GOD KEPT HIS WORD PROTECTED – KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and protected by the Massorah.
Here is a page from the Hebrew manuscript where you can see the smaller writing
around the edges of the text. This is the Massorah, giving the
necessary information for that page so that there could be no loss or
misplacement of a single letter or word. It locks all the words and letters in
their places by recording the exact number of times the different letters
occur, the precise number of words, and the middle word of each book. The Massorah also
records the number of verses for each book of the Bible, the middle verse of
the book, and many other minute and important details. The Lord set this up to
protect His Word over time so that all people from all generations can trust it.
When the
English translators got a hold of the Hebrew text, they chose English words they
thought would best express their understanding of the Hebrew. A good Concordance
gives us that same opportunity. We can look up the etymology of any Hebrew word
and the intricacies of its definition. As we think about the definitions, the
Holy Spirit gives us a better understanding of what God is saying to us.
Any of you who
speak more than one language know that some words don’t necessarily translate
the true meaning of a phrase in another language. It works that way with the
Bible to. When we use a Concordance, we can see the expanded meanings behind a
single word, and that helps us to make more sense of scriptures that we may not
think we understand.
Often the
extended definitions from Strong’s Concordance can give us a much deeper
understanding of even the most familiar scriptures. (You can see Strong’s
online @ https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=buckler&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1 )
We’ll look at
two verses from Psalm 91, and I’ll show you how I look up the meanings of the
words, meditate on them, then make them personal without compromising on
integrity or how the scripture fits with the rest of the Bible. All of the
definitions I’ve used come from Strong’s except as noted in
the definition of “Almighty.”
The first
verse is Psalm 91:1. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The word
“dwelleth” is the Hebrew yashab defined as sitting down with,
remaining, settling down with, continuing with, marrying, being still with.
“Secret” is cether, a place where you’re covered, a hiding
place, a place of protection. “The most High” is El Elyon, the
Highest, Supreme, uppermost. There is no one and nothing higher. “Abide” is the
Hebrew lyin which means to stop (usually overnight), implying
to stay permanently, remaining, continuing. “The Almighty” is El
Shaddai. Young’s Concordance defines this as the God of
overflow, constant supply, and source of all sufficiency.
When I
meditate on those definitions and put it all together I have a more personal understanding
of the verse: “Carolyn, sit down a few minutes and make yourself relax. Settle
down, be still and picture yourself snuggled up in the protected hiding place
of God, up next to the One Who is the Highest Being ever to exist. He wants you
there. You can stay overnight, and then in the morning you’ll be right by His
side, and go wherever He goes, close enough that you’re in His shade, enjoying
a constant overflow from Him. This is where you are always protected and where
the source of everything good comes from and it’s your special place. No one
and nothing bad is allowed to get to you here.”
Now take a
good look at the paragraph above that gives the Hebrew definitions and see what
it means to you.
The next verse
I want to look at is Psalm 91:4. “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and
under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”
The word
“cover” is translated from the Hebrew sakak which means to
join together and shut up, entwining as a screen, to fence in or hedge in for
protection and defense. “Feathers” are from the root word abar which
means to soar or fly. “Truth” is emeth meaning stable,
certain, sure, faithful, established and right. “Shield” is the Hebrew tsinnah, a
word for pointed hook, prickly like thorns or a cactus hedge. It is a large
shield that guards by prickliness. It also carries the definition of being
piercingly cold. “Buckler” is translated from cochera, a
shield that completely surrounds a person.
I meditate on
these definitions and put this verse in words that communicate to me: “I am
joined together close to the Most High, entwined so close in His screen that
nothing and no one can come close to me to cause me harm in any way. I soar
with Him and trust His wings over me as we fly together. I only need to believe
and speak His truth, which is certain. Since He is the Most High God, His truth
is always right. With it I have a shield which not only protects me, but
encases me entirely. With it I am the one who hooks and pierces the enemy, not
the other way around. When the enemy tries to come against me, the certainty of
God impales him as if he fell into a hedge of barbed cactus. The piecing cold
freezes the enemy, and without remorse I pierce him through, destroying his
power and rendering him ineffective.”
Now go back two
paragraphs and read the definitions for the words in Psalm 91:4 and think about
what it really means to you now.
Studying some
of the extended definitions of the words in the scriptures, like I’ve shown you
above, is something we can use to personalize God’s truths and make our
everyday lives even more victorious.
Love, Carolyn
FOR FURTHER
STUDY: The Companion Bible with notes and appendices by E.W.
Bullinger
Appendix 30 – 33 pages 31-33 The Massorah
Appendix 93 – page 133 The Alleged Corruptions of the Hebrew Text
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publications on Amazon: Great keys to living a Christian life every day.
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