. A nation on the other hand is exactly the same as a race. The United States is not a nation in the Biblical sense, but the Cherokee is a nation in the Bible sense. The United States is an empire in the Biblical sense (regardless of its form of government) since an empire encompasses numerous races and peoples.

21. d) What event is this when He will save His people from their sins? The provision is in the crucifixion. The event is during the Tribulation, since this refers to the entire people.

21. e) How will He do this? He is the sacrifice and the substitute. Numerous texts describe this event. Some even tell how. For one thing, He will call, and they will answer. His Goodness will draw them to repentance—His Goodness, and not the terrible things going on.

21. f) If this is the case, why didn’t this happen long ago? The Israelis will not be ready for this until the time of the Tribulation. A strange set of events will make them ready, but they will not be made ready by Tribulation itself. If they were, they would be ready by the middle of the Tribulation. Instead, they will be ready by some time in the 7th year. Apart from this, I don’t know what means Yehovah will use. It won’t be a case of His sovereignly overruling their hearts. That would eliminate faith.

Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of His Goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the Goodness of God leads thee to repentance?

21. g) What will be the effect of his (the people’s) being saved from the sins of the Israelis? The effect will be that the Israelis will become free of sin, and will stay free of sin.

22. a) Look at the wording: “Now this all came to pass that what was spoken by Yehovah through the prophet will be fulfilled.” What is this statement communicating? The first part of the statement is: “Now this all came to pass.” This describes a historical event. This event occurred, but it occurred for a reason that had nothing to do with the event itself. The text continues, “that what was spoken by the Yehovah through the prophet;” this is a reference to a historical prophecy, telling that these things had already been declared. The last part of the statement is what is so curious, for it states, “that what was spoken by Yehovah through the prophet will be fulfilled” in the future. It has not yet occurred, and will not occur until the End Times. Most all of what was spoken by the prophet has yet to be fulfilled.

23. a) If the above answer is correct, what in verse 23 has yet to be fulfilled? The meaning of the name Immanuel declares a future event, since the Mighty One of Israel is not yet among the Israelis in person. They cannot declare, “God is with us!” and be right. He may show His hand on their behalf, but abiding with them awaits a future time.

The command, “Behold the pregnant virgin!” has never been obeyed. When Israel finally beholds the pregnant virgin, Israel will see Israel’s Son. That will be when they believe.

The item that hasn’t been fulfilled is this: “they shall call His Name Immanuel,” the Israelis believing that He is indeed God with them.

23. b) What is the difference between the statement, “Behold the pregnant virgin” and “A virgin shall conceive”? One difference is that the first refers to the present tense, while the second declares what will occur. Another difference is this: The first declares the pregnancy of a virgin, something that cannot normally happen. The second declares that a virgin shall or will conceive, something that happens every day. It isn’t worded right. Virgins can easily conceive, though their virginity has been removed by the sexual act that leads to conception. In other words, the normal wording easily leads to doubt regarding the possibility of the miraculous aspect.

24. a) Who aroused Joseph from sleep? It appears that either the angel or the dream aroused him. (If it were a farm animal, the text didn’t say.)

24. b) Does this verse indicate some form of speed on the part of Joseph? It seems to indicate this. If this were not the case, the arousal from sleep would have been superfluous information.

24. c) How often is a man ordered to take his own wife in the Bible? I can think of no instance.

24. d) What does this wording show about the legal relationship between Joseph and Miriam? It shows that they were already legally married; the word wife is found in the Greek (or woman, if you prefer).

24. e) What did the taking of a wife (or woman) involve? The taking involves a living quarters that is in common. Once they are living under the same roof, the woman has been taken. She was already married to him.

25. a) Did he ever know her? Yes. They had children. (Some do not believe this; they figure she remained a virgin, and in their eyes, maintained purity. This ignores at least one text describing Yeshua as having a brother.)

Galatians 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

25. b) Did Joseph obey the angel of Yehovah? Yes; he called the child’s name Salvation (Yeshua).

25. c) Did Miriam ever directly explain to Joseph what had occurred? We don’t know.