Throughout October and November we took a closer look at eight words used in the Bible that may be considered old or obscure, but as with every word in the Bible, it is important we know what they mean.
Here is a summary of each word we studied:
Beautify
beautify (byut’-e-fi) verb: from Hebrew word pa’ar (H6286) to gleam, embellish,
glorify. It is from this word that the Hebrew word ‘pehora’ came which means ‘foliage (including limbs), as bright green’
(Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance of the Bible, 1983)
Isn’t it a lovely thought that the word ‘beautify’ also means to grow
beautiful (consider 2 Timothy
3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:17-18) and it is the basis for the description of bright
green foliage - that is how those who
trust in God are described in both Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8 - please take
time to read those passages! Also, read and think on Psalm 149:4 and Psalm
92:12-15.
Alleluia
alleluia
(al-le-loo’-yah) a Greek word (Strong’s G239, ‘allelouia’) that literally means, ‘“Praise ye Jah!” (or in
modern language, “Praise the Lord!”),
an adoring exclamation’ Formed from the two Hebrew words ‘hawlal’
(Strong’s H1984) and ‘Yahh’ (Strong’s H3050.) which
respectively mean, ‘to be clear, to
shine, to make a show, celebrate, commend, make a boast, sing, praise, cause
renown’ and ‘”Jah, the sacred name,” “Jah,
the Lord, most vehement (to the highest degree)”’
Alleluia exclaims a celebration of God’s renown! It commends
His goodness, His greatness, His might, His majesty!! It is often followed by a
direct mention of His doings that have caused joy in the heart of the one
exclaiming His praise (Psalm 146:1-2)!
Cleave
cleave (klēv) verb: from Greek ‘proskooloa’ (Strong’s G4347); to
glue, to adhere, join one (self). It comes from two other Greek words, ‘pros’ (Strong’s G4314) meaning by the side of, motion towards, you-ward
(moving toward the other) and ‘kollao’
(Strong’s G2853) meaning to glue, to
stick, to join (self), keep company.
Considering Matthew 19:5-6 and Acts 11:23 when
you married you made this commitment to your husband. When you were baptized
you made this commitment to the Lord. Are
you cleaving as you should? Are you always drawing nearer to these?
Succour
succour (səkər) from ‘boetheo’
(Strong’s G997), to aid or relieve, help, particularly assistance that
relieves and delivers from difficulty, want, or distress.
We find the word ‘succour’ (and its
variations) only six times in the whole Bible (3x in OT, 3x in NT) and only in
the older versions, like the King James. This word can be found in 2
Corinthians 6:2, Hebrews 2:18.
As God the Father and Jesus the Son have
succoured and continue to succour us, let us look for opportunity to also be a
succourer, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:9-10)!
Hearken
hearken (härkən) verb: to hear,
give audience to, come to the ears, understand, give self wholly to listening
The now archaic word, “hearken” is used
five times in the King James Version of the New Testament, six times if you
include the alternate use of hearken that is ‘listening as a subordinate, be obedient, and obey’ as found in
Acts 12:13 when Rhoda hearkened to the door when Peter knocked.
N.T. uses of the word ‘hearken’: Mark 4:3, Mark 7:14-23, Acts 4:19, Acts 7:2, Acts 15:13, and James 2:5, translated as “listen.”
N.T. uses of the word ‘hearken’: Mark 4:3, Mark 7:14-23, Acts 4:19, Acts 7:2, Acts 15:13, and James 2:5, translated as “listen.”
When we read/hear the word hearken it should alert us to pay
attention to what is about to be said. It is an instruction telling us to give
our full attention to the words, to
not only hear them, but listen to them so that we may understand what is being said.
Peculiar
peculiar In Hebrew (Strong’s #H5459 ‘cegullah’)
it means jewel, treasure, proper good,
special, to save/protect as with wealth. In Greek (Strong’s #G4041 ‘periousios’)
it means beyond usual, special. This
Greek word comes from ‘peripoiesis’
(Strong’s G4047) which means acquisition
(the act or the thing) and by extension,
preservation – obtain purchased possession, saving.
To God, you are beyond special! You are a
precious jewel, a treasure worth saving!!
‘Peculiar’ appears only seven times in
the Bible (5x in OT/2x in NT). With the exception of one usage (Ecclesiastes 2:8, in which Solomon describes
his acquired wealth as king of Israel) this word is used to describe God’s people (in the King James Version); and is often translated in newer
versions as “special.”
We are special! Beyond usual or common – we
are peculiar! We are loved beyond measure, and therefore treasured!!
With this
status comes responsibility. In the two New Testament verses in which we find
this word, we also find instruction for those described as “peculiar”: Titus
2:13-14, and 1 Peter 2:9
Leaven
leaven (levən)
from Greek word ‘zume’ (Strong’s
G2219) meaning to ferment (as if boiling
up). A persuasive influence that modifies something or transforms it.
Beware of the leavening of the world (Ephesians
5:15-17, 1 Corinthians 15:33-34). Consider
your companions, are they helping you seek God or are they hindering your
efforts to follow Him? Are you doing all you can to keep yourself from bad influence?
Take time each day to examine your heart so you can identify and remove the
granules of bad influence before they begin to ferment and modify your thoughts
and behaviours! Throw away that book,
turn off the TV, shut off the computer, put down your phone, shred or compost
that newspaper/magazine, and instead fill your heart with God’s word, put on
His armour, and continue to do whatever is necessary to live a life that is
sincere and true, and influences others to turn to God!
Hallowed
hallowed (halōd)
from the Greek word ‘hagiazo’ meaning
‘to make holy, purify, consecrate,
sanctify.’ It comes from the Greek word ‘hagios’ (where our word ‘holy’
comes from) meaning ‘sacred, most holy;’
‘to render or acknowledge to be venerable.’ Side note: venerable
means ‘accorded a great deal of respect,
especially because of age, wisdom, or character’
‘Hallow’ and ’hallowed’ appear thirty-five times in the Old Testament, but in the
New Testament we find its use limited to one statement made by Jesus which was
recorded in both Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2.
When speaking God’s name, make it your A.I.M. to:
- Give it your full ATTENTION; you are speaking of/to your heavenly Father and Creator.
- Speak of/to Him with sincere INTENTION, remembering all He has done and continues to do for you.
- Make specific MENTION of His wonderful goodness, majestic greatness, and awesome glory (proclaim His praises, 1 Peter 2:9).
If there are any other words that you
would like to study in the future, if the Lord wills, please send me an email
and let me know.
I hope that these word studies and all
our previous studies this year were helpful to you!
May we each develop a greater desire to
do God’s will in humble, loving obedience.
You
can do it! So can I!!
