1

Introduction Shortly after my mission for the LDS Church (I returned in mid-August 1972), I began having a problem with sleeping at night. I had insomnia. That may not be unusual for some people, but it was for me. I had a clear conscience, and was doing what I thought was right before God and my fellow man. Yet, as I would lie down at night, I could not sleep. I had many things pass through my mind on those sleepless nights. Among those things that came to my mind was that I should consider going into the US military. Now, to me this seemed a strange idea. It was during the time of the Vietnam War and I had a brother serving in the Army, who strongly discouraged my considering military service. Further, no where in my patriarchal blessing had it indicated or hinted at doing such a thing. And, I considered those blessings a guide and director for my life. I soon gave up that idea and moved onto other things to woo or ease my restless spirit. I finally hit upon the idea of going to California and try to bring the Gospel to my Dad‟s younger sister. So, I dropped out of school, quit my job, etc. and went to Yuba City, near Marysville, north of Sacramento. My aunt and her husband accepted me into their home. It soon became apparent that although they were glad to have me as a relative, that I was infringing on their lifestyle. I did not know what to do or where to turn. I prayed about my situation and decided to go back to school at the local community college. That was in January of 1973. I also became very active in various callings in the Church. In March my bishop called me into his office. He inquired as to my career plans. I expressed to him an interest in becoming a teacher, preferably as a Seminary or Institute teacher for the Church. He then said that I had been on his mind for over three weeks. He said that he had felt that the Lord wanted me to go into the Service and he felt that this was like a calling from the Lord. He wanted me to seriously consider it. I began speaking to recruiters from the various military services. Soon however, I had a „wake up‟ call in my life. I went home one day in April and I had a note on my bed that told me that I had two weeks to get out of the house. They didn‟t care where I went or what I did, but that I needed to leave (with no explanation as to why). I suspected that my strong convictions as a newly returned missionary for the Church had much to do with their decision to have me leave. I didn‟t even have a job, much less money to get a place to stay. Yet, I applied my faith and prayers. I found a job the day before I was to be out of their home and with an advance on my first check, I got a place to stay in a rundown furnished apartment. Whatever I had been thinking about before this, soon fled my mind, as I focused on providing the basic necessities of life. About a month or so passed away and my insomnia returned. I had entirely forgotten my previous experience, as well as, the good counsel that my bishop had given me. I felt my life was in such a complete mess, that I gave none of those things a thought. I

2

kept having this gnawing feeling that there was something I was forgetting or that there was something I was supposed to do, but I didn‟t know what it was. One afternoon I called the director of the LDS Institute at the local college, brother Lowell Tingey. Brother Tingey was also serving as a councilor in the stake presidency. He and I had worked together at the institute, where I had served as the president of the LDS Student Association. He came over and invited me to go for a ride in his car. I told him my situation and about my insomnia. I didn‟t mention the things the bishop had said, for that had completely fled my thoughts and memory at that point. Then, he spoke and gave me counsel. He said “Brother White, I feel impressed to encourage you to go into the military service. Yes, I realize that there is a war on, but that is what I feel.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, I was reminded of the counsel from my good bishop, etc. Previously, I had spoken to the Marines, the Army, and the Air Force recruiters and I was nonplussed with their responses to my inquiries about enlisting. So, this time I decided to speak to the Navy people. I took a series of tests and a physical exam and soon found myself in Basic Training in San Diego, California. Shortly thereafter I was scheduled to have an interview about getting a security clearance, which was required for one of the career fields for which I was being selected (Air Traffic Controller). While I was awaiting my interview, I spoke to a fellow from my same training company about what career field he was pursuing. He said that he was going to be a linguist and travel around the world, etc. The things he said greatly interested me. During my interview with the officer, I expressed an interest in this field and the officer said that he would set me up for a Foreign Language Aptitude Test (FLAT). Because of noise and interruptions, I did not complete the test and didn‟t expect much to come of it. However, when the results came back I found out that I had successfully passed the exam. When I received my orders in late September, I was directed to report to Washington D.C. to learn HE. I had no idea what any of this meant or what language this code indicated. So, I asked. I was being sent to the Foreign Service Institute to learn modern Hebrew. Wow, was I excited. In my high school days I had studied Latin and Spanish, but who would have thought that a Mormon boy from Arizona would get to learn Hebrew, and at government expense? When I arrived there it was a few weeks until the course started. When it did, I found that all of my teachers were native Israelis and all of them Jews. I was soon introduced to the language, culture, and religion of this fascinating people who have survived the trials and adversities of thousands of years. It was an incredible experience, which opened my eyes to a much greater understanding of the Gospel and the Holy Scriptures. This paper is about Hebrew and perhaps through my writings, you can have a greater appreciation for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This paper is not

