GOOD

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What does an excited teenager describing something, me talking about my blood pressure, and a lukewarm conversion about a movie have in common? Well, good could have been used in all of those moments. (The teenager used slang that in my old mind does not fit.) Then I thought how God describes things and Genesis, especially Chapter 1, took over. This will help you in your own study. Hebrew Concordance: ṭō·wḇ — 271 Occurrences   Strong’s Hebrew: 2896. טוֹב (towb) — Good, pleasant, agreeable, beneficial, beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, fair, favor, fine, glad, goodly, graciously, joyful, kindly, loving, merry, pleasant, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, well-favored

In Genesis 1 God uses the word tov. God bless translators. As you can see the base-word for tov is used in many applications. If you look in a thesaurus or dictionary, in English, there are many listings for good; add in adjectives that go above ‘good’ and the compound words of good, the idea is huge. In Hebrew those jots and tittles, and prefixes and suffixes are used by the translators to help us out. I am finding that the ‘occurrences’ list helps me with the understanding of specific uses of a word. Back to Genesis.

I have taken classes, read, and studied the first part of Genesis many times. So, I may have seen this before, but I do not remember it. Tov surprised me with its various forms, and where it was absent in the first three chapters.

Day 1 and 7, according to the Bible app/Englishmen’s Concordance that I use is ט֑וֹב. The sky/expanse is not called tov, at this time. Day 3 through the animals in Day 6 are called tov, but it is written טֽוֹב׃; the best explanation I found for those two dots was it may be a pronunciation mark. In Day 6 man got blessed but not called tov. Day 7 pronounces everything very tov, and God rest; Day 1 is light. I have more questions than answers at this point, but now maybe a time to keep silent. The only thought I had about Day 2, and the air was in Ephesians 2:2.

Chapter 2 – the food from the trees was a form of tov, but spelled וְט֣וֹב. The ‘good’ used with the Tree of Knowledge is ט֥וֹב. Hebrew Concordance: wə·ṭō·wḇ — 15 Occurrences

All of these words are tov. So, why did the Holy Spirit use these different forms of tov? The easy and possible explanation is grammar and tenses, but I find the associations of these various forms of tov in Scripture interesting.

With all that said, I now have no problem calling something tov without trying to beef up my comment using many adjectives or ‘better’ words.  

Fruit and Nuts – Date Palms and Israel

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This post has grown from my repeat reading of Psalms and Isaiah. Dates and especially palm trees are mentioned with several important places and practices in Israel. Please, do not get your metaphorical hackles raised because of my choosing Israel as the ‘nuts’ in this post; it is not about all of the Children of Jacob.

Once again, I am telling on myself. I was comfortable with the level of study I had done on dates; can’t say Father God was. So, with the Small Voice in my heart, I dived into the subject like I should have done at first.

The Fruit – Dates and the Palm Trees

  • The Hebrew words connected with palms are Strong’s H8558 to H8561. H8558 is the main root word, more on that later.
  • Dates as consumable food is mentioned twice in the Bible and the references tell the same story. The occasion is when David brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem: 2 Samuel 6:19 and 1 Chronicles 16:3. He gave a date cake and a raisin cake to every man and woman who joined in the party. I would guess it was to make sure the people had food on the trip back to their houses. That act of concern reminds me of Jesus feeding the multitudes after teaching them in the wilderness. That had to be a lot of dates and raisins. Given the archeology and historical evidence, I find it unusual that there are not more references to them as food. Strong’s Hebrew: 829. אֶשְׁפָּר (eshpar) — Finger joint, knuckle date rolls or cakes. 2 Samuel 6:19 Hebrew Text Analysis men and women got a set.
  • In Song of Songs 7:7+8 it talks about palm trees and then it seems to switch to grape vines and clusters of grapes; actually, it is ‘clusters on the vine’. As I have looked at Hebrew words and their roots, the great imaginations that formed them are amazing.    Song of Solomon 7:8 Hebrew Text Analysis  Judean date palm – Wikipedia The fruit on the tree has a draping quality that could resemble a cluster of grapes hanging on a vine, the stem looks like a vine. You will need to find a picture of a date palm in fruit:) Many translations could be better because they just assumed it was grapes.
  • Tamar is the name of several women in the Bible. It comes from the palm tree’s quality of standing tall and erect. Find these women’s stories in the Bible, one is grandmother of Jesus.
  • There is an associated word that connects the upright quality of Palms to buildings. The art work in the Solomon’s Temple is rooted in this word. He put palm trees as decorations on the panels of the Temple, 1 King 7:36. Strong’s Hebrew: 8561. תִּמֹרִים (timorah) — Palm tree, column, pillar
  • Date and Palm Trees – Yes, there were other types of palms in the Levant, but the date palm was the most abundant, it seems okay to think of all references to palms as date palms. (Think H8558) Strong’s Hebrew: 8558. תָּמָר (tamar) — palm trees, palm, palm tree The first use of this word is the comforting oasis in Exodus 15:27 and Numbers 33:9; it was a green spot with flowing water in the middle of a sand-sea. The last use of this word is in Joel 1:12 where locusts are ravishing the land. That thought is a good segway into the ‘Nut’ portion of this post.
  • Jericho needs to added into the ‘first’ list for palms. Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world. The name places it as an oasis with palms trees. So, the Children met palms when they left Egypt and when they entered the Promise Land; a good place to compare and contrast for teaching purposes.
  • Branches from these trees are included in two customs in the Bible. With a connection to the oasis, the Festival of Booths (Day of Atonement) encourages the building of their booths using palm branches. The second custom is welcoming the king by laying down palm branches in his path, that would include David and Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem. A practical aspect here is to cut down on dust.
  • Isaiah 9:14 uses palm branches as a metaphor for the elders and prominent men of Judah, the ‘head of society’; while the false prophets are portrayed as reeds or the tail of society for teaching lies.

