OTCL505-Word_Study_Verb

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY Word Study (Verb) Submitted to: in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of OCTL 505 – D05 LUO Hebrew Language Tools by December 2019

Passage and Verb The word chosen for this study comes from the passage in Exodus 14:26:31 and is found in verse 31. The word is believed. While the verb is only used once in the entire passage, there is theological significance with its use and merits a thorough study. The word believed is considered theologically significant because it is the action of the Israelites as a result of the actions taken by God to save them from the Egyptian army that was in pursuit of them during their exodus from captivity in Egypt. After seeing the dead soldiers on the seashore, verse 31 states, “And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.” 1 Hebrew Word for Believed The Strong’s integration in the Blue Letter Bible identifies the underlying Hebrew word that is translated “believed” as Strong’s H539. 2 The Hebrew word is ן ַמאָ , or the transliteration 'aman. ן ַמאָ is a verb in the hiphil stem in the imperfect aspect. Strong’s states that 'aman. is a primitive root that, interestingly, is interchangeable with H541 found in Isaiah 30:21where it means “to go to the right hand.” 3 However, H539 has proper and figurative meanings. In the proper use, 'aman means to buil up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse. 4 The Hebrew Stem of ן ַמאָ Unlike the English language where adverbs are used to add emphasis to a verb, the Hebrew language uses what is called stems. Chet Roden explains, “There are seven main 1 Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture is from the King James Version. 2 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H539&t=KJV. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 1

Hebrew stems to express various types of actions.” 5 Of those seven, 'aman can be found using three. Hiphil, which was mentioned earlier, is the stem used in this verse and it is causative in the active voice. In this stem, 'aman means to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in. Usage of ן ַמאָ According to Strong’s, H539, or ן ַמאָ ( 'aman), is found 108 times in 122 verses of the Hebrew concordance of the KJV. 6 Of the 102 verses, the book of Psalms has the most uses of the word (17), followed by Isaiah (14), and Job (10). 'aman is also more widely used in the genre of narrative (45), followed by the poetic writings with 32 occurrences. Other verses where we find the same translation of 'aman are:  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Gen. 15:6).  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? (Num. 14:11).  And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever. (1 Sam. 27:12).  He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. (Job 39:24).  Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. (Psa. 106:12).  The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Pro 14:15). Even with just these few examples, the study of ן ַמאָ ('aman) showed that the range of usage is primarily in the books of the Pentateuch and those pertaining to Jewish history, which may be the cause to the effect of God’s goodness displayed throughout the Old Testament. Though not far behind, the genre of poetry showed a solid use 'aman in the confessions of the psalmist. English Words Used for ן ַמאָ 5 C. Roden, Elementary Biblical Hebrew: An Introduction to the Language and Its History (San Diego, CA: Cognella, 2017), 79. 6 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H539&t=KJV 2

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The Hebrew word ן ַמאָ is translated in the English a multitude of ways encompassing seventeen different words rendered. Within the King James Version, there are two words that make up the bulk of the translation in English; believe (44x) and faithful (20x). The words sure (11x) and established (7x) make up the next most translation, with trust, bring up, verified, steadfast, continuance, father, nurse, assurance, and a few others being used less than a handful of times. However, for this verse, when looking across the different Bible translations, the translations that are on the literal side of the translation scale do render ן ַמאָ as believed. However, as one moves across the spectrum, ן ַמאָ is translated as faith or trust in Exodus 14:31. Meanings of Different Stems As mentioned earlier, 'aman is used in the Hiphil stem of the verb action. The Hiphil, Roden explains, “is a Causative Active stem.” 7 With the Hiphil, the subject is the cause of the action, however, may not necessarily complete it. In the Hiphil stem, ‘ aman carries the meanings; to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, and to believe in. 'Aman is also used in two other stems, the Qal and the Niphal. When the stem of the verb changes so can the meaning of the verb. In Ruth 4:16 'aman is translated nurse and in the Qal stem. The Qal is the Simple Active stem where, Roden states, “The subject simply acts according to the nature of the verb.” 8 When used in this stem, 'aman takes on the meaning to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, and nourish. In Psalm 89:37 'aman is translated established and is in the Niphal stem. The Niphal is a stem that could carry two different emphasis. One which is the most often used is that of the Simple Passive stem. Here the subject is being simply acted upon. 9 The other is the Simple 7 Roden, Elementary Biblical Hebrew, 80. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 3

Reflexive action, in which case the subject is acting upon itself. Roden explains, “The context of the verb and sentence will be the determining factor as to whether the Niphal is passive or reflexive.” 10 Some possible meanings for the Niphal include to be established, be faithful, be carried, and make firm. 11 Contextual Setting of English Word Usage While studying the contextual settings of the passages where ן ַמאָ ( 'aman ), the translators seem to have used the correct English word for the context of the setting and verse. There have been numerous events that have happened to the Israelites in this and the previous passage. Having been held captive as slaves for the Egyptians, the Israelites witness firsthand the power of God through the ten plagues that eventually secured their release. However, soon they would find themselves in need of another rescue. The Moses obedience, God split the Red Sea to gain them safe passage while destroying the Egyptian Army. What they witnessed empowered the Israelites to believe in God and in Moses. Douglas Stuart agrees, “Verse 31 addresses this most important implication of all the events with attention to faith: the resultant faith of God’s people in the Lord and their willingness to place their trust in him and in his representative, Moses.” 12 Allen Ross and John Oswalt add, “The event gave them good and sufficient reasons to believe the trustworthiness and the goodness of God, something they would not have believed without that experience.” 13 Therefore understanding the context of the verse, along with the word study, 10 Roden, Elementary Biblical Hebrew, 80. 11 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H539&t=KJV 12 Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 346. 13 Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 391. 4

brings clarity to the English word believe used in translating 'aman. This believe carries with it the connotation of trusting God as well. Conclusion Performing a word study on a verb is a little more complex than one finds with studying a noun. The addition of the different stem options used in the Hebrew language adds a bit of complexity to the study and determining the proper meaning for the word that is translated. In addition to the steps taken in the study of a noun, the study of the verb adds the additional steps of determining the stem used and how the change in stem impacts the meaning of the verb. In cases where different English words are chosen for translating the Hebrew shows the depth and complexity the word brings. In the case of 'aman in the Hiphil stem, the meaning is understood as believing in God as a result of the demonstration of His faithfulness to the Israelites. His power was superior to the mighty Egyptian Army and therefore their adoration and worship of God was the appropriate response. helps the process of interpretation by allowing the study of the text to decipher the different nuances of the Hebrew language and the words used. It seems evident from this word study that the translators got this one right. Bibliography H539, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H539&t=KJV 5

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Roden, C. Hebrew: An Introduction to the Language and Its History . San Diego, CA: Cognella, 2017. Ross, Allen and John N. Oswalt. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008. Logos. Stuart, Douglas K. Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006. Logos. 6

OTCL505-Word_Study_Verb

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