LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Hebrew Noun Word Study
“Words”
Submitted to Dr. Chet Roden
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
OTCL 505 – B01
Hebrew Language Tools
by
Brian Mclaughlin
0
Step 1: Select the Most Important Word
Perhaps the greatest communication God has given mankind is the words that He has
allowed His creation to have. This is what the psalmist renders of the usage being so important.
(Psalms 19:14, ESV) states, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be
acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”1 Words carry weight. They teach us
history and guide us to understand what is read through the words penned or spoken. Longman
III views the psalmist’s words as, “…powerful prayer by asking God to accept his words as
pleasing…”2 The psalmist emphasizes how words are powerful, and important to him where he
desire to have his mouth and his heart have words that point him to Christ.
Step 2: Determine the Hebrew Word
The Hebrew word; “words” comes from the Hebrew (רֶמֵא (ē·měrʾ)) which means by
Logos.com, “…word, saying, i.e., a minimal unit of discourse, usually found in the plural, so
referring to (meaningful) sentences of discourse (Job 6:25) …”3 It is a masculine type of noun.
Step 3: Determine the Usage of the Hebrew Word
According to Blueletterbible.org, the Hebrew word (רֶמֵא) is used 536 times in 516
verses.4 The Israelites placed a high importance of how the words were used for someone, or
something in their lives. One example is found when Jacob wrestled against an angel to the point
1 Unless otherwise noted all scripture is taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
2
Tremper Longman III., Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. s 15-16.;s 15-16;. Downers
Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2014.120.
3 J. Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament)
(electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.
4 https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=words&t=ESV#s=s_primary_0_1
1
where his hip was out of socket. There Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. A lot of weight is
indeed placed on the words spoken.
Step 4: List all the English Words Used for the Chosen Hebrew Word
For the Hebrew word chosen, the English words associated to this are, (speeches,
sayings, appointed answer)5 Speech is found in the book of (Job 6:26 and Job 32:14). Sayings are
in the book of (Prov 4:20). Appointed answers are found in the books of (Jdg 5:29 and Prov
22:21). These all correlate to the way words are defined and met within the historicity of
scripture.
Step 5: Consider Contextual Influence of Each English Word Choices
In view of the way this specific example was used, words play a big part in the
synecdoche of the fulfillment of prophecies to Jesus as The Logos. Given that words are so
important, it only makes sense that the words used in this chapter of Psalms are to be used once
more in the New Testament. For example, speech in the book of (Job 6:26 and Job 32:14)
correlates to the book (Eph 4:14). Sayings correlates to the book of (Mat 17:5). Appointed
answers as suggested also in the book of (Luke 1:3-4). Brendsel states, “…both Isa 52:7-12 and
John’s entry scene declare the coming of a king…”6
The ‘words’ or (רֶמֵא)spoken of Psalms 19:14 are what the writer is focused and
meditating on. He has taken the time to remember specific words that have been spoken before
and how they apply to his life. Words can take on differing meanings depending on what
nationality they come from. In the lens of Hebrew language, there is depth in the meaning given
5 https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=words&t=ESV#s=s_primary_0_1
6 Daniel J. Brendsel, Isaiah Saw His Glory : the Use of Isaiah 52-53 in John 12 Berlin, [Germany] ;: Walter
de Gruyter GmbH, 2014.180.
2
for what the reader takes in. Blench and Spriggs view this as, “…words borrowed from a sister
language or dialect after the change from x to y is complete usually will not undergo that change,
and in that case will be detectable as anomalous…”7 The English language has borrowed dialect
from various types of cultures. One consistency though, scripturally speaking is that the Bible’s
message is unchanging. God’s word is the same yesterday, today and forevermore just as Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.
Bibliography
Blench, Roger, and Matthew Spriggs. Archaeology and Language III. Archaeology and
Language Artefacts, Languages and Texts / London; Routledge, 1999.
Brendsel, Daniel J. Isaiah Saw His Glory: the Use of Isaiah 52-53 in John 12 Berlin,
[Germany] ;: Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2014.
7 Roger Blench and Matthew Spriggs. Archaeology and Language III. Archaeology and Language
Artefacts, Languages and Texts / London; Routledge, 1999.35.
3
Longman, Tremper. Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. s 15-16.;s 15-16;. Downers
Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
Swanson, J. Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old
Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc. 1997.
4
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