3

intended in any way to be a reflection upon the Church and its teachings, nor is it intended to be complete. When we read the scriptures from our modern western perspective, the original meanings of the words within the text are lost to us. Perhaps by writing this paper, I can help someone else gain an insight or understanding that was not there before. Our Heavenly Father gave the original language and its alphabet to Adam and Eve, our First Parents; who in turn passed it on to their children. In doing so, God also provided a means to teach the Gospel to His children. Father also provided that His children should keep a written record, so that His people could keep His commandments. The people were able to preserve a record of God‟s commandments and dealings with them, in their written records. (I Nephi 4:14 – 16) It is because of the sacred record that has been passed down to us, that we in the Last Days are blessed to look forward to the Coming of the Son of Man in great glory. And, for those who have eyes to see, in the alphabet itself, you will see deep or sacred meanings to things that are taught in Holy places.

Related scriptures:

(Pearl of Great Price)

Moses Chapter 6:

5 And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of

Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of

inspiration;

6 And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was

pure and undefiled.

46 For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given

by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.

Moses Chapter 7

13 And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies

came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled,

and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were

turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and

all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power

of the language which God had given him.

The Book of Mormon

Ether Chapter 1

4

34 And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of

the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound

us that we may not understand our words.

35 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had

compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared

and his brother were not confounded.

36 Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will

turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.

37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had

compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.

Ether Chapter 3

22 And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up,

that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be

read.

23 And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with

the things which ye shall write.

24 For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will

cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things

which ye shall write.

Old Testament – Zephaniah, Chapter 3

9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name

of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

The scriptures indicate that before the flood there was only one language spoken among men. When God organized the earth into existence he used a language. When he spoke to man he used the same language. When the first man Adam gave the animals their names he used the same language, which he had learned from God. Adam spoke in this language to his wife Eve (Chava – the „ch‟ is pronounced with a hard „kh‟ sound as in the name of the composer Bach) and taught it to his children. His children then taught it to their children and down through the generations until the time of the Tower of Babel, at which time God came down and caused a confusion of their tongues or languages.

It is interesting to note that the Tower of Babel occurred around 3,000 BC, about the same time that the Sumerian and Egyptian cultures arose. The Hebrews, Sumerians and Egyptians all used a similar style of pictographic writing. Is it

5

possible that all or many of these pictographs come from the original Adamic language prior to the Tower of Babel?

ALPHABET

22 Letters, No Vowels

The Hebrew language is comprised of 22 letters, five of which are known as double or mother letters, as they have two distinct written forms: when beginning a word and when placed at its ending. These letters are Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pey, and Tzadi. Also Hebrew is written from right to left, the opposite of English. The right hand was considered the hand of authority. It was also used in handshakes for completion of an agreement. The left hand was used for the basal functions of the human body. For example, the name Benjamin means “Son of the right hand, or son of righteousness.” Yemen, in the southwest corner of Arabia, comes from this same word, meaning the home of the righteous.

Let us look at the "aleph", the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, to see the evolution from ancient Hebrew to our own modern English alphabet.

Approximately 3,000 BC, the original Hebrew picture (paleo-Hebrew) for this letter was the head of an ox. Between 2,000 and 1,000 BC, the picture was simplified. The Greeks adopted the Hebrew alphabet around 800 to 600 BC for their own use, but reversed the picture and the Hebrew aleph became the Greek alpha. Between 600 and 200 BC the Greek alphabet evolved into what is very close to the modern Greek alphabet. The Romans then adopted the Greek alphabet sometimes with a few changes of their own. The English alphabet uses the Latin (Roman) alphabet.

Let us look at the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the „Bet‟, which follows a very similar progression.

