“let a man never say he will do anything, before he first says, ‘if HaShem (YHVH) wills’” -Ben Syra Sentent. 11 Yaakov 4:1-17 (Author’s convergent translation from Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew)
1 From what source do the quarrels, fighting and the conflicts, striving, controversies come among you? Is the source not your lusts for pleasure that wage war in your body’s members? 2 You lust and do not obtain, so you murder. And you covet, envy, desire to have and cannot get, so you fight and make war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with evil intentions, from yetzer hara[H], the evil inclination, so that you may consume, spend, waste what you ask for, on your lusts, sinful desires. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know, understand, comprehend that the friendship/love with this world is enmity, extreme hatred toward the God? Therefore whoever determines to be a friend/lover of this world makes himself an enemy of the God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture, says in vain, that the spirit that dwells in us lusts toward envy? 6 But He gives a greater grace, favour. Therefore it says, “The God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the lowly, humble, afflicted.” [Prov. 3:34 LXX] Heb. Text of Prov. 3:34 reads “He derides, scorns the proud boaster and to the afflicted, humble, poor He gives grace, favour, acceptance, elegance.” 7 Therefore, submit, be obedient to God. And now stand against, resist the Devil, Slanderer, Accuser and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to the God and He will draw near to you, cleansing your hands, you sinful; and purify your hearts, you double-minded/double spirited/divided in heart. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into sorrow, and your joy into heaviness/grief. 10 Humble yourselves before the sight/face of the Lord YHVH, and He will lift you up. 11 Do not speak evil of one another, Jewish brothers and sisters. The one who speaks evil of a Jewish brother or sister, or passes judgement on his Jewish brother or sister, speaks against the Torah and passes judgement on the Torah; but if you pass judgement on the Torah, you are not a doer of the Torah but a judge over it. 12 There is One Who is the Lawgiver and Judge, the One Who is able to save completely and to destroy fully; but who are you, to put judgment on trial concerning your neighbour? 13 Lead, go to, now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we’ll go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and buy and sell and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For your life is a vapor, a mist, smoke that appears, is seen for a short time, gone in a moment, and then is corrupted, disfigured, vanishes, perishes, [Heb. then its canopy will depart]. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord YHVH wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you rejoice, glory, boast, praise in your pride, arrogance; all such boasting, praising is evil, wicked. 17 Therefore, the one who sees, perceives, knows to do the good and does not, he does sin, evil, misses the mark set by God’s holiness. Yaakov 4:1-17 (Line upon line) 1 From what (pothen[G]) source do the quarrels, fighting (polemos[G], hamilchamot[H]) and the conflicts, striving, controversies (mache[G], vehamdaniym[H]) come among you? Is the source not your lusts for pleasure (hēdonē[G], mitoch hata’avot hamiteigarot[H]) that wage war (strateuomai[G]) in your body’s members (melos[G], be’eivareiychem[H])? 2 You lust (epithumeō[G], mitaviym[H]) and do not obtain, so you murder (phoneuō[G], tiratz’chu[H]). And you covet, envy, desire to have (zēloō[G]) and cannot get (epitugchanō[G]), so you fight (machomai[G], utekan’u[H]) and make war (polemeō[G], vetilachamu[H]). You do not have (ve’eiyn lachem[H]) because you do not ask (aiteō[G], mip’neiy shela-she’eletem[H]). 1From what source do the quarrels, fighting and the conflicts, striving, controversies come among you? Is the source not your lusts for pleasure that wage war in your body’s members? 2 You lust and do not obtain, so you murder. And you covet, envy, desire to have and cannot get, so you fight and make war. You do not have because you do not ask. Yaakov began this letter with an admonition against giving in to the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination/fallen nature). As his teaching draws to a close he reminds his readers of the root of conflict and sin by challenging wrong action born of human wilfulness and rebellion against God. The desires or lusts at war within, are parts of the evil inclination, this is not (as some mistakenly interpret) an allusion to the conflict between the yetzer ha-tov (good inclination) and the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination). Rather, this is a description of evil divided against itself, a fallen kingdom within. In the throes of lust we are disappointed, failing to obtain the object of our lust (when we lust after another person we make that person an object, they are no longer a person to us, at the point of lusting we have chosen to devalue the person by objectifying them). This ironic dissatisfaction is the very nature of lust, like the Adversary (ha-Satan) lust promises fulfilment but doesn’t deliver, we are left empty, unsatisfied. It’s unlikely that the use of the term “murder” here is referring to physical murder, the whole synagogue is being rebuked regarding the core motives of human sin. We see a similar reprimand in 1 Yochanan (John) 3:15, “Whoever hates another person is a murderer.” It is perhaps true to say that ungodly hatred births jealousy, leading to murder, which in turn is evidence of idolatry (born of the constant desire of the Adversary to usurp God’s throne). Scripture affirms the fact that even Satan is subject to lust, and has himself become a slave to his own degradation. A similar concept regarding internal motivation is found in the Mishnah: “Whoever thinks, ‘Yours is mine’ is a Sodomite (citizen of S’dom).” - Mishnah Avot 5:3 The Greek hedone translated “lust, desires, pleasure” is the root of the English word Hedonism, the selfish pursuit of pleasure above all else. A popular western form of idolatry born of the ancient Greco-Roman worldview. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with evil intentions, from yetzer hara[H], the evil inclination (kakōs[G]), so that you may consume, spend, waste (dapanaō[G]) what you ask for, on your lusts, sinful desires (hēdonē[G], beta’avoteiychem[H]).4 You adulterers (moichos[G], hanoafiym[H]) and adulteresses (moichalis[G], hanoafot[H]), do you not know, understand, comprehend (yeda’tem[H]) that the friendship/love (ho philia[G], ahavat[H]) with this world (ho kosmos[G], haolam[H]) is enmity, extreme hatred (echthra[G]) toward the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H])? Therefore whoever determines (boulomai[G]) to be a friend/lover (philia[G], oheiv[H]) of this world (ho kosmos[G], haolam[H]) makes (kathistēmi[G]) himself an enemy (echthros[G]) of the God (ho Theos[G], l'Eilohiym[H]). 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with evil intentions, from yetzer hara[H], the evil inclination, so that you may consume, spend, waste what you ask for, on your lusts, sinful desires. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know, understand, comprehend that the friendship/love with this world is enmity, extreme hatred toward the God? Therefore whoever determines to be a friend/lover of this world makes himself an enemy of the God. Firstly, if we choose not to converse with God we should not expect to receive anything from Him. Yeshua says, “Ask and it will be given to you.” Secondly, simply speaking at God is not sufficient. Asking God to do what is evil is redundant, He cannot sin. When we ask God to provide us with the fruit of our fallen nature we are speaking in vain. A loving father doesn't respond to a teenage son’s request for a porn-site subscription by giving him his credit card. The statement, “adulterers and adulteresses” (unfaithful wives, unfaithful husbands) deserves our careful attention. For an observant Jew of the first century C.E. this is a familiar metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness, found numerous times in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures, OT). It is important to understand that Israel herself is seen as a wife to HaShem (God). God is Israel’s Ba’al (Lord, Husband, Master) [Ezekiel 23, Hosea 1-2, 9:1 & Exodus 34:15]. Yeshua infers a similar meaning when He calls his generation “wicked and adulterous.” (Matthew 12:39, 16:4) Regarding love for this world as hatred of God: “Don’t love completely (agapeo: committed devotional love) this world (kosmos: not just the earth but all the sin affected creation) or anything in this world. If anyone loves this world, there is no love for the Father in them. For everything in this world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life) comes not from the Father but from this world. This world and its lusts pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 Yochanan (John) 2:15-17 (Author’s translation) Love for this world is love for the wealth of the sin affected creation. This is Idolatry, the root of all sin (1 Timothy 6:10). 5 Or do you think that the Scripture, TaNaKh [OT] the Hebrew Bible (ho graphe[G], hakatuv[H]) says in vain (kenōs[G]), that the spirit (ho pneuma[G], ha ruach[H]) that dwells (katoikeō[G]) in us lusts (epipotheō[G]) toward (pros[G]) envy (phthonos[G])? 