BibleGateway – Keyword Search: palm

The Nuts – Israel

This “nut” was not picked lightly and has been hard for me to crack. To break this one open and see the meat inside has proven difficult. I will extend the metaphor a little further; part of any nut is not edible, but even the non-edible part can be useful. The Father has always reserved part of Abraham and Sarah’s children for Himself, even as most of them fell from the faith-tree that this couple planted and rolled after other gods. Spiritual Israel this might be a good time to check your stock in this family tree.

Israel started out as Jacob and the use of both names needs to be considered as part of any lesson where both appears. Many will break them apart as a function of history, but it is a good time to “be still and know God”. As northern Israel and southern Judah cracked apart, they still shared the rootstock of Jacob/Israel, so, look a little deeper.

I picked these talking points from the withered, dead nuts that choose to drop from the faith-tree. You may have others or even call them something different, I am okay with that. Were they the root problem or the bad fruit? I may think about that for a while.

  • Eye Candy – This problem showed up as Israel camped under the Cloud in front of Mt. Sinai and reappeared in Judges all the way through to the Assyrian/Babylonian exiles. The People wanted a god they could see and party around; the nations that surrounded them had idols, a physical thing they could touch, kiss, and make. Psalm 106 (a historical psalm) is a good reference, but they are mentioned in many Books of the Old Testament. Psalm 106:19,20 talks about the golden calf and verses 35 to 39 add references to continued unfaithfulness by making gods.
  • Prostitution – Along with the ‘eye candy’ came burning incense and sex. It may have been in the high places, sacred groves and gardens, or pagan temples, male and female prostitutes were part of demon worship; they even made it in to the Temple in Jerusalem under some of the bad kings. Judah, son of Jacob, worshipped with a shrine prostitute, or so he thought in Genesis 38:13; it was Tamar his daughter-in-law (you still need to find the others). Isaiah 2:6-8 and 65:1-12 also talk about this prostitution. Christians like to spiritualize this subject, and Father God also accuses Israel of spiritual prostitution. Unfortunately, some churches and denominations have placed worldly agends over Jesus’ Resurrection and the work of the Holy Spirit. Also see 2 Kings 17:9. John in the Book of Revelation quotes Jesus confronting this problem in His church at Thyatira with a woman who claims to be important, Jezebel. I see no reason to believe that this was just a “spiritual prostitution”. Please, note that not all in that church were led astray.
  • Greed – Another topic that may not get a lot of pulpit-time. Did ancient Israel have a problem with greed? Yes, and with the rest of humanity God gave us the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20; the last few cover the subject very well. Jesus in Matthew 19:16-22 covers the topic again for us with the rich young ruler. If you need a reference in between those check out Isaiah 3:14-15 and read Proverbs, Solomon does talk about things connected to being greedy.

The relationship between Israel and God has had its problems, just read Kings and Chronicles. But they are God’s chosen people through Abraham and some always look to the Father; Elijah thought he was alone but God had 7,000 that had not worshipped Baal, the servant girl who bragged on Him to Naaman, Nehemiah and Ezra, Esther, and the Prophets, the list is long. The seven Christian churches in Revelation tell a very similar story; some had problems, some did not. There is good inside that hard outer shell.

Jacob/Israel and his family are this study. I try to study this name change and how it is used many times in Scripture, when it shows up in another study. This time, I found connecting words and stories in Genesis 32:22-31 and Hosea 12:3. I found the words in these two passages very interesting.

Nazirite, Nazareth, and Grapevines

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When studies and thoughts collide! The collision of Nazirite, Nazareth, and Grapevines is more like three different musical instruments, all contributing three different sounds but are in harmony with the whole of the composition, not a hitting of two cars.