Both the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian language writing systems have a very similar picture of the Ox's head and the house.

6

NUMBERS

The ancient cultures did not have a separate numbering system as we do today, but instead used their alphabet to double as their numbering system. The (Israeli) Jews still use this same system today. The aleph represented number 1. Sometime between 1500 and 1000 BCE the Babylonian culture adopted the Hebrew alphabet for their Aramaic language. Over the next couple of hundred years the aleph began to take a little different shape. Around 200 BC the aleph transformed to a letter, which became our number one.

Let us look at the second letter of Hebrew alphabet, the „Bet‟ as it would have appeared around 3,000 BC, which then follows a very similar progression and became our number two.

The following is a chart containing both the ancient and modern Hebrew characters or letters and their meanings.

7

Ancient Name

Ancient Hebrew

Ancient Sound

Literal Meaning or

Picture Meaning

Modern Name

Modern Hebrew

Modern Sound

Al

A Ox head Strength, Power, Leader, Priesthood, first

Aleph א A

Bet B, Bh Tent floor plan

Family, House, In, into, man’s first home

Beit ב B, V

Gam G Foot Gather, Walk, to go forth, to have faith, to lift up

Gimel ג G

Dal D Door

Move, Hang, Entrance, a covering or protection, to conceal that which is Holy or sacred

Dalet ד D

Hey H, E Man with arms raised

Look, Reveal, window, Breath (of life/Spirit of God), hands upraised in prayer in thanksgiving to God, revelation

Hey ה Soft H

Waw W, O, U Tent peg Add to, Secure, Hook, nail, peg

Vav ו V, O, U

Zan Z Mattock Cut, cut off, to plow and prepare

Zayin ז Z

Khets Hh Tent wall, fence, hedge

outside, separate, divide, (other) Half , Eve – mother of all living, private

Chet ח KH

Thet Th basket, a snake

Surround, Contain, Mud. All things in one great whole, ring/circle

Tet ט T

Yad Y, I Arm and closed hand

Work, Throw, Worship, Arm extended with hand in cupping shape, to make, a square

Yod י Y

Kaph K, Kh Open palm

bend, open, allow, tame, receive, hand open in cupping shape, to receive, to cover

Kaf כ K, Kh

Lam L shepherd’s staff

Yoke, To, To bind together, to connect or seal, to combine or join, tongue

Lamed ל L

Mem M Water Chaos, Mighty, Blood, Messiah, Water of Life

Mem מ M

Nun N Seed, movement

Continue, Heir, Son, Serpent, activity, life

Nun נ N

Sin S Thorn Grab, Hate, Protect, A Samech ס S

8

reminder that the trials of life are meant to teach, not merely to punish.

Ghan Gh Eye

See, Watch, Know, experience, God knows or sees all things, All Seeing Eye of God

Ayin ע Silent, glottal stop

Pey P, Ph Mouth blow, scatter, edge, speak to God, be open, word, lip

Pey פ P, Ph

Tsad Ts Man on his side, fish hook

wait (upon the Lord), chase, catch, to conform (or bow down) to the bounds that the Lord has set, to be righteous, harvest, desire

Tsadi צ Ts or Tz

Quph Q Sun on the horizon

Condense, Circle, Time, behind, last, (notice sun stones on temples)

Quph ק Q

Rosh R Head of a man

first, top, beginning, leader, highest

Resh ר R

Shin Sh Two front teeth

sharp, eat, destroy, gnashing of teeth

Shin ש Sh, S

Taw T Crossed sticks

mark, monument, covenant, sign (of the cross/serpent on pole), token

Tav ת T

9

Ancient Hebrew Root Word Study

God

Picture/Hebrew letter: The head of a bull or oxen

Culture: A nomad had within his herds and flocks, many types of animal livestock -

sheep, goats, camels, donkeys and cattle. Of all these animals, the bull was the strongest

and most powerful. To harness this strength, a yoke would be attached to the bull and a

load such as a wagon or plow could be attached to the yoke.

Meaning: A strong and powerful one

Pronunciation: "A" (as in "father")

Additional comment: Represents the beginning or creation of all things, the power of

God, the Holy Priesthood.