6 But He gives a greater (meizōn[G]) grace, favour (charis[G], chen[H]). Therefore it says, “THE God (Ho Theos[G]) opposes (antitassomai[G]) the proud (huperēphanos[G]), but gives grace (charis[G]) to the lowly, humble, afflicted (tapeinos[G]).” [Prov. 3:34 LXX] Heb. Text of Prov. 3:34 reads “He derides, scorns (laleitziym[H]) the proud boaster (yalitz[H]) and to the afflicted, humble, poor (vela’anaviym[H]) He gives (yiten[H]) grace, favour, acceptance, elegance (chen[H]).” 5 Or do you think that the Scripture, says in vain, that the spirit that dwells in us lusts toward envy? 6 But He gives a greater grace, favour. Therefore it says, “THE God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the lowly, humble, afflicted.” [Prov. 3:34 LXX] Heb. Text of Prov. 3:34 reads “He derides, scorns the proud boaster and to the afflicted, humble, poor He gives grace, favour, acceptance, elegance.” Verse 5 baffles theologians. There is no agreement on whether the “spirit” being referred to is that of God or of human beings or otherwise. The most likely explanation is that due to the context and Hebraic teaching style of the human writer (Yaakov), the two references to the teaching of the TaNaKh (OT) are intended to be a juxtaposition similar to the kal v’chomer (light and heavy: fortiori [Latin]) argument of Rabbinical scholars. If this is the correct understanding the first allusion is not to a specific Scripture but to the widely attested idea in Scripture that says the inclination of man’s spirit is always toward evil. Following this the direct quote from Scripture (Prov. 3:34) is a warning that those who are fuelled by pride and thus lust toward envy, will be scorned by God, Who will favour, show grace to those who humbly recognise their fallen state and are repentant. I note that my understanding is similar to, or is at least further illuminated by the commentary of Rav Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein. In reference to this widely misunderstood passage, Rav Yechiel Tzvi Lichtenstein—as quoted by David Stern in his Jewish New Testament Commentary—writes: “The commentators have had great difficulty with this reference to the Tanakh. What verse is it? What does it mean? Who is the subject of it? Some say it speaks about God. Others say it speaks about the Holy Spirit. But according to all commentators, it is not found in the Scripture. In my opinion, the spirit it refers to is not God’s but Satan’s, as in Ep 6:12. The evil spirit is the evil impulse (yetzer ha-ra) in us. Yaakov refers to it in v. 7: ‘Take a stand against the Adversary and he will flee from you.’ Jews today still call Satan der ruach [Yiddish for “the spirit”; Lichtenstein was writing around 1900]. I believe Yaakov is referring to Genesis 4:7, where God says to Cain, ‘Sin lies at the door, and his desire shall be toward you, but you are to rule over him.’ This is understood by all to be speaking about Satan, who is the evil impulse in man; for example, in the Talmud (Bava batra 16a), ‘He is Satan the evil impulse.’ The evil impulse is used by satanic angels to cause man to sin.” (Commentary to the New Testament, ad loc.) 7 Therefore, submit, be obedient to (hupotassō[G]) God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]). And now (de[G]) stand against, resist (anthistēmi[G]) the Devil, Slanderer, Accuser (ho diabolos[G], Ha Satan[H]) and he will flee (pheugō[G]) from you. 8 Draw near (eggizō[G]) to the God (ho Theos[G], Elohiym[H]) and He will draw near (eggizō[G]) to you cleansing (katharizō[G]) your hands (cheir[G], yedeiychem[H]), you sinful (hamartōlos[G]); and purifying (hagnizō[G]) your hearts (kardia[G], levavechem[H]), you double-minded/double spirited/divided in heart (dipsuchos[G], chalukeiy haleivav[H]). 7 Therefore, submit, be obedient to God. And now stand against, resist the Devil, Slanderer, Accuser and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to the God and He will draw near to you, cleansing your hands, you sinful; and purifying your hearts, you double-minded/double spirited/divided in heart. Because “God opposes the arrogant/proud and gives grace—that is greater—to the humble,” we should submit to Him. If a child is certain of his father’s love for him, he will readily submit to his father’s will, knowing that his father has his best interests in mind. Submission is an act of humility, resisting ha-Satan is an act of humility. Therefore, resisting this world is loving God. Whether Satan is synonymous with the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination) as some ancient Jewish commentators claim or simply the motivator of it, the response is the same, it is an act of the will to resist him/it. This act can only be practiced as the fruit of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, the Spirit of Mashiyach (Messiah) and of the Father God who lives in us, that’s why v. 6 says, “But the grace He gives is greater.” Don’t be fooled, this is not a fair conflict, Satan is the dust beneath a gnat’s foot floating in the infinite ocean of God’s creation. There is no balance here between good and evil, the scales are immeasurably weightier in favour of good, and God alone is good (Mk. 10:18; Lk. 18:19). God’s character is never described as fair, rather He is just. The battle we wage against the evil inclination is won only in Him. We take hold of the sword (word) which He authored, and it is His arm that strengthens the blow. Picture yourself standing chest high in a great fresh water lake during a warm summer rain, draw the water to you lips, this is what it means to draw near to God. It is the realization that He is closer to you than breathing. That through Messiah you are in Him and sustained by Him. We participate in relationship with Him. As I have said elsewhere, a husband cannot say “I will” on his wife’s behalf. The Scripture teaches God as the Originator of relationship and we as the participants in that relationship. All creation exists in relationship to God but only those who receive Him will continue to exist in right relationship in God. “Turn us to You AdoShem, and we will return.” – Lamentations 5:21 Note the order that leads to resistance. First submit yourself to God and second, resist the Devil and he will flee from you. When plagued by repeated sin we should first ask ourselves, “Am I fully submitted to God in this area of my life?” Freedom from a certain repeated sin behaviour may be as simple as bringing that practice before the face of God. We note that verse 8 is not saying “you cleanse your hands you sinful”, which would infer that the sinful one cleanses his own hands. Rather, the Greek text, devoid of any punctuation reads “He will draw near to you, cleansing your hands, you sinful; and purifying your hearts…” Notice that the nearest subject is God Who draws near, “He will draw near to you”. Thus the cleansing work is done by God when we receive His offer of right relationship. We note once again that submission to God gives us access to the strength needed to resist Satan (v.7). Devoid of the strength of God’s Spirit no one can resist Satan. When we have humbly received God’s gift of salvation we participate with Him in the sanctification of our being. We see that in the final clause the Hebrew text speaks of a “divided heart” being in need of God’s cleansing, purification etc. Yeshua reminds us that a kingdom divided cannot stand (Matt. 12:25). When in humility and submission to God we receive Messiah’s saving work and the gift of the Holy Spirit, God unifies our divided heart transforming our nature. “The old has gone, the new is come” (2 Cor. 5:17). 9 Be afflicted (talaipōresate[G], hitanu[H]), and mourn (pentheō[G], vehitab’lu[H]), and weep (klaiō[G], uvchu[H]); let your laughter be turned (metastrephō[G]) into sorrow (penthos[G], li’eivel[H]), and your joy (chara[G], vesimchatechem[H]) into heaviness/grief (katēpheia[G], leyagon[H]). 10 Humble yourselves (tapeinoō[G], hishaflu[H]) before the sight/face (enōpion[G], lifneiy[H]) of the Lord YHVH[H] (ho kurios[G]), and He will lift you up (hupsoō[G], yariym etchem[H]). 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into sorrow, and your joy into heaviness/grief. 10 Humble yourselves before the sight/face of the Lord YHVH, and He will lift you up. The KJV notwithstanding, many English translations miss the importance of rendering the Greek talaiporesate “afflicted”. To opt for “be miserable” in place of “be afflicted” clouds the meaning, given that from a Biblical Jewish perspective “affliction” is synonymous with fasting (Lev. 23:26-27). Likewise, throughout Hebrew Scripture “mourning” is a euphemism for repentance. The Jewish believer reading or hearing this letter from Yaakov understands the euphemism immediately. He reads “Fast and mourn, and weep”. The Jewish believer understands this as a weighty admonishment that reflects the words of the Torah, the prophets and the writings (OT) and alludes in particular to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the day on which Israel, individually and collectively seeks God’s mercy, humbling ourselves in fasting (affliction) and repentant (mourning) petitioning. When we have humbled ourselves to receive God’s gift of salvation we act in accordance with humility and participate with God in the sanctification of our being. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the acts of the yetzer ha-ra from before my eyes; cease to do evil and learn to do good; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, give favour to the fatherless, plead for the widow.” – Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1:16 “Who shall ascend into the mountain of AdoShem? Who shall stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Tehillim/Psalm 24:4(3) Realizing the reality of God, by the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit), we must make the choice of humility. He will lift us up, out of confusion and double mindedness and turn our mourning into dancing. 