Nazirite – This term started this study. I thought it referred ‘to just’ a person who separated themselves to God for a season. The terms of the vow in Numbers 6 are clearly listed, but I only saw ‘no wine and don’t cut your hair’.

Numbers 6, the way I read the requirements.

  • Choosing a special vow of separation (with requirements) to the Lord (v2), for a specific amount of time (v5). Following the rules was part of the vow.
  • No Fermented drinks – wine, beer, vinegar
  • No grapes or its parts, and no grapevines and its parts
  • No cutting your hair by razor (on purpose?)
  • No dead bodies
  • A final sacrifice to end the vow

Actually, looking at the base word and where it appears in Scripture is important.

Strong’s Hebrew: 5139. נָזִיר (nazir) — Nazirite, one who is consecrated or set apart

This list is from H5139.

  1. Joseph (2x)
  2. grapevines during the Sabbath year and Jubilee
  3. one who chooses to dedicate
  4. Samson’s mother that extended to him- Judges 13 (From birth.)
  5. Lamentations 4 and Amos 2 are talking about those who did take the vow.

Other references, some of these are only about not drinking wine. Much discussion could happen here, but for some of these we do not have enough information and there are contradictions. Wine, beer, and vinegar were important drinks for an Israelite.

  • The Children during the Wandering in the dessert. Deuteronomy 29:6
  • Rechabites, in Jeremiah, did not drink wine.
  • The Prophet Samuel, by Hannah’s prayer and legend.
  • John the Baptist – Luke 1:15 (From birth.)
  • Jesus – John 17
  • Paul from references in Acts 18 and 21 for a specific time.

NAZARITE – JewishEncyclopedia.com is a good study tool.

Numbers 6:2 Hebrew Text Analysis The vow could be taken by a man OR a woman. Vow = Hebrew Concordance: yap̄·li — 2 Occurrences

Nazareth –

Our translation of Nazarite, Nazarene, and Nazareth all begin with ‘nazar’; but in Hebrew they come from different root words. To add to this is Matthew 2:23 with its phrase of ‘so was fulfilled’ meaning there was a prophecy about this; it is not an easily apparent prophecy in the Old Testament. This is where the studies start bumping together; see The Root, The Branch, The Fruit. This is also very good. Nazarene | The amazing name Nazarene: meaning and etymology

Jesus calls Himself the True Vine (John 15:1) and us the branches. Paul uses an olive tree (a symbol of Israel) and talks about shoots or branches being taken off and grafted in; representing Gentile believers. Instead of dismissing Matthew 2:23, as many do, be a king or queen and search for its meaning.

Grapevines and Its Parts

There are websites that meld wine and grapes together; I choose not to do that. I know that I am in a minority of those who think the Etz of Knowledge of Good and Evil could have been a grapevine. See The Garden and Grapes. I appreciate some medieval art, but I believe they missed it on that subject. Why should it be a fruit that is not really referred to a lot in the Bible, knowledge is?

The etz of grapes and its products are mentioned frequently in Scripture. Those references are about good and evil things that come from that etz. So, my driving question was, “Why would Father God restrict grape products for someone wanting to separate themselves to know Him better?” All of those grape products are consumable as nourishment to the human body. In the Garden, the consumption of the Etz of Knowledge was forbidden, whereas the consumption of the Etz of Life was not forbidden.

Knowledge, like grapes, can be useful for good, or can be used for evil purposes. I see a very symbolic relationship here that put it as a requirement for this vow of separation. The woody stem (etz) is also very symbolic of knowledge; it is solid but sways and bends. The stem has its uses but building a chair or table from it is not one of them. My takeaway is: Stay away from pliable knowledge and go for the Tree of Life.

 These are notes, my thinking out loud to help form my thoughts.

  • No manmade fermented drinks. Alcohol, yeast, or man purposely changing the drink. These liquids played a big role in the lives of the people. Beer can be made into vinegar.
  • No Grapes – I take it as a symbol of the Tree of Knowledge. Seed and skin are single use words, but there are foods made from them. Grapes can be soaked and that liquid made into wine.
  • No razor – hair and bread? “hair of dedication” v19 BibleGateway – Keyword Search: razor
  • No dead bodies, ceremonially unclean v7
  • Final sacrifice – v13 This was expensive. You had to finish the sacrifice to return to “normal/drink wine v20,21”.
  • Most of these requirements are willing separation, but dead bodies are covered in length, even as an accident.
  • Psalm 53 is about those who seek God vs the fool, which was the reason for this vow. This connects to Amos.
  • Netzer (נֶצֶר), meaning “branch” or “shoot”

Resurrection, Changed, Ascension

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In my reading through the year with C. S. Lewis, several days centered on the Resurrection, Jesus’ Changed Body, and the Ascension. These days of reflections came from his book Miracles.