Picture: A Shepherd‟s Staff or crook

Culture: The staff was used to direct a sheep toward the correct direction, or the curved

end could be used to pull the sheep toward him. At times it was also used to chastise a

disobedient sheep. With the staff in his hand, the shepherd would lead his sheep to

pastures, water and the fold in the evening. Anciently kings used a staff as a token of

their power or authority to rule and reign. (A side comment – a shepherd is NOT a

sheepherder. One leads and calls, the other follows and gathers).

Meaning: Authority, power

Pronunciation: "L"

Additional comment: Means to connect, to bind together (to seal on earth and in

Heaven.)

10

Picture, Hebrew Letter: Strong Authority (or God)

Culture: Two bulls were often yoked together (a staff on the

shoulder) in order to pull a load such as a wagon or a plow. An older,

more experienced bull (leader in authority) would be teamed up

(yoked) with a younger, less experienced bull in order to lead the

younger and teach him.

Meaning: a powerful one, which leads. An alternative meaning, to connect Heaven and

Earth, to bind or seal on Earth and in Heaven.

Pronunciation: "AYL"

Additional Comments: "AL" can also apply to the great power and authority, which

created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 14.22), the one we call "God". A Hebrew saw

the creator of heaven and earth as an "AL" because the creator was the ultimate in power

and strength.

The ancient Hebrew also saw himself as the younger (the son of God) less experienced

bull that is yoked to "AL" (God) in order to learn how to walk just as He does. Hebrews

usually used qualifying descriptions when referring to "AL" the almighty God such as;

"AL (pronounced AYL) the Most High, The Creator of heaven and earth." (Gen 14.22),

"the great AL, mighty and awesome" (Deu 10.17). Qualifiers are also used when

referring to other gods such as "foreign AL" (Ps 81.9).

11

The Tent

The tent was divided into two parts. The main

section, behind the tent door, is the men's

section. The other (more private and sacred)

section is the women‟s section, with a wall

dividing the two parts. The only person allowed

into the women‟s section, is the father of the tent

(or little boys). Notice the similarity to the

Pictographic Hebrew letter "beyt" - . The

word "beit" is not only the name of a letter, but

is also a common Hebrew word meaning,

"home" or “room.” This letter is a representation

of the floor plan of the tent, or the "home" of the nomadic Hebrew shepherds.

The entrance to the tent was covered by a curtain, which hung down from the top of

the entrance. The Hebrew word "dal" means to "hang down" and is the root for the

word "dalet" meaning "door". This word "dalet" is also the name of another Hebrew

letter - , a representation of the tent door. The door of the tent is the most

important part of the tent, not because of its appearance, but its function as the

entrance into the tent. "He [Abraham] was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the

day grew hot" (Genesis 18:1). The door of the tent also served as a covering of the

sacred inwards parts of the home.

The door of the tent may also be equated with the throne of a king. In the Hebrew

culture, the father of the family is the "king", the one who holds full authority over

the family. The father will often sit at his tent door much like a king will sit on a

throne. All family legal matters were performed at the tent door. Here he watched

over his household as well as watch over his flock and for passing travelers. The

nomadic rules of hospitality are very strict and complex.

The king anciently, was considered not only the „ruler,‟ but the preserver of the

peace, the protector, he was to preside (just as the sun rules or „presides‟ over the

day) over the people, not to be tyrant or dictator, although some kings (and fathers)

do.

Tents are constructed of black goat or camel hair. "Dark am I ... dark like the tents of

Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon." (SS 1.5). The hair is spun into strands

which are then weaved together forming panels approximately 2 feet wide and the

length of the tent. Over time, the panels begin to bleach from exposure to the sun and

are periodically replaced. Very little is discarded as much work is invested in their

materials including the tent. The pieces of the tent, which are removed are recycled

into walls or mats. The Bedouin nomads of the Middle East still live in these kinds

of tents. When I lived in Hail, Saudi Arabia we saw a place that made these tents for

12

the Bedouins.

Another Hebrew letter derived from the tent itself is the letter "chet", (pronounced

like khet) a word meaning "wall" or “fence”. This letter in the ancient pictographic

script is , a picture of a wall as can be seen in the above picture.

