Proverbs – משלי) 3)

My personal Bible study is taking me through the book of Proverbs, and for now and the next few weeks, my postings will probably come directly from them. If you haven't spent much time reading Proverbs, you are missing out on a lot of just in general good advice and thinking (see Proverbs Ch 1). A vast majority of the Proverbs were written by Solomon (1 Kings 4:32). He was the third King of Israel, a son of King David, who was a man after Gods own heart.

When Solomon was made King, he prayed not for riches, but for wisdom to rule his people. God heard and blessed him with both (1 Kings, 3:4-15; 2 Chron. 1:7-12). His sayings were written down during the time of his reign, and compiled into a book during the time of Hezekiah. The Bible records that Solomon's wisdom was beyond any that were before or after (1 Kings 3:12; 4:29-34). If all of this is true, and his wisdom came from Adonai, then maybe we ought to listen too, and understand what He is trying to teach us?

Why did I start with the 3^rd chapter? Because this one jumped out and grabbed hold of me, and this is how I know the Lord is trying to teach me something; you know how you can have read a verse innumerable times, yet you read it once more and it just speaks to you! That is when He is talking through your heart. This chapter is just chock full of wisdom in short paragraphs, cause and effect seems to be the way Solomon taught. If you will do this, this will be your reward; if you don't this will happen. I really wanted to write about verses 9 and 10 which talk about the cause and effect of tithing; but the verses just before them (5-7) really spoke to me; so I guess I will have to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש - Ruach HaKodesh).

The Hebrew language is a very earth based language. Where the English we use is pretty succinct in its definition of each word; Hebrew tends to have more than one definition for each word and this changes each time depending on how the word is used. Take for instance ruach (רוח) the word I translated spirit for the Holy Spirit. The word can also mean breath, as when Yeshua (Jesus) breathed on the disciples and said to them "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22); from that we can draw the conclusion that the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש - Ruach HaKodesh) is the very Breath of Adonai. Beautiful concept isn't it?

In English Proverbs 3:5-6 reads:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight.

(Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

Pretty powerful words, written again with a promise. But I find that if I look at the original Hebrew, I find a slightly stronger set of words. The word that is translated Trust (בטוח - betach), can also be more completely translated as 'boldly confident', and I find that I like that concept more. The name of God used is el-Adonai (אֶל־יְ֭הוָה) indicating the 'God of mercy, the God the Father'. The next phrase translated 'all your heart' (בְּכָל־לִבֶּ֑ךָ- bechol-li'becha) is actually hyphenated meaning that the two words together bring the meaning of 'whole or all, inner man, mind or heart'. You can see that we are developing a more complete understanding of the words used here. The entire next phrase, in Hebrew has a similar understanding but slightly different twist. In English 'and lean not on your own understanding', where the phrase (ךָ֗וְאֶל־בִּֽ֝ינָתְ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃)
 ve'el-benetecha al-tisha'en can be translated 'do not try to support yourself with your own knowledge or discernment'. Wow, is that ever an inflective phrase.

Verse 6 in English reads: 'in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight,'. In Hebrew it has a slightly different bent because of the way that the Jew looked at his faith. To the Jew, his faith was a journey, a walk. In fact, those that most closely 'walked' their faith were called tzadik (צדיק) or 'walks upright'. In Hebrew the verse looks like this ( בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ דָעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יְיַשֵּׁ֥ראֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃ ) transliterated – bechol-deracheicha dah'ehu vehu ye-yasher orechoteicha which can be translated as meaning 'your whole journey, know him, and he will make your road smooth'. Rabbi Paul knew this when he alliterated his, and others faith, to a race (1 Cor. 9:24; Gal. 2:2, 5:7; 2 Tim. 4:7), and think how much nicer, and faster a smooth road or path would be for the racer.

Let's put this all together with the new version:

Be boldly confident in God your Father in your whole heart

Do not try to support yourself with your own knowledge;

But on your whole journey, know him and he will make your road smooth.

     (Prov. 3:5-6)(Stephens Translation)    

But Solomon didn't stop with that thought there, he took it even further:

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones. (Prov. 3:7-8 NIV)

The Hebrew reads (אַל־תְּהִ֣י חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ יְרָ֥א אֶת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְס֣וּר מֵרָֽע׃) and is transliterated – al-tehi chacham be'inecha yera et-Adonai vesur mera. One way to translate to English would be to read it as saying 'Don't be cunning to your own conceit, fear God the Father and turn aside from evil'. Not only do we get the earlier translation meaning of don't be conceited to the picture of someone trying to be sneaky around God, but just like a father, he knows all that is going on around him. We just have to turn away from that evil. Why, you may ask, because Solomon was always putting in a cause and effect.

Verse 8 reads in Hebrew (רִ֭פְאוּת תְּהִ֣י וְ֝שִׁקּ֗וּי לְשָׁרֶּ֑ךָ לְעַצְמֹותֶֽיךָ׃)–rif'ut tehi lesharrecha ve'shik le'atzmovteicha; and because of the Hebrew word pictures can be translated as 'it will be a healing to the center of yourself'. Slightly different word picture here; this is the effect of turning away from the evil and fearing God.

Let's try to put this altogether then in a new look translation:

Be boldly confident in God your Father in your whole heart

Do not try to support yourself with your own knowledge;

But on your whole faith journey,

know him and he will make your road smooth.

Don't be cunning to your own conceit

Fear God the Father and turn aside from evil

It will be a healing to the center of yourself.

(Prov. 3:5-8)(Stephens Translation)

Chaverim, Be bold in the Lord, know Him and He will make your paths smooth and be a healing to your inner core.

Baruch HaShem