I wrote Analogy to express my long-held thoughts that if it is in the Gospels and/or the rest of the New Testament, it may have been introduced in the First Testament. This study is me putting that idea into print. Is this an exhaustive study on the subject, no. I decided to not include types and shadows of baptism, which could fit in well in this study.

Here are my thoughts on the types and shadows of the Resurrection, Changed Bodies, and the Ascension.

  • Resurrection   
  • Elijah was used to raise a boy from the dead in 1 Kings 17.
  • Elisha was used to raise two people from the dead: A dead boy in 2 Kings 4:8 and a dead man/body that touched his bones in 2 Kings 13:21.

There are legends as to who these two boys became, you get to do the research. I do have to marvel at God’s wisdom to not include the names of these three in Holy Cannon; the focus is Jesus, not them.

These two prophets/servants/witnesses, Elijah and Elisha, have many special notes in the Song that God has sung. I consider the duo a type of John the Baptist and Jesus. They do not have Books with their name on them, yet their parts in the Song are still being sung. They did many outstanding miracles.  

  • Changed Body
  • Abraham and Sarah had their bodies restored and were able to produce Issac after the Lord appeared to them in Genesis 18. Abraham went on to take a third wife and produced children with her; he was old.
  • Moses would spend time in the presence of God and had to wear a veil because he was glowing. He was described as “his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone” at 120 years of age. Deuteronomy 34:7 NIV

A thought, Abraham and Sarah represent the faith-life and Moses represents the Law. No, these do not compare with walking through walls, but it is a start.

  • Ascension
  • Enoch walked with God and God took him away. Genesis 5:24
  • Elijah was taken into heaven alive by a chariot and horses of fire. 2 Kings 2

These two are special: Enoch was pre-flood and Elijah was post-flood. You may take that thought wherever you would like to go with it. There is a fair amount of debate if these men are the Two Witnesses in Revelation because they never died.

Renewal, Regeneration, and Born Again
Born Again, Born Anew, Born from Above
An Analogy

Highway of Holiness

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My Reading Road and Study Street of 2026 is simple; Psalms, Isaiah, the New Testament, and A Year with C. S. Lewis. As a mile marker, I am on my second lap for the first three. What does that have to do with the title of this post, nothing. I just needed to remind myself as I go on this excursion of Isaiah 35:8.

Chapters and Verses in the Bible are helpful, but our Cardinal and printer could have started this section with Isaiah 34:8 and gone to 35:10. Rabbit-trails are fun but I will try and stay on the path today.

Isaiah 35:8 has several words that refer to roads or places of travel, and I think it offers a contrast to something that the Assyrian Empire built. Some of these words/ideas are specific to Isaiah and this verse. (Isaiah has many verses where he writes about roads, paths, and ways to travel.) Rome, for some reason is given a lot of credit for their road system, and it was good and allowed for Paul and others to spread the Gospel better. History, however, should call them copycats of the Assyrians and Persians (who built on and copied Assyria). How Advanced Was the Assyrian Road System? | OT in Context The Assyrian roadway was used for oppression and rule of the kingdoms/peoples they conquered. The Highway of Holiness will let the feeble, fearful, blind, deaf, lame, mute, and the simple walk on it in peace as they enter Zion singing praises to the Lord. Yes, the redeemed and ransomed have a safe WAY to travel to the Father. (See Bend in the Road and Paths and Ways)

On Study Street 2026, I have noticed the Hebrew and Greek words that were used in the original text. Our concordances actually list just the root words. This Highway of Holiness verse is one that has single or limited-use words. (Yes, some deal with grammar that is beyond my Hebrew and Greek.) To go further in this study just click the links below.

I liked the 1599 Geneva Bible. You can compare these.

If you open the text analysis link, be sure to look at the word holiness and compare the unclean person with the simple fool.

My focus was the “Highway” that brings captives back to Zion. (By the time Isaiah wrote this many people of the Twelve Tribes of Israel had been carried off by the Assyrians. So, the road of oppression could have been the path back to Jerusalem and joy and gladness.)

Hebrew Concordance: ḇə·ḏe·reḵ — 19 Occurrences

The directions these nineteen words took made me slow down and take a rest stop to muse awhile. The two in Job may not make sense right away, but lightning actually follows a path laid out in front of it and is complex and happens faster than we can see. Many of these references are for people who are on the wrong highway or are trying to get you off of the highway. Several are only a part of the whole idea and need to be read with the other part, which may also have a “path” word in it.

My simple conclusion is this; these are not little walking paths or hard to follow hiking trails. As someone who lives in a large city, these “dereks” have curbs and shoulders, lines painted on them and posted signs to tell you important things. The Father thought this Highway of Holiness was so important that He had a Book written about it and sent His Son to show us the Way.