11 Do not speak evil (katalaleite[G], berei’eihu[H]) of one another (allēlōn[G]), Jewish brothers and sisters (adelphos[G], achay[H]). The one who speaks evil (katalaleite[G], et-rei’eihu[H]) of a Jewish brother or sister (adelphos[G], achay[H]), or passes judgement on (krinō[G], vedan[H]) his Jewish brother or sister, speaks against the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]) and passes judgement on (krinō[G], dan[H]) the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]); but if you pass judgement on (krinō[G], dan[H]) the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]), you are not a doer of the Torah (ho nomos[G], ha Torah[H]) but a judge over it (kritēs[G], danah[H]). 11 Do not speak evil of one another, Jewish brothers and sisters. The one who speaks evil of a Jewish brother or sister, or passes judgement on his Jewish brother or sister, speaks against the Torah and passes judgement on the Torah; but if you pass judgement on the Torah, you are not a doer of the Torah but a judge over it. The English translation “Do not speak against one another” is an unfortunate mis-rendering of the Greek text and both contradicts the fulness of Scripture and misleads the English reader. The Greek katalaleite is used by the writer to convey “evil speech” and not simply “speech against”. This is consistent with the ancient Jewish understanding of lashon hara (evil speech). Slander for example is consider lashon hara, as is failing to rebuke evil, but rebuking the evil action of another is considered lashon hatov (good speech). We must carefully define what “speaking evil against one another” means. Many misuse this passage to decry those who speak publicly against heretical leaders within the body of believers. This is not what the text is referring to, if it were what Yaakov intended he would be in direct opposition to the God inspired words of rebuke proclaimed publicly by the prophets and the public refutation of the Apostle Peter by Paul the Apostle (Gal. 2:11-14), among other examples in Scripture. Yaakov is not saying we should not challenge the sin of other believers, privately or publicly. After all, the progression of Yeshua’s teaching on how to approach sin and apostasy in a fellow believer is their public admonishment before the body of believers (Matt. 18:15-17). We add to this the numerous teachings of the Scriptures that call us to discerning between and the need for the correction of fellow believers who are walking in sin (Lev. 19:17; Prov. 10:17; Luke 17:3-4; Gal. 6:1; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Titus 3:10-11; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; 2 Thess. 3:15; Rom. 16:17). Therefore, “Do not speak evil of one another” is the correct translation. Meaning, don’t falsely accuse one another, don’t bear false witness against one another, don’t slander one another etc. With regard to “judging” a brother and sister the meaning is similarly miscommunicated by some. Scripture clearly teaches that it is right to judge, access, discern the actions of others. Once again, were it not so the prophets of God, the Apostles and Yeshua Himself could be seen to have sinned by doing that very thing. It is not judgement that is being spoken against but false judgement and sitting in the seat of ultimate judgement (dan[H]) over a brother or sister. We are not God and therefore should not presume to be the ultimate judge of any one, however, we are consistently admonished by Scripture and the King Messiah to make right judgements. When we make it our goal to pass judgement on other believers we sin. On the other hand, making a right judgment of the spiritual battle surrounding wrong action affords us the opportunity to come alongside and redirect a brother or sister, Yaakov addresses this at the end of his letter. Where there is no other qualifying language or comparative usage, and when the definite article is used, the Greek “nomos”, specifically “ho nomos” refers to the Torah of Moses. That is the case in verse 11. The judgment spoken of here is a judgment of punitive motivation, a judgment that seeks to see others ridiculed and made slaves once more. When we pass judgement on others based on the very Torah we ourselves break we come under judgment, rather than living within the Judge. How often we sit in judgment of the Torah itself, critiquing it and tearing it apart. Ironically, it critiques us and finds us wanting. 12 There is One (heis[G], echad[H]) Who is the Lawgiver (ho nomothetēs[G], ham’chokeik[H]) and Judge (kritēs[G],vehashofeit[H]), the One Who is able to save completely (sōzō[G], yachol lehoshiya[H]) and to destroy fully (apollumi[G], ul’abeid[H]); but who are you, to put judgment on trial (krinon krineis[G], tadiyn[H]) concerning your neighbour (plēsion[G])? 12 There is One Who is the Lawgiver and Judge, the One Who is able to save completely and to destroy fully; but who are you, to put judgment on trial concerning your neighbour? We note that neither the Greek or Hebrew texts understand “Lawgiver” as referring to the act of giving Torah alone but to the giving of all just law. If the Torah alone were being referred to the Jewish recipients might rightly misinterpret this to be a reference to Moses, it is most certainly not. It is of course a reference to YHVH, the Lawgiver. “For the YHVH is our judge (shofteinu[H]), the YHVH is our lawgiver (m’chokekeinu[H]), the YHVH is our king (Malkeinu[H]); He will save us.” -Yishayahu (Isaiah) The translation “who are you to judge your neighbour” hides the emphasis of the Greek text which reads “krinon krineis”, essentially meaning “hold a trial for judgement” or “put judgement on trial”. In short, “devoid of humility, who are you to presume what God’s judgement of a matter is?” 13 Lead, go to, (age[G]) now (nun[G]), you who say, “Today or tomorrow (hayom umachar[H]) we’ll go (poreuomai[G]) to such and such a city (polis[G]), and spend (poieō[G]) a year (eniautos[G]) there and buy and sell (emporeuomai[G], vena’aseh-sham shanah achat[H]) and make a profit (kerdainō[G]).” 14 Yet you do not know (epistamai[G], teid’u[H]) what will happen tomorrow (aurion[G], yom machar[H]). For your life (zōē[G], chayeiychem[H]) is a vapor, a mist, smoke (atmis[G], ashan[H]) that appears, is seen (phainō[G]) for a short time, gone in a moment (oligos[G], kim’at-rega[H]), and then is corrupted, disfigured, vanishes, perishes, Heb. then its canopy will depart (aphanizō[G], kalah vayilach[H]). 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord YHVH[H] (ho Kurios[G]) wills (thelō[G]), we will live (zaō[G]) and also do (na’aseh[H]) this or that.” 13 Lead, go to, now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we’ll go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and buy and sell and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For your life is a vapor, a mist, smoke that appears, is seen for a short time, gone in a moment, and then is corrupted, disfigured, vanishes, perishes, Heb. then its canopy will depart. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord YHVH wills, we will live and also do this or that.” Some see a big jump in the subject matter here, suggesting that perhaps Yaakov has changed his audience and is speaking to traveling traders outside the synagogue. However the subject here is no different from the previous paragraphs. Yaakov continues to juxtapose humility and pride, the prideful merchant boasts and is motivated by financial gain, the humble merchant trusts HaShem and is motivated by godly vocation. “Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring forth.” -Proverbs 27:1 The ancient Jewish writer Ben Syra had a saying: “let a man never say he will do anything, before he first says, ‘if HaShem (YHVH) wills’” -Ben Syra Sentent. 11. 16 But as it is, you rejoice, glory, boast, praise (kauchaomai[G], tithalalu[H]) in your pride, arrogance (alazoneia[G]); all such boasting, praising (kauchēsis[G], vechol-tehilah[H]) is evil, wicked (ponēros[G]). 17 Therefore (oun[G]), the one who sees, perceives, knows (eidō[G], hayodeia[H]) to do (poieō[G], la’asot[H]) the good (kalos[G], hatov[H]) and does not, he does sin, evil, misses the mark set by God’s holiness (hamartia[G], ya’asenu cheit[H]). 16 But as it is, you rejoice, glory, boast, praise in your pride, arrogance; all such boasting, praising is evil, wicked. 17 Therefore, the one who sees, perceives, knows to do the good and does not, he does sin, evil, misses the mark set by God’s holiness. Essentially what’s being said is that certain ones among Yaakov’s fellow Jewish believers in the Diaspora were syncretising the worship of God with the worship of business acumen and material success. The success of this world had become an idol that had taken their focus off YHVH. Yaakov rebukes them and says “Instead of making your material success the goal, subjugate your plans to God and place the honour for all that you have and are at the feet of the Creator in Messiah. © 2022 Yaakov Brown This is essentially saying that those in question invented their own nonsensical chants and psalms and attributed them to or gave them equal status to the Psalms of king David... Once again this is a chilling indictment on modern Christian worship music which so often claims to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and yet is worded in such a way as to express the nonsensical emotion of the fallen nature. Amos 6 (Author’s translation)