The size of the tent will depend on the size and wealth of the family. The wealthier

families will have separate tents for the wife or women, such as Abraham had for

Sarah. As the family grew, additional panels were added to increase the size of the

tent. "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold

back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes" (Isaiah 54:2).

The goat/camel hair tent is unique in that it is perfectly suited for the desert regions

of the Middle East.

Heat

A tent provided shade from the sun. During the strong heat of the day, the father

would often sit at his door watching his family; livestock and the road for travelers

(Genesis 18.1, 2) The walls of the tent could be lifted to allow the breeze to pass

through the tent.

Cold

The black tent absorbs heat keeping the tent warm. A fire is also built just inside the

door for warmth.

Rain

Like any other cloth, there is space between the hair fabric. Light coming through the

black roof appears as stars in the night sky. "He stretches out the heavens like a

canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in" (Isaiah 40.2). When the hair

fibers get wet from the rains, The fibers expand, forming a watertight roof.

13

Wind

Strong ropes, secured by pegs driven into the ground, supported

the poles, which held up the tent. "I will drive him like a peg (or

nail – allusion to the crucifixion) into a sure place; he will be a

seat of honor for the house of his father" (Isaiah 22.23). The word

"sure" in the previous passage is the Hebrew word "aman" and is

often translated as "believe" and related to “amen” which means “let it be done.” .

The walls of the tent are laid on the top of the ropes allowing the wind to pass over

the tent. The Hebrew letter "vav" (or waw) - is a representation of the pegs used

to secure the tent. The word "vav" is also a word in the Hebrew language meaning

"peg".

The Nomadic family consisted of the beit (house, family), mishpahkhah (clan or

extended family) and matteh (tribe). The family, children, parents and grandparents,

all resided in one tent or group of tents. The clan consisted of the extended family,

grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc, all residing in one camp and may contain as

many as 50 to 100 tents laid out in a circular pattern. When the clan becomes too

large for one area to support, the tribe splits into two clans (see Genesis 13). All the

clans (all being descended from one ancestor) may cover hundreds of square miles

making up the tribe and have one family name. As an example, The house of Moses,

of the clan of Levi, of the Tribe of Israel.

Chanan is a Hebrew word („ch‟ pronounced as the „ch‟ in Bach) often translated as

"grace" but in Hebrew is understood as a "camp". The camp, as seen above, is a

place of beauty, love, warmth and comfort.

14

Hebrew Word Studies

Believe

The Hebrew language developed in a nomadic agricultural culture. Because of this,

much of the language is centered on this lifestyle. The more we understand their way

of life and culture, the more we can understand their language. This benefits us, as

students of scripture, because we can better understand the author's message if we

better understand his language.

In our culture, concepts, words and ideas are taught by using other concepts, words

and ideas. Often this is a very difficult task to accomplish. Since the Hebrew

language is a task-oriented language, teaching these concepts, words and ideas are

much easier.

The subject we are going to cover here is a prime example. If you wanted to teach

your children what it means to believe, how would you do it? If you think about it, it

is very difficult thing to do.

The Nomads

In Genesis 4:20 we read about the first Nomad Jabal, a descendent of Adam through

Cain.

"And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as

have cattle."

We know that Jabal and his descendents were nomads from the simple fact they

lived in tents and raised livestock. A tent (ohel in Hebrew) is a portable shelter for

the purpose of moving from one grazing place to another. The Hebrew word used in

the above for cattle is "miqneh" which actually means any livestock. This could be

cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. When the livestock consumed the edible vegetation

in one area, the herder would then pack up his tent and his belongings and move on

to better grazing land.

Probably the most famous nomad in the scriptures is Abraham. He traveled a great

deal throughout the land of the Middle East or Holy Land, living in tents and raising

livestock.

The Tent

The tent is a very important part of the nomad‟s life. By looking at the many words

derived from this shelter we have tangible, hands on tools with which to teach our

children the basic concepts in the scriptures. We will be looking at a tent stake. For

those who have camped before, you are probably familiar with these stakes. What is

15

the most important factor when placing your tent stakes? The ground. If you drive a

peg or stake into soft ground, the tension on the rope will pull the stake right out.

You need very firm ground to hold it in. The ideal ground would require a hammer

to beat the stake in. In ground like this the stake will remain secure in its position

even in a strong wind. Let us now look at a passage of Scripture that uses this

"concept".

