Why Noah was drunk? part 1

Posted by Eli Dahan on February 27, 2010 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Literature | Be the First to Comment

After the flood that made a restart to the world of The Lord, Noah and his sons had the opportunity to eat meat and the vegetarian world got lost. When we speak about meat a lot of time we are thinking of a restaurant, 2 glasses of wine, a romantic mood, which comes along with the lovely steak that we are eating.

The first carnivore was also the first drunk in our world as written in Genesis 9:20-21

" וַיָּחֶל נֹחַ, אִישׁ הָאֲדָמָה; וַיִּטַּע, כָּרֶם. וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן-הַיַּיִן, וַיִּשְׁכָּר; וַיִּתְגַּל, בְּתוֹךְ אָהֳלֹה.

"And Noah the husbandman began, and planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine, and was drunk; and he was uncovered within his tent"

There is no explanation in the bible why Noah decided to be the first drunk. Psychologically maybe the curiosity was there, like it was in the Garden of Eden, the point that caused Noah to become the first. The other thing that is understandable is that the man of the ground, the farmer, needs to taste his produce in order to see if it’s alright. The first experience with the wine wasn’t so good for Noah and the continuation of the story is even more awful – his son or his grandson are doing a sexual thing in the tent- but this is for another time to be discuss.

Whenever there is a difficulty in The Scriptures, especially a moral one, the Satan will become involve in the Jewish interpretation. Next time we will see what the Satan did in Noah’s vineyard!

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com

Idioms of love in The Scriptures- part 2

Posted by Eli Dahan on August 13, 2009 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Literature | Be the First to Comment

Another kind of love in the Bible is the love between parents and children, and there is no better, typical, example than the love that Jacob had to his two sons from Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. Infect, His love to Rachel continues with his love to their combined descendents.

The expression that we are going to speak about today is also found the love between David and Jonathan. This special love, some will say maybe sexual, is written with the same expression that we have in Genesis 44:30 – the love that speaks of the two souls that tied together.

 “וְעַתָּה כְּבֹאִי אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ קְשׁוּרָה בְנַפְשׁוֹ“

“So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father and if my

Father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life”

Let us see also the description of love between David and Jonathan as written is 1 Samuel 18:1-

“וְנֶפֶשׁ יְהוֹנָתָן נִקְשְׁרָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד וַיֶּאֱהָבֵהוּ יְהוֹנָתָן כְּנַפְשׁוֹ”

“Jonathan became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself”

Pay attention my friends that the expression is the same, but we have different meaning, translation and context. The spirit or the soul is bound or tied to the other spirit or soul literally, but by no means can we say that this is the same love.

I must say that every time when I am reading in The Scriptures I am feeling that I am having a small revelation, and this was our revelation for today- love could be with the same words, but every lover feel and understand it differently . The true love for me, beside to my wife and my son is for The Scriptures – my soul attached to them all the time.

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com

Hendiadys in the Old Testament

Posted by Eli Dahan on August 10, 2009 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Literature | Be the First to Comment

Hendiadys, which is a Greek expression, is a rhetorical device in which a complex idea is expressed by two substantives joined by a conjunction instead of by a substantive qualified by an adjective (The Free Dictionary).

In The Scriptures we can find the hendiadys in a few places. The first appearance is in Genesis 23:4, when Abraham wants to bury his wife, Sarah, that died in the beginning of the chapter, and then he said to The Hittites this lovely words: 

“גֵּר-וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי, עִמָּכֶם; תְּנוּ לִי אֲחֻזַּת-קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם, וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנָי”

“I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

Another example we can find in 2 Kings 16:7 – the king Ahaz send a n emissaries to the Assyrian king, and in order to flatter him he said:

“וַיִּשְׁלַח אָחָז מַלְאָכִים, אֶל-תִּגְלַת פְּלֶסֶר מֶלֶךְ-אַשּׁוּר לֵאמֹר, עַבְדְּךָ וּבִנְךָ, אָנִי….”

“So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son”

In Exodus 2:14 when Moses killed the Egyptian, the Hebrew man said to him:

“וַיֹּאמֶר מִי שָׂמְךָ לְאִישׁ שַׂר וְשֹׁפֵט, עָלֵינוּ–הַלְהָרְגֵנִי אַתָּה אֹמֵר, כַּאֲשֶׁר הָרַגְתָּ אֶת-הַמִּצְרִי; וַיִּירָא מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמַר, אָכֵן נוֹדַע הַדָּבָר”

“And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is know”

The last example is a dabble one from Deuteronomy 16:18-

“שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, תִּתֶּן-לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ, לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ; וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם, מִשְׁפַּט-צֶדֶק“

Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment

Isn’t it a beautiful thing the two that are one. May all the world be one!

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com

Judges of Israel- Othniel

Posted by Eli Dahan on June 16, 2009 under Bible, Biblical Hebrew, Literature | Be the First to Comment

The book of Judges describes the time period between Joshua and King Saul when Israel had no king. God wanted his people to follow his instructions through the law and prophets, but they always turned from him.

Because of their disobedience, God would subject to foreign powers. Afterwards they would repent and God would call a leader known as a Judge to deliver them out of bondage. The Judges were often warriors inspired by the Spirit of God, although sometimes there were Judges who simply held authority and acted as leaders of the people. In the book of judges we can find the circle of disobedience-punishment-regret-salvation- quiet in some famous stories, the first is othniel’s.

Who was Othniel?

Othniel Ben kenaz was the first judge of Israel. His name means the power of god. Othniel was a member of the tribe of Caleb .He was the only Judge menioned connected with the Tribe of Judah.

The Old testament describes othniel act’s only in 5 verses, as written:

“וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה, וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם; וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת-הַבְּעָלִים, וְאֶת-הָאֲשֵׁרוֹת.  וַיִּחַר-אַף יְהוָה, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּמְכְּרֵם בְּיַד כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם, מֶלֶךְ אֲרַם נַהֲרָיִם; וַיַּעַבְדוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם, שְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנִים.  וַיִּזְעֲקוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יְהוָה, וַיָּקֶם יְהוָה מוֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּשִׁיעֵם–אֵת עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן-קְנַז, אֲחִי כָלֵב הַקָּטֹן מִמֶּנּוּ.  וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ-יְהוָה, וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֵּצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה, וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה בְּיָדוֹ אֶת-כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתַיִם מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם; וַתָּעָז יָדוֹ, עַל כּוּשַׁן רִשְׁעָתָיִם.  וַתִּשְׁקֹט הָאָרֶץ, אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה; וַיָּמָת, עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן-קְנַז”

“And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them over into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim; and the children of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died”

30 years after the death of Joshuah, the people of Israel fell under the rule of Mesopotamia. Othniel delivered the erring Israelites from eight years of oppression by Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia.

.Peace lasted for forty years during his time as a Judge of Israel. After these forty years , Israel fell under the subjection of Eglon , king of moab.

Eli@eteachergroup.com