1 Oiy, woe, alas to those who are at ease feeling secure in Zion, and to those who trust in the mountain of Samaria, and the appointed heads of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes. 2 Pass over to Chalneh from there to Chamat then go down to the great Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, with greater territory than your territory? 3 Do you put away the day of evil, and draw near a seat of cruelty? 4 Those who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the fattened cattle, 5 Who make up nonsensical chants upon the face of the pitcher (jug), for David they esteem, and they invent of themselves songs, 6 Who drink in bowls of wine and anoint their heads with oils—yet they have not grieved over the shattering of Joseph. 7 Therefore, they will now go into captivity at the head of the exiles, and the feasting cry of those who stretch out (lounge) will depart. 8 The Lord YHVH has sworn by His soul, YHVH the God/Judge Who goes warring has declared: “I abhor the majesty of Yaakov, and his palaces I hate; and I will deliver up a city and all that is in it.” 9 And it will come to pass, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10 And a man’s uncle will lift him up and burn him, and bring out bone substance from the house, and say to the one who is at the sides of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “None.” Then he will answer, “Hold your tongue!” For the name of YHVH the Lord is not remembered. 11 For behold, now, pay attention YHVH the Lord has commanded and will smite the great house into fragments and the little house to rubble. 12 Do horses run on rocks? Or does one yoke them with oxen for ploughing? Yet you have turned judgement into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (bitterness), 13 You who rejoice in Lodebar (nothing), and say, “By our strength have we not taken Karnayim?” 14 “For behold, now, pay attention, I am going to raise up upon you, house of Israel,” declares YHVH (Mercy) the Lord God/Judge the One Who goes warring, “A nation, and they will oppress you from the entrance of Chamat to the wadi (river bed) of the wilderness.” Amos 6 (Line Upon Line) 1 Ho Oiy, woe, alas hasha’ananiym to those who are at ease feeling secure betziyon in Zion (parched place), vehabotechiym and to those who trust behar in the mountain of Shomeron Samaria (guardians), and nekuveiy the appointed (to pierce) reishiyt heads of hagoyim the nations, uvau lahem beiyt Yisrael to whom the house of Israel comes. 1 Oiy, woe, alas to those who are at ease feeling secure in Zion, and to those who trust in the mountain of Samaria, and the appointed heads of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes. Both Judah (Zion being the seat of king David’s power) and Israel (the northern tribes whose kings held court in Samaria) are being warned concerning their idolatrous faith in their own strength. Zion is used in Scripture to describe both the mountain located in Jerusalem and the entire land and or, people of Israel. Therefore, it is possible that Zion is used here as being synonymous with Israel, however, given that Amos is of Judah and that while the focus of his prophecy has been on the northern kingdoms there has nonetheless been earlier rebuke of Judah, it is most likely that both kingdoms and therefore all twelve tribes are being called out for their idolatrous behaviour, and the sin of trusting in their own strength rather than trusting in God. Regardless, the latter clause “those who trust in the mountain of Samaria, and the appointed heads of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes.” Is specifically addressed to the northern tribes who gather at the mountain city of Samaria under the northern king and in order to practice apostate worship in an intentional act of defiance against the appointed place of worship, Mt Zion in Jerusalem. The phrase “appointed heads of the nations” is a reference to the fact that the northern tribes had made agreements with the nations they perceived to be strong and thus trusted not only in their own strength but also in the added strength of alliances with godless nations. The Targum understands the phrase “appointed heads of the nations” somewhat differently, paraphrasing the text to read: "put the name of their children, as the name of the children of the nations;'' While this seems an unlikely interpretation, it does nonetheless point to the coming exile by inferring that Israelis will give their children foreign names during the future captivity in order to make their lives easier as strangers in a land not their own. 2 Ivru Pass over to Chalneh (fortress of Anu: Assyrian/Babylonian) misham from there to Chamat (fortress, upper Syria) rabah uredu then go down to the great Gat-Pelishtiym (wine vat of immigrants) Gath of the Philistines. Hatoviym min-hamamlachot haeileh Are they better than these kingdoms, im-rav with greater gevulam territory migevulchem than your territory? 2 Pass over to Chalneh from there to Chamat then go down to the great Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms, with greater territory than your territory? In short, “Go and take a tour around the region, as far east as Chalneh in Babylon, north to the great city of Chamat located between Damascus and the Mediterranean sea, and finally south to Gath, the pride of the Philistines. Do Chalneh, Chamat, and Gath, exceed the grandeur, wealth and strength that the kingdoms of Israel and Judah have been given?” The answer is of course “No”. God had given Israel a land rich with produce and grandeur and yet she had looked elsewhere, not satisfied with the gift of YHVH. 3 Hamnadiym Do you put away leyom the day of ra evil, vatagiyshun and draw near shevet a seat of chamas cruelty? 3 Do you put away the day of evil, and draw near a seat of cruelty? “Do you put away the day of evil” means, “Based on your belief that you are strong of yourselves and the delusional view that the day of the LORD will be one of light for you, you have put the day of the LORD out of your thoughts, a day that for you will be a day of evil in the sense of darkness, torment and destruction.” “and draw near a seat of cruelty” means, having rejected the warning of the prophets and having chosen to turn their backs on God, they have instead entered into an intimate relationship with vile acts of cruelty, the oppression of the poor, the rape of women, the murder of those who threaten their worldly ambitions and so on. The translation “seat of violence” is not accurate, given that in and of itself violence is neither good nor evil but is informed by good or evil. Therefore, “cruelty” better conveys the Hebrew “chamas”. A prophetic and poignant translation given the modern terrorist organisation Hamas, whose modus operandi is cruelty even in the treatment of those they claim to be freeing from the so called tyranny of the modern state of Israel. 4 Hashocheviym Those who lie al-mitot on beds shein of ivory, useruchiym and stretch out al-arsotam on their couches, ve’ocheliym and eat kariym lambs mitzon from the flock, va’agaliym and calves mitoch from the midst marbek of the fattened cattle, 4 Those who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the midst of the fattened cattle, Once again the imagery depicts the rulers, uber rich and uncaring aristocracy of the northern tribes. Ivory was a valuable commodity and the act of lounging on beds made from it accentuates the palpable disregard for matters of justice and right action. This is coupled with gluttony, the consumption of the best of Israel’s cattle, some of which should have been offered in Jerusalem according to Torah, but was nonetheless being eaten by the upper class, who had decided that they themselves were the deities who deserved these offerings. The phrase “eat the lambs from the flock” contains a remez (hint) at deeper meaning. Israel is the flock of HaShem and the wicked among the rich upper class were devouring the innocent lambs of Israel, both physically and metaphorically as the analogy applies to apostasy and the leading astray of the vulnerable young. 5 Haporetiym Who make up nonsensical chants al-piy upon the face hanavel of the pitcher (jug), kedaviyd for David chashevu they esteem, invent lehem of themselves shiyr songs, 5 Who make up nonsensical chants upon the face of the pitcher (jug), for David they esteem, and they invent of themselves songs, This is essentially saying that those in question invented their own nonsensical chants and psalms and attributed them to or gave them equal status to the Psalms of king David. This is utterly abhorrent because it not only misappropriates David’s name but more importantly makes the false inference that their words are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Once again this is a chilling indictment on modern Christian worship music which so often claims to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and yet is worded in such a way as to express the nonsensical emotion of the fallen nature. 6 Hashotiym Who drink bemizrekei in bowls yayin of wine vereishiyt shemaniym yimshachu and anoint their heads with oils— velo yet they have not nechlu grieved al-sheiver over the shattering Yosef (Yah adds) of Joseph. 