Isaiah 22:23 "I will drive him like a peg (or nail) into a sure place, he will be a seat

of honor for the house of his father."

Here we have the stake (peg/nail) being driven into a "firm" or sure place. The

Hebrew word translated as "firm" here is the verb "aman" which literally means, "to

be firm or sure". When setting up our tent, we desire to find a spot where the ground

will be firm.

Believe

This verb "aman" is used 110 times in the Old Testament. Let us now look at another

passage using this same verb and see what it says.

Genesis 15:6 "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness"

The word "believed" is the very same Hebrew verb "aman". The picture we have

from this is that Abram was firm in his devotion to God. Just as a stake planted in

firm ground supports the tent even in a storm, Abram will support (or follow) God

even in the storms of life. The question we now ask is how did Abram remain firm?

The verse just previous to this states:

Genesis 15:5,6 '[God] took [Abram] outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and

count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your

offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as

righteousness.'

We usually read this to mean that Abram believed God's promise in verse 5. The

problem with this is that the Hebrew verb "aman" means more than just knowing

something to be true. Why did God give this promise to Abram?

Genesis 26:4,5 "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky

and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth

will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my

commands, my decrees and my laws (Torah in Hebrew)".

God made this promise to Abram because he was firm in his obedience to God. The

Hebrew in Genesis 15:6 does not say Abram believed God, it says he was firm in

(obeying) God. From Genesis 26:5 we see that he was firm in his obedience to God

16

and his Torah.

How to use a Bible and Concordance

In order to make a proper interpretation of the Biblical text one must view the text

from an ancient Hebrew's perspective rather than from our modern western

perspective. Even if you do not know Hebrew there are resources available to assist

you in your studies of the Hebrew text behind the English translation.

Some of the resources you will need are an English translation of the Bible and a

concordance with Strong's dictionary keyed to the translation you are using such as

the Strong's Concise Concordance. .

To demonstrate this study process let us research the word "rejoice" as found in the

King James Version. To begin we look up the word "rejoice" in the concordance.

Below is an example of what you will see in the concordance (The verses listed

below are only a portion of what is actually found in the concordance). The left

column is a portion of the verse containing the word "rejoice" (identified as "r"). The

middle column is the verse location and the right column identifies the Strong's

number assigned to the Hebrew word translated as "rejoice" in that verse.

REJOICE (192)

ye shall r before the LORD your Lev 23:40 8055

ye shall r in all that ye put Deut 12:7 8055

so the LORD will r over you to Deut 26:83 7797

will again r over thee for good Deut 30:9 7797

R, O ye nations, with his people Deut 32:43 7442

with fear, and r with trembling Ps 2:11 1523

I will r in thy salvation Ps 9:14 1523

We will r in thy salvation, and in Ps 20:5 7442

Be glad in the LORD, and r Ps 32:11 1524

Let mount Zion r, let the Ps 48:11 8055

yea, let them exceedingly r Ps 68:3 7797

Let the heavens r, and let the Ps 96:11 8056

I will r, I will divide Shechem Ps 108:7 5937

r in Rezin and Remaliah's son Is 8:6 4885

even them that r in my highness Is 13:3 5947

as thou didst r at the Eze 35:15 8057

17

The first thing we notice in this study is that the King James Version uses the word

"rejoice" 192 times (this number is located after the heading "Rejoice"), but it is an

English word used to translate several different Hebrew words. In your notebook you

will record each of the Strong's numbers.

The next step is to look up each of these numbers in the dictionary in the back of the

concordance. Below is what you will find in the concordance for each of these

numbers. When we look up the number "1523" we find that the Hebrew word is

"guwl" and means to "spin round" (concrete) and is translated in the King James

Version as "rejoice", "glad", "joyful", "joy" and "delight" (abstracts). The concrete

meaning of the word is what we are looking for as this would be the more ancient

Hebraic meaning of the word and gives a better understanding of what this word

implies. Next, go through each of the numbers in our notebook and write in their

concrete meanings.

guwl {44x}, a primitive root; properly toגול .1523

spin round (under the influence of any violent

emotion), i.e. usually rejoice, or (as crying)

fear:- rejoice {27x}, glad {10x}, joyful {4x},

joy {2x}, delight {1x}.

giyl {10x}, from 1523; a revolution (ofגיל .1524

time, i.e. an age); also joy:- rejoice {3x}, jou

{3x}, gladness {2x}, exceedingly {1x}, of

your sort {1x}.

