‘Childisms’ in the Bible

Yehovah designed The Torah, the first six books of the Bible, for children. Yet many adults have found some of these books difficult. I am continuing a series of articles on the ‘childisms’ of the Torah and Tenach (‘Old Testament’). You may desire to collect these articles, since they will define and describe some very important Hebrew words and expressions.

 

Rising

The same Hebrew word that means stand means to rise or arise. This word is the opposite of the word meaning to fall.

A very young child senses height in a way different from adults. Anything on the child’s level is approachable, and anything above the child is either distant or higher in rank. This same concept continues into adulthood with raised platforms, podiums, sitting positions, etc., but young children demonstrate it to a very open degree.

If a young child desires to be lifted, raised from the floor or from a bed or chair, the child rises in more than just a physical way; it is an increase in rank. Yehovah used this in Biblical Hebrew to portray a rise in rank. For examples,

Exodus 1:8 There arose up a new king over Egypt who didn’t know Joseph.

Judges 2:10 And there arose another generation after them that didn’t know Yehovah nor yet the works that He had done for Israel.

Judges 10:1 And after Abimelech there arose Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, to defend Israel.

The relationship between physical height and rank is used throughout the Bible. It is an easy concept for young children to understand. It is a concept that will be used in one very important judgment:

Psalm 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand [same as arise] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.