6 Who drink in bowls of wine and anoint their heads with oils—yet they have not grieved over the shattering of Joseph (Yah adds). The wine drunk in sacred bowls is an allusion to the worship of deities accredited with the grape harvest, and the oils, in part made from the life sustaining olive oil of the land, are perfumed and hoarded at the expense of the poor. Thus, oil that might have feed the poor is used to adorn the rich for no other reason than to make them smell nice. We do the same today when we use perfume made in the sweatshops of foreign countries where the poor are kept under a cycle of oppression in order to sustain western demand for perfumed commodities. “yet they have not grieved over the shattering of Joseph (Yah adds).” The plain meaning regards the sin of the brothers of Joseph in selling him into slavery, this ancient sin being committed in another form against the destitute of the northern kingdom during the time of Amos. The rulers and wealthy elite have shown a lack of care for the well-being of all Israel, indulgence having given birth to complacency, and a hardening of heart. Joseph (Yah adds) is used here as a synonym for Israel and hints (remez) at the disregard shown for the fact that YHVH has added blessing to Israel. 7 Lachein Therefore, atah they will now yiglu go into captivity berosh at the head goliym of the exiles, vesar mirzach seruchiym and the feasting cry of those who stretch out (lounge) will depart. 7 Therefore, they will now go into captivity at the head of the exiles, and the feasting cry of those who stretch out (lounge) will depart. Those who have been guilty of the aforementioned oppression of the weak and vulnerable will be the first to go into exile. Just as they share in the guilt of selling Joseph into slavery so too they will be punished by being made slaves. The text is a type of Hebrew word play which places the roshiym (heads) of Israel at the rosh (head) of the line leading into captivity. This is an ironic twist on the “first shall be last”. Here the “first shall be last by being first”. 8 Nishba Adonay The Lord (Master) YHVH (Mercy) has sworn benafsho by His soul, neum YHVH (Mercy) Eloheiy the God/Judge tzevaot Who goes warring has declared: “Metaeiv anochiy I abhor et-ge’on the majesty of Yaakov (follower), ve’armenotayv and his palaces saneitiy I hate; vehisgartiy and I will deliver up iyr a city umeloh and all that is in it.” 8 The Lord YHVH has sworn by His soul, YHVH the God/Judge Who goes warring has declared: “I abhor the majesty of Yaakov, and his palaces I hate; and I will deliver up a city and all that is in it.” HaShem swears by Himself, His soul, character, essence, being, because there is none greater than He. He swears these things in mercy, which proceeds from His holiness. He swears as God and Judge, and as He Who goes warring to save His people from a fate worse than death, that is the second death (eternal punishment). To YHVH belongs all majesty, therefore, the majesty which Yaakov (Israel) has manufactured for herself He despises. The Hebrew text does not say “the city” as many wrongly translate but “a city”. Thus, for the purpose of disciplining His beloved children in order to return them to life everlasting, He will deliver up each and every city of Israel into the hands of the Assyrians, and subsequently into the hands of the Babylonians. 9 Vehayah And it will come to pass, im-yivateru asarah anashiym if ten men are left bevayit echad in one house, vametu they will die. 9 And it will come to pass, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. Those who are left of the northern kingdom, who are not taken into captivity, will die. 10 Unesa’o dodo umesarefo And a man’s uncle, will lift him up and burn him, lehotziy and bring out atzamiym bone substance min-habayit from the house, veamar and say la’asher beyarketeiy habayit to the one who is at the sides of the house, “ha’od imach Is anyone else with you?” veamar And that one will say, “Afes Zero, none.” Veamar Then he will answer, “Has Hold your tongue!” Kiy lo lehazkiyr besheim YHVH For the name of the Lord is not remembered. 10 And a man’s uncle, will lift him up and burn him, and bring out bone substance from the house, and say to the one who is at the sides of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “None.” Then he will answer, “Hold your tongue!” For the name of YHVH the Lord is not remembered. The bodies of Israel’s dead are to be interred in order to await the physical resurrection and Yom haDin (the Day of Judgement: Day of the LORD). The burning of an Israeli body is an abhorrent violation, but it will be the only option for those who remain, because the dead and rotting corpses of Israel will be so prolific and the remnant so few that they will not be able to bury them, thus leaving burning as the only means of preventing the spread of diseases associated with corpses. This is why the “uncle” asks “is anyone else with you?” The answer is “No one”. There is no one to help. The Targum says “they have all perished”. “Then he will answer, “Hold your tongue!” For the name of YHVH the Lord is not remembered.” This is interpreted in a number of ways. Here are three possibilities: a.“Be silent, because while the one we are burying was alive he never called on the Name of YHVH.” b.“Why bother calling on the Name YHVH, He has brought this upon us, He has firmly established this.” c.“They say ‘Don’t bother crying out to the gods we thought would save us, they can’t save’. They say this because they have long since neglected to remember the One True God YHVH Who is able and willing to save those who repent and call on Him.” The Targum reads: "he shall say, remove (the dead), since while they lived they did not pray in the name of the Lord.'' 11 Kiy For hineih behold, now, pay attention YHVH (Mercy) the Lord metzaveh has commanded vehikah and will smite habayit hagadol the great house, resiysiym into fragments vehabayit hakaton and the little house beki’iym to rubble. 11 For behold, now, pay attention YHVH the Lord has commanded and will smite the great house into fragments and the little house to rubble. The judgement of God that will enact justice has been firmly established against the perpetual sin of the northern tribes. The great house can be understood to refer to the king of the northern tribes and the little house to the common people. It may also be a reference to two distinct houses of apostate worship in the north. Alternatively, if the Targum’s rendering is correct, it refers to the northern kingdom as the great house (having the majority of tribes) and the southern kingdom of Judah as being the little house (Judah & Benjamin). “he will smite the great kingdom with a mighty stroke, and the little kingdom with a weak stroke.” – Targum Yonatan (2nd Century C.E. Aramaic) 12 Hayrutzun basela susiym Do horses run on rocks? Im yacharush babekariym Or does one yoke them with oxen for ploughing? Kiy hafachtem lerosh mishpat Yet you have turned judgement into poison, uferiy and the fruit tzedakah of righteousness lela’anah into wormwood (bitterness), 12 Do horses run on rocks? Or does one yoke them with oxen for ploughing? Yet you have turned judgement into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (bitterness), These are of course rhetorical questions. These examples expose the immoral practice of swapping good for evil and vice versa. Israel had made poison of her judicial practices and had polluted the fruit of the righteous with vile acts of debauchery. 13 Hasemeichiym lelo davar You who rejoice in Lodebar (no word, thing), haomeriym and say, “Halo vechazekeinu By our strength have we not lakachnu lanu taken Karnayim (horn, a town of the region of Bashan)?” 13 You who rejoice in Lodebar (nothing), and say, “By our strength have we not taken Karnayim?” Lo debar was a city southeast of the Kinneret (Galilee) in Gilead not far from Mahanaim, north of the Jabbok river (2 Samuel 9:4–5). Karnayim, also in the territory of Gilead, was directly east of the Kinneret (Galilee). It had been taken by Manasseh and was at the time a badge of honour reflecting their perceived strength. The meanings of the names of these two locations speaks of how God will turn Israel’s strength into weakness, just as they have sought to turn morality on its head. Lo Debar literally translates as “No thing (word)” and Karnayim “Horns (strength)”, the message being “There will be no strength in your words”, and “You will reap nothing from your strength!” 14 “Kiy For hin’niy behold, now, pay attention, I am going to meikiym raise up aleiychem upon you, beiyt Yisrael house of Israel,” neum declares YHVH (Mercy) the Lord Eloheiy God/Judge Hatzevaot the One Who goes warring, “Goy A nation velachatzu And they will oppress etchem you milevo from the entrance of Chamat (fortress, upper Syria) ad-nachal to the wadi (river bed) ha’aravah of the wilderness.” 14 “For behold, now, pay attention, I am going to raise up upon you, house of Israel,” declares YHVH the Lord God/Judge the One Who goes warring, “A nation, and they will oppress you from the entrance of Chamat to the wadi (river bed) of the wilderness.” This is prophetic of the Assyrians and subsequently the Babylonians. Yet again Mercy the Judge goes warring to save His children. He will do so through discipline, sending the invading armies through the entire land of Israel from Chamat (part of the northern border of the land (Numbers 34.1–9), all the way down to the desert stream bed in the south that borders the wilderness of Sinai. This links the coming exile to the ancient captivity of Egypt. It will be a return to bondage which reflects Israel’s turning away from God and His life giving instruction (Torah), and toward the bondage of idolatry, sin and death. However, there is hope of redemption ahead. Copyright 2022 Yaakov Brown Both darkness and evil are subject to creation but light and peace are uncreated emanations of the Creator. Isa 45:1 Thus says Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) limshiychu (from Moshiach: Messiah) to His anointed, le-Choresh to Cyrus (You possess the furnace), whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loosen the loins of melachiym kings, to open le-fanav before his face delatayim many doors; u-sheariym and the gates will not be shut;
