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We have been following the wonderful story of the honorifics describing God in Job 40:10.  The four we are discussing, in order are hod, hadar, ga’own, and gobah.  We began to explore the first, translated one of seven ways in English, in the previous lesson.  Let’s continue with it today.  We hope eventually to move on to hadar, but I don’t think that will happen today. . .

 

We ended with the rich list of multiple new terms in I Chron. 29:11. We continue with the same book and chapter, but verse 25.  It talks about Yahweh’s elevation of Solomon to the kingship.  “And Yahweh made Solomon (שְׁלמֹה) great (gadal), exceedingly so (maal, which we have seen meaning “upwards” or “above”), in the sight (ayin) of all (kol) Israel and gave/bestowed (nathan) on (al) him such royal (מַלְכוּת, malkuth) majesty (hod) which (asher) was not on (lo + hayah + al) any (kol) king (melek). . .”  I took time with this verse to illustrate how many of the words we already know of this verse.

 

Esther 1:4 takes us into a different verbal space, but the link with the preceding is with our new word malkuth.  “And in his showing (raah) his glorious (kabod) riches (עשֶׁר, osher) of his kingdom/royal space (malkuth) and the excellent (tipharah, which we saw in the last lesson) splendor (יְקָר, yeqar; this is a wonderful word describing preciousness or honor, whose verb is יָקַר, yaqar, “to be precious/esteemed/prized”) of his majesty (gedullah, which we also saw in the last lesson), for 180 days. . .” It is interesting that we have not just a “vocabulary of glory,” but that it is relatively consistent and can be used in a variety of contexts.  Learning these words and their appearance can “beautify” our own quest. 

 

Hab. 3:3 speaks of a divine theophany.  “When God (elohim) came (bo) from Teman and the Holy One (קָדוֹשׁ, qadosh) from Mount Paran (פָארָן), sela (סֶלָה, “pause in translating. . .”); his glory (hod) covered (kasah) the heavens (shamayim) and the earth (erets) was full (male, two syllables) of his praise (תְּהִלָּה, tehillah).” Just a word about “praise,” which concept we explored a bit in the previous lesson.  The verb “to praise,” from which tehillah is formed, is הָלַל, halal. Of course, the most famous word formed off of this is “Hallelujah,” or “Praise be to God.” Just to cite one example of the use of “praise” in a verse, before returning to hod, I Chron. 29:13 has, “Now/therefore (עַתָּה, attah), our God (elohim), we (anachnu) thank (יָדָה, yadah—“throw, cast, praise, thank”) you and praise (halal) your glorious (tipharah, which we have recently seen twice) name (shem). . .”

 

Hos. 14:6 gives us:  His branches/shoots (יוֹנֶקֶת, yoneqeth; this is the feminine form of a hapax, yoneq, יוֹנֵק, which is derived from yanaq, “to nurse,” which we have seen) shall spread (interestingly, this is from halak, “to walk”); it shall be like an olive tree (זַיִת, zayith); his beauty (hod) and fragrance/savor (רֵיחַ, reyach) like Lebanon (לְבָנוֹן).”  Sixteen new words so far.  

 

Next is Jer. 22:18, where we have Yahweh speaking about Jehoiakim son of Josiah King of Judah (sorry I’m not going to claim any new words here!), “They shall not (lo) lament (saphad) him saying, “Alas (הוֹי, hoy) my brother (ach) or alas (hoy) my sister  (achoth), nor shall they lament (saphad) saying. ‘Alas (hoy) my master (אָדוֹן, adon—we have repeatedly seen adonai, but not adon) or alas (hoy) his glory (hod).”  This certainly is a verse to get you to master “alas,” and to help you remember saphad!  

 

Ps. 145:5 also uses hod:  “(On) the glorious (kabod) splendor (hadar) and majesty (hod) and wondrous (פָלָא, pala; a “wonder” is a פֶלֶא, pele, which “fits” pretty well if you are a soccer fan) words (dabar) I will meditate (שִׂיחַ, siach). Siach can mean to “speak, muse, meditate, complain, or commune.”  Surely a supple verb! The noun form is also the same:  שִׂיחַ, siach, and means “meditation” or “discourse” or “musing” or “complaint.” A wonderful and memorable poetic use of the verb, siach, is in Job 7:11, “Therefore or also or moreover (גַּם, gam), I will not (lo) restrain/hold back (חָשַׂךְ, chasak) my mouth (peh); I will speak (dabar) in the anguish (צַר, tsar) of my spirit (ruach); I will complain (siach) in the bitterness (מַר, mar; the root mar spawns a cottage industry of words having to do with bitterness; the verb is מָרַר, marar, “to be bitter.”

 

This is about 27 new words; each one a gem. 

Hebrew 41
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