,masows {17x}, from 7797; delightמשוש .4885

concrete (the cause or object) or abstract (the

feeling):- joy {12x} mirth {3x}, rejoice {2x}.

alaz {16x}, a primitive root; to jump forעלז .5937

joy i.e. exult:- rejoice {12x}, triumph {2x},

joyful {2x}.

alliyz {7x}, from 5937; exultant:- rejoiceעליז .5947

{4x}, joyous {3x}.

ranan {52x}, a primitive root; properly toרנן .7442

creak (or emit a stridulous sound), i.e. to shout

(usually for joy):- sing {20x}, rejoice {11x},

sing aloud {4x}, shout {4x}, shout for joy

{3x}, sing for joy {2x}, crieth {2x}, cry out

{2x}, shout aloud {1x}, misc. {3x}.

,suws {27x}, a primitive root; to be brightשוש .7797

i.e. cheerful:- rejoice {20x}, glad {4x}, greatly

{1x}, joy {1x}, mirth {1x}.

;samach {152x}, a primitive rootשמח .8055

probably to brighten up i.e. (figuratively) be

blithe or gleesome:- rejoice {95x}, glad {45x},

joy {5x}, joyful {2x}, merry {2x}, misc. {3x}.

sameach {23x}, from 8055; blithe orשמח .8056

gleeful:- rejoice {11x}, glad {4x}, joyful {3x},

18

merry {3x}, merrily {1x}, merryhearted {1x}.

;simchah {94x}, from 8056שמחה .8057

blithesomeness or glee (religious or festival):-

joy {44x}, gladness {31x}, mirth {8x}, rejoice

{3x}, rejoicing {2x}, misc. {6x}.

We now have a more concrete Hebraic understanding of these Hebrew words as seen

below.

1523 guwl spin round

1524 giyl revolution

4885 masows an object of delight

5937 alaz jump

5947 aliyz exalt (lift up)

7442 ranan shout

7797 suws bright

8055 samach bright

8056 sameach blithe, happy

8057 simchah religious festival

Notice that the Hebrew word "simchah" (#8057) is derived from "sameach" (#8056),

which in turn is derived from "samach" (#8055) being the primitive root to the other

two. All three of these words have the three letters S, M and Ch in common, the

original root and all three will be related in meaning. Therefore we can see that a

"religious festival" is a "bright" time and a time of blithe or glee. We also find a

similar relationship between "guwl" (#1523) and "giyl" (#1524), both meaning to go

around in a circle.

We can now do a study on the actual Hebrew words themselves. If we wanted to

study the Hebrew word "guwl" (#1523) we can look up every place in the Bible

where this occurs. To do this we look at the dictionary entry for this Hebrew word

and write down all translations for this word; rejoice, glad, joyful, delight. The

number in brackets after each word tells you how many times this Hebrew word is

translated with that English word. For example, the Hebrew word "guwl" is

translated as "joyful" 4 times. We can go back into the concordance and look up the

word "joyful" and scan down the right column looking for the 4 times the number

1523 appears as in the abbreviated example below.

JOYFUL (25)

king, and went unto their tents j 1Kin 8:66 8056

for the LORD had made them j Ezr 6:22 8055

And my soul shall be j in the LORD Ps 35:9 1523

19

to be a j mother of children Ps 113:9 8056

of Zion be j in their King Ps 149:2 1523

In the day of prosperity be j Eccl 7:14 2896

and be j, O earth Is 49:13 1523

make them j in my house of prayer Is 56:7 8055

my soul shall be j in my God Is 61:10 1523

We can now look up the verses above containing the word "guwl" (#1523) and read

them interjecting our new understanding of the Hebrew word behind the English

translation.

Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall "spin around" in the LORD: It shall rejoice in his

salvation.

Psalm 149:2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion "spin

around" in their King.

Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and "spin around", O earth; and break forth into

singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have

mercy upon his afflicted.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall "spin around" in

my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me

with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,

and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.