“Thus says Mercy to His Messiah, to You who possess the furnace, whose right hand has received strength from Me, in order to subdue nations before him; and I loosen the belts that carry the weapons of kings, to open before his face many doors, and the gates will not be shut against him.” -Author’s paraphrase This is the only time in Scripture where a Gentile ruler is referred to as Mashiach (Messiah, literally Anointed one). This title is otherwise only reserved for the kings and high priests of Israel, and primarily for the ultimate Saviour of Israel, Yeshua the King/Priest Messiah (Daniel 7:14). Cyrus is called by this title in his role as God’s agent for delivering Israel from bondage and exile in Babylon. It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew name Koresh (Cyrus) means “You who possess the furnace”. While the furnace was sometimes used as a means of execution, the figurative meaning denotes judgement in fire. Thus, God has assigned Cyrus a role in dispensing His judgement against the nations. The furnace of Cyrus will destroy the nations while refining Israel, who through the furnace will become purified as gold and glory in her King Creator HaShem. We note also that any strength Cyrus has to do these things is from God, Who has taken hold of the right hand of Cyrus in order to impart power to him for fulfilling God’s purposes. The weapons belts of the kings that Cyrus comes against will be loosed, leaving them undefended against him. The many doors to the nations will be opened to him and the strongest gates will not be able to withhold him. In comparison to the cruelty of the Assyrians and Babylonians, Cyrus and his dynasty were humane rulers. Following his capture of Babylon in 539 BCE (BC) Cyrus encouraged both Jews and other captives from the nations to return to their home lands. He also contributed generously to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:2, 5:13, 6:3-4). The Cyrus Cylinder excavated at the site of ancient Babylon in 1882 further illuminates the outworking of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Marduk… looked through all the countries searching for a righteous ruler… He pronounced the name Cyrus… and declared him to be ruler of the world.” Isa 45:2 I will go le-faneiycha before your face, va-haduriym and the adorned high places I will a-yasheir level: daltot doors of nechushah brass ashabeir I will break in pieces, and bars of iron I will cut down: There is some irony here. God will go before the idolater Cyrus to level the idolatrous high places. The reference to doors of bronze is most likely a reference to the gates of Babylon. The historian Herodotus travelled to Babylon and said “There are a hundred gates to the circuit of the wall, all of bronze, with bronze uprights and lintels.” (Herodotus History pg.85 Penguin edition). Isa 45:3 And I will give you the treasures of choshech darkness, and concealed riches of secret places, that you may know that I, Hashem (YHVH: Mercy), who calls you by your name, am the Eloheiy Yisrael (God of Israel). Babylon was known for her commerce and her hording and storing of wealth. Her treasures were stored in secret vaults, and in the rooms of her many famous temples. Private citizens were also able to deposit their wealth in temple vaults for a fee. The Babylonian temples were some of the forerunners to our modern day banks. The doublets of the Hebrew poetic form correlate darkness and secrecy, giving emphasis to the fact that those things kept hidden are most often the ill-gotten spoils of sinful action. “For nothing is secret, that will not be revealed; neither anything hidden, that will not be known and brought out into the open.” -Luke 8:17 Cyrus will be given all these horded and hidden riches for one purpose, that he might “know that I HaShem Who calls you by name, am the God of Israel.” Isa 45:4 For the sake of avdiy my servant Yaakov (follower), and Yisrael (overcomes in God, Israel) my chosen, I have even called you by your name: I have achanecha yet titled you, though you have not known Me. Once again HaShem affirms that it is for the sake of His servant Jacob, His chosen people Israel, ethnic, religious, that He has called Cyrus to perform these things. These words were spoken some 150 years prior to the birth of Cyrus. He did not exist and therefore, could not possibly have known God’s plan for his life, and yet, God had already allocated a role and title to Koresh (Cyrus: you possess the furnace). Isa 45:5 I am Hashem (YHVH: Mercy), and there is no other, beside Me there is no Elohiym God (Judge): I encompassed you, though you have not known Me: The phrases, “There is no other” and “Beside Me there is no God” are together used 10 times in this short chapter. There is a strong theme concerning the uniqueness of God, His omnipotence and omniscience. The Holy Name YHVH, first used in verse 1, is used a total of 14 times in this chapter. Thus, both the unique unity of God and the Divine attribute of Mercy are primary themes in this discourse. The beautiful language “I encompassed you” denotes fidelity. This poetic language is usually reserved for Israel but is here offered to a ruler of the nations. God’s redemptive purpose for humanity overflows from His redemptive purpose for Israel. Isa 45:6 That they may know mi-mizrach from the eastern shemesh sun, and from the west, there is none beside Me. I am Hashem (YHVH: Mercy), and there is no other. From the first sunrise to the last sunset HaShem is Mercy, and there is no other. Isa 45:7 I yotzer fashion or light, u-vorei (from borei) and create choshech darkness: I oseh accomplish shalom peace, u-vorei (from borei) and create ra evil, (bad, the opposite of good): I Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) accomplish all these things. We note that the Or (uncreated light) is not said to be u-vorei (created, from that which didn’t exist), rather it is yotzer (fashioned) from God’s essence (Davar: Word). Thus, choshech (darkness), which will become a metaphor for evil, is not yotzer (fashioned) but is rather the result of u-vorei (creation). We know that God did not create anything evil from the inception of creation because the days of creation are complete when the text says, “God saw everything that He made, and behold it was very good.”(Gen. 1:31). Therefore, at the beginning of all things even the darkness (which would later become a metaphor for evil) was good, in fact, it was very good. Thus, the meaning of “I accomplish peace (uncreated) and create (because evil didn’t pre-exist God, but fashioned itself from that which was created) evil” is that God created the substance and environment that made evil a possibility, in order to also make possible the free will necessary for love relationship. Therefore, the uncreated attributes (emanations) of God, or (light) and shalom (peace) [which are also titles of our Messiah Yeshua], are fashioned to accomplish His purposes, whereas the work of darkness and evil are only possible based on the created order: meaning that Satan and his minions have no power except that which they have been allowed to have based on the fact that they are created beings subject to the King of Creation, the God of Israel, and to Yeshua, the Light (or) of the World, and Prince of Peace (shalom). Thus, both darkness and evil are subject to creation but light and peace are uncreated emanations of the Creator. Isa 45:8 Hariyfu Rain down shamayim heavens, mi-ma’al from above, and let the skies stream forth tzedek righteousness, justice: open the land, and let them bring forth yesha salvation, and let righteousness (justice) spring up yachad together; I Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) be’ratiyv have created it. Righteousness and justice are yachad (one), and are created by God. They are watered from the heavens and grow in the earth, springing up together and relying on one another. There is no right action without justice, and no justice without right action. Isa 45:9 Hoy Ah, alas, woe to him who contends with his Yotzero Maker! A pottery shard among pottery shards of adamah the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it, “What have you made?” or “Your work has no hands”? This passage appears to be addressing the complaints of some of Israel’s exiles, who may have taken issue with HaShem’s choice of a goy deliverer (Cyrus). It is the height of hubris for a human being to accuse God of ill planning: it is so foolish as to be likened to a piece of pottery debating the plans of the potter. The Hebrew idiom “Your work has no hands”, is still used today in some Jewish communities to describe something that makes no sense. Isa 45:10 Hoy Ah, alas, woe to him that says to his father, “What have you begotten?” u-leishah and to the woman, “What have you given birth to?” So great is the foolishness of one who questions God’s work of redemption, that he is compared to a child questioning why his parents conceived him, or why his mother gave birth to him. The “Woes” of these two verses are an incredulous rebuke that is to be heeded, lest the pottery shard be turned to dust, or the child given over to the fruit of his own foolish thinking. Isa 45:11 Thus says Hashem (YHVH: Mercy), Kedosh Yisrael Holy One of Israel, ve’yotzero and his Maker, “Ask Me of things to come concerning banay My sons, and concerning the po’al work of yaday My hands, command Me.” HaShem pre-exited Israel and is therefore the Holy One over her. He made Israel and knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, He responds to the complaints of His people by challenging them to ask Him what is to become of them (My sons), and as a counterpoint to “Your work has no hands” (v.9), “Command the work of My hands”… if you dare! Isa 45:12 “I asiytiy have fashioned, accomplished, formed, made eretz the land (earth), ve’adam and humanity upon it: I, even yaday My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all tzeva’am their armies, hosts, I tzeveitiy I have commanded.” HaShem formed the earth so that it might receive humanity and provide the perfect environment in which humanity might prosper and grow. He alone created the heavens and is King of all the heavenly host. Isa 45:13 “I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he will build My city, and he will let My captives go, without price or reward,” says Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) Tzeva’ot Who goes warring (of heavens hosts, armies). The focus now returns to the goy ruler whom HaShem has raised up to bring about the deliverance of Israel from her captivity. It is Cyrus who will rebuild Jerusalem (My city) and let the Jews return there. HaShem Who goes warring (of Hosts) will accomplish this. Isa 45:14 Thus says Hashem (YHVH: Mercy), “The labour of Mitzrayim Egypt (double distress), and merchandise of Cush Ethiopia (black) u-sevaliym and of the Sabeans (drunkards), men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be yours: they will come after you; in chains they will come over, and they will fall down before you, they will make supplication to you, saying, ‘Surely bach in you is El God; ve’eiyn and there is none other od (perpetually going round): efes zero, ceasing finally elohiym the gods. Some think this passage is addressed to Israel, however, Israel never waged war against Egypt or Ethiopia, although Egypt did wage war against Israel in more recent times. It may also be addressed to Cyrus, although it was not Cyrus himself but Cambyses the son of Cyrus who conquered Egypt and Ethiopia. Another possibility is that this passage refers to the end of days. At which time those repentant among the nations will submit to the King Messiah and the God of Israel. If so, then verse 14 corresponds to Isaiah 2:2-4. Isa 45:15 Truly you are a El God that conceals yourself, Eloheiy Yisrael God of Israel, Moshiya Saviour. God is concealed only from the perspective of those who do not walk with Him. The gods of the surrounding nations were promoted with spectacles and lavish rites and yet offered nothing but a deaf ear to their petitioners. The God of Israel on the other hand, revealed Himself to His people in true power and sought intimate relationship, offering an everlasting conversation, responding to Israel’s cries in a timely fashion. He is a true Saviour and a certain hope. However, He is discernible only through the eyes of faith. Therefore, when compared to the vain gods of the nations the God of Israel is mysterious and hidden, a stark contradistinction to the fact that even the hidden things of other gods will be brought into the light by HaShem. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Torah.” -Deuteronomy 29:29 Isa 45:16 They will be ashamed, and also humiliated, all together: they will go to confusion together those makers of idols. Confusion and shame are all that awaits those who make and worship idols. Isa 45:17 Yisrael Israel will be nosha saved be’YHVH in Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) te’shuat with a salvation olamiym everlasting: not ashamed nor humiliated ad-olmeiy ad as far as a world without end (perpetual). Israel, whom God has chosen, need not end in confusion and shame because her God is One, Alone. Therefore, Israel will be saved be’YHVH in HaShem. There is no other means for her salvation outside of God alone. With an immutable and everlasting salvation God will deliver Israel (through His Mashiach Yeshua), and she will neither be ashamed or humiliated in the world that is without end, that is, the Olam Haba (World to come). Isa 45:18 For thus says Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) Who borei (from bara, created from nothing) created ha-shamayim the heavens; Hu He is ha-Elohiym the God yotzeir that formed ha-aretz the land (earth) ve’osah and made it; Hu He has chonah established it (made it firm), He didn’t vera’ah create it in vain, la’shevet for habitation He yetzarah formed it: “I am Hashem (YHVH: Mercy); and there is none other.” The purpose of God was always to have the earth be inhabited by humanity. He alone created and established our habitation. He alone is God. Isa 45:19 “lo vaseter dibartiy I have not spoken in secret, bimkum in the place eretz of land (earth), choshech dark, obscure, hidden: I did not say to the seed of Yaakov (follower, Jacob), ‘You seek Me in vain’: I Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) doveir speak tzedek righteousness, magiyd I make known meishariym equitable things.” Unlike the demonic deities, witchcraft practitioners and secret religions of the heathen world, God does not keep secret the path to freedom. He has communicated clearly and in the open to Jacob, through His Torah, His prophets and His miraculous works. He is not like those false gods that offer redemption only to a select few, to the contrary, He offers redemption to all, and those that receive His offer become chosen. Though Israel may have become disillusioned in her sufferings and exile, falsely concluding that to seek God was of no consequence, God reminds her that He has always been with her and has always had a plan in place for her redemption. He has made known publicly and frequently that righteousness is found in Him alone and that the fruit of that righteousness will be equity for all who receive it. Isa 45:20 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you who have escaped from among ha-goyim the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray to a el god that cannot yoshiya save.” Now God turns to the nations with an offer of redemption. It is God’s will that none should perish. Therefore, He invites the idolatrous nations to come and draw near to Him, and to admit that they worship idols that cannot save. Isa 45:21 “You make known, and bring them near; indeed, let them take counsel together: Who has declared this mikedem from ancient time? who has told it from that time? have not I Hashem (YHVH: Mercy)? and there is no El God beside Me; a El God of tzadik justice u-moshiya and a Saviour; there is none beside Me.” HaShem challenges the idolaters to admit that their idols and false prophets are unable to properly predict future events or expound on past events. It is God alone Who is just and able to save. There is none like Him, nor is there any besides Him. Isa 45:22 “Penu Look (turn) to Me, and you will be saved, col-afseiy all the ends of aretz the land (earth): for I am El God (Judge), and there is none other.” This is a simple Gospel message. “Turn to face Me and you will be saved”. It’s spoken to all the nations of the earth. Why should they heed Him? Because He is “the Judge, and there is none other!” Isa 45:23 “I have sworn by Myself, yatza it has gone out mipiy from My mouth tzedakah righteousness davar a word, and will not yashuv return, Ciy For liy to Me tichra will bow col-berech every knee, tishava col-lashon every tongue will swear.” There is none higher than HaShem, and there is no god besides Him. Therefore, He must swear by Himself. The Davar (Word, King Messiah) has gone out in redemptive power and will not return void. “For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” -Romans 14:11-12 "That at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of things in the heavens, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Yeshua Ha-Mashiach Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” -Philippians 2:10-12 Isa 45:24 Indeed, ba’YHVH in Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) liy with me amar say “Tzedakot righteousness va’oz and strength:” adav up to him yavo men have come; col all ha-necheriym the incensed against him will be ashamed. Only in HaShem is there righteousness and strength, and those who have defied Him and who have been filled with anger toward Him, will come to Him in shame. Isa 45:25 Ba’YHVH In Hashem (YHVH: Mercy) yitzdeku will be justified ve’yithallu and shine (be praised, glory) col-zera all the seed of Yisrael Israel (overcome in God). The fruit of HaShem’s redemptive work through Cyrus and ultimately through His King Messiah Yeshua of Israel, will be the physical and spiritual deliverance of Israel, ethnic, religious. In God she will be justified (through His Mashiach) and her generations will shine as those who have overcome in God. “I say then, Has God cast away His people? A curse on that! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” -Rav Shaul (Paul) Letter to the Roman Ecclesia 11:1 © 2018 Yaakov Brown The fact that God is in control of both good and evil is an assurance that He will silence evil forever and that the goodness of this present life will one day be eclipsed by the all surpassing goodness of God’s character. Evil is subject to God but God is not subject to evil! Isa 31:1 Oy Grief, hope, heart wrenching woe, to hayrediym those descending to Mitzrayim (Egypt: double distress) for help, relying on horses for support, vayivtechu and trusting in rechev chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not unto the Kedosh Holy One of Yisrael (Overcomes in God), neither do they darashu seek, enquire of, resort to HaShem (YHVH: Mercy)!
“but they stay not themselves upon the Word of the Holy One of Israel, neither seek instruction from the Lord.” -Targum Yonatan Isaiah 31:1b (2nd Century CE/AD) Rashi interprets this verse of Hoshea and the ten tribes, who sent emissaries down to Egypt (2 Kings 17). However, this doesn’t fit with the context and geographical language of the prophet’s rebuke, which is focused on Judah and the Holy Mountain in Zion. The main theme of this chapter is a continuation of the previous one, and emphasizes the folly of Judah’s trusting in human strength rather than in God. The phrase “those descending” finds its counterpart in God’s descent upon mount Zion (v.4). Judah descends into distress and God descends to deliver her. The prophet warns of the natural outcome of trusting in fallible human beings and the strength of the fallen world rather than in God Who is infallible and all sufficient (Shadday). The horse and chariot were the armoured vehicles and tanks of their time. The Biblical Hebrew word rechev meaning chariot is also the modern Hebrew word for an armoured vehicle. Not only has Judah put her trust in armament, she has also relied on the great numbers of chariots, and has mis-concluded that numbers equate to true strength. The heartbreak of God for His wayward people comes through strongly in the latter part of the first verse, “but they look not unto the Kedosh Holy One of Yisrael, neither do they darashu seek, enquire of, resort to HaShem (YHVH: Mercy)!” We could read, “They don’t look to the holiness of Israel, neither do they diligently seek Mercy.” Israel’s set apart status, her holiness, her very identity is in God (El). Isa 31:2 And also He is chacham wise, skilful, and will bring ra injury (evil), and will not call back His devarrayu words, things, essence, but will arise against the house of the mereiiym (from ra: evil) evil-ones, and against the help of those who make trouble. The understatement, “And also He is wise” which refers to HaShem, is intended as a stark contrast to the wisdom of the wise ones of Egypt. HaShem is in control of all things, He directs the forces of evil and allows the consequences of fallen actions to unfold. We read elsewhere that God “sent an evil spirit to torment Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14-15 see also Judges 9:23 re: the men of Shechem and Avimelekh). Therefore, it is unwise to presume that the enemy (Ha-Satan) has independent power to do evil. If evil is not under God’s control the alternative is a dualistic view of good and evil that offers only a fifty fifty chance of good overcoming evil. The fact that God is in control of both good and evil is an assurance that He will silence evil forever and that the goodness of this present life will one day be eclipsed by the all surpassing goodness of God’s character. Evil is subject to God but God is not subject to evil! Deuteronomy 28:58-68 details the consequences for Israel if she fails to obey the Torah. The end to those consequences is the promise that she will return again to Egypt and bondage. These words of the Torah are not “called back”, to the contrary, Judah has in fact pursued the very punishment promised her in the Torah. All this as a result of refusing to listen to and obey the “words, essence, things” of God. In terms of both remez (hint) and sod (mystery) this equates to a refusal to accept God’s Davar Word (Messiah: John 1). Notice that God brings evil against evil-ones. This is another way of saying He has given them over to the consequences of their own sinful actions. Isa 31:3 Now the Mitzrayim (Egypt: double distress) are adam human, and not El God (a god); and their horses are bashar flesh, and not ruach spirit, wind: and HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) will stretch out His hand, and he that helps will stumble, and he that is helped will fall, and they will all be consumed together. The Egyptian culture was saturated with spiritual views that allowed for the deification of human beings. In particular the ancient belief that their Pharaohs were gods. Thus, the reminder to Israel that she had already seen the defeat of these so called gods when she was delivered from them during Pesach (Passover). The Egyptians were human, of the fallen sin affected creation and not gods: their horses were flesh, vulnerable to death and not spirit (eternal). “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” -Yeshua (John 4:24 NASB) With an ironic turn of phrase Isaiah drives home the message, “God (Who is spirit) will stretch out His hand”. Both Judah and those in whom she has sought security will fall together. Historically this came about when the king of Assyria destroyed Egypt as part of his larger campaign which included his unsuccessful besieging of Jerusalem. Thus, Ben Melekh interprets “spirit” to refer to the Angel of The Lord (Who decimated the Assyrian army overnight as they camped against Jerusalem [2 Kings 19:35]). Isa 31:4 For thus says HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) to me, “As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds are called against him, he will not be afraid at their voices, nor be occupied with the noise of them: descending HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Tzevaot (Goes warring) of hosts litzbo will go to war upon Har-Tziyon mount Zion, and upon her hill. God is likened to both a seasoned older lion and a young lion that growls over its prey. The shepherds are the wicked leaders of both the Judeans and the Egyptians, and further, the Assyrian invaders. God will go to war on, not against (as some foolish Christian scholars suggest) mount Zion in order to destroy the wicked and protect the holy remnant among the ethnic-religious children of Israel. HaShem descends to deliver the righteous from the descent of the wicked. Isa 31:5 As birds afot hovering (lighting upon), so will HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Tzevaot (Goes warring) of hosts be upon Yerushalayim to defend and deliver her, pasakh He will pass over and affect her escape. First like a roaring lion HaShem fiercely consumes the wicked, and now as a constant guardian He looks down upon, rests upon and keeps lookout over His people (ethnic-religious Israel) for her defence and security. He has purposed to deliver her and will once again pasakh pass over her in protection. That same passing over will be terror to Israel’s enemies just as it was to the Egyptians in the past. Thus, the destruction of the Assyrians by the Angel of The Lord almost certainly occurred during Pesach Passover (2 Kings 19:35). Isa 31:6 Shuvu Turn to Him from Whom you have deeply sarah withdrawn, b’nei children of Yisrael (Overcome in God). In the familiar pattern of his scroll Isaiah speaks an opportunity for returning, deliverance, and reconciliation. Judah and Israel have deeply withdrawn from right relationship with God, in Whom they find their identity. The message is simple, “Return!” Isa 31:7 For bayom in the day hahu that one (the he) they will cast away everyone his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made bringing you guilt. This speaks of that yet future day when Israel will cast away her idolatry and return to HaShem (Isaiah 30:22; 27:9; 17:8; 2:20). Isa 31:8 And cast down will be the Ashur Assyrian becherev by the sword, lo isyh not of a man; vecherev lo adam and the sword, not of a human, will tochalenu devour him (Assyria), burn him up; and he will flee mipeneiy from the face of a cherev sword, and his young men shall become forced labourers. Only a short time (historically speaking) after Isaiah prophesied these words they literally came to pass (2 Kings 19:35). HaShem did not use a sword of human origin but a sword of the spirit, a sword wielded by His Angel. Sennacherib king of Assyria fled from the face of the sword of the Angel of Hashem and was himself cut down by Adrammelech and Sharezer in Nineveh in the temple of his god Nisroch (2 Kings 19:37). Isa 31:9 vesaleo And his rock mimagor from terror will pass away, and his princes will be shattered mineis by the miracle, sign, banner,” says HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), Whose Or Light (fire) betziyon is in Zion, vetanur and His furnace (stove, cooking pot) is in Yerushalayim (Down pour of Peace). “His rock” means that the strength of Assyria and of all subsequent enemies of God and Israel, will pass away before the terror of Hashem. We note that the princes of Assyria and therefore, symbolically, all future enemies of God and His people, will be shattered by the “neis” miracle whose light is in Zion (Isaiah 30:17). Translating “Or” as fire is more figurative than literal. In fact this same word is used to describe the light of the beginning that issues from the mouth of God prior to the existence of the sun and moon (Genesis 1:3). This light is distinguished as being set apart and is intrinsically connected to our Messiah, Who is the Davar (word essence) of God (John 1). It is no coincidence that the city Ur, the origin of Abram, is spelled with the same Hebrew characters and means “Light”. Thus, figuratively speaking, Abram is born again as Abraham through the same Light that was present at the beginning of creation. Therefore, both the Neis miracle and the Or Light are the manifest work of Messiah Yeshua, Who through the miraculous redeeming work of His death and resurrection, has become a beacon, a standard, a miracle of Israel’s deliverance, not only from physical enemies (yet to be fully filled) but more importantly from the enemy of our souls, Ha-Satan. This miracle of Yeshua has shattered the princes of darkness and has illuminated to all who have walked in darkness the reality that the Or Light of Messiah Yeshua, God with us, has been in Zion all along. The heat of the furnace of God’s wrath is fearful punishment to the enemies of God but it is the warmth of deliverance to His children, purchased with the blood of His Son, our King Yeshua the Messiah. As a result, we receive the Downpour of Peace, the unification of both the Heavenly and earthly Jerusalem. Echad ve’echad asah echad ad olam, one and one made one until forever. © 2018 Yaakov Brown |
Yaakov BrownFounder of the Beth Melekh International Messiah Following Jewish Community, Archives
February 2024
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