Category Archives: logos

Following the Trail of NIŠ·BĀ·RĀH

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While studying sacrifice, I found niš·bā·rāh in Psalm 51:17. That form of the word is only used three times according to biblehub.com. (It has a lot of cousins.) In the Strong’s it is H7665.

Hebrew Concordance: niš·bā·rāh — 3 Occurrences (biblehub.com)  

The three places it is used are – Psalm 34:20, Psalm 51:17, and Jeremiah 48:25. As I focused on the verses, I realized that broken bones and spirit told a story for those who would seek God.

Psalm 34:20

David wrote this psalm as a praise and thank you to God for delivering him from a bad situation. That story is in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.

The way I like to read Psalm 34 is the Father is speaking to His children starting at verse 11 and ending at 20. Verse 20 is a prophecy about Jesus that is fulfilled in John 19:36. Not one of Jesus’ bones was broken during His crucifixion.

Psalm 51:17  

David is calling out to God again in this psalm. This time he is in grief because of his sin and a wrong that he committed against God. This story is in 1 Samuel 11 + 12. He realizes that what the Father wants is a broken spirit and a heart that is broken and can only be fixed by fellowship with God again.

Jeremiah 48:25

The entire chapter is a message against Moab. Moab is the nation descendant from Lot and his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:30-38). That makes them famies (family enemies). Through the centuries it has been a curious relationship. In Deuteronomy 2 God is “protecting” Moab but by the end of the wandering they are with Balaam in corrupting Israel. Ruth the grandmother of David and Jesus is from Moab, so Lot’s bloodline is not to be dismissed.

In this verse, Moab’s horn or strength is cut, and his power or his arm is broken. They did help the Babylonians when Jerusalem fell.    

The Trail of NIŠ·BĀ·RĀH

As I pondered these verses, this path in the Way took shape.

Because righteous Jesus was not broken on the cross, we can bring our broken hearts and spirits to Him. He will create a clean heart and renew our spirit so we can fellowship with Him. Now that we walk with Him, He will break the power of our sinful flesh (Moab).

Mē or μή

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Mē or μή is a Greek word (Strong’s G 3361) and is used over 1000 times in the New Testament. While using the Mounce translation and website I saw this word in Matthew 5:17 – Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (NIV) I was actually studying the word “think” in the passage, but that is for another time.

Mē is the first of the two words translated as no in the passage. The second one is G3756 which is also used many times in the New Testament. Both words carry a negative thought and mean no or not.

My thought on the word Mē is very simple and has little to do with Greek grammar or tenses. When “me” takes center stage in what I am doing it translates into a big NO. We all have talents and abilities from the Father we are to use to bring glory to Jesus. The Holy Spirit may even have given you a spiritual gift for building up the Church. But when the “me” factor starts to shadow the glory, we are to give the Father and Jesus a mē and a οὐ has to come in. Another time when me needs a Mē is in dealing with other people, that “as yourself “part is easy to ignore.

So, Jesus = Yes and me = no. Father begin your reign on earth as it is in Heaven. Come Lord Jesus.

Anaginōskō – To Read

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Anaginōskō translates in English “to read”. It is in the Strong’s under G314 where you find it means to read, decern, or gather knowledge. Yes, there are several forms and tenses of this compound word in Greek, good luck with all of those. This study started with Luke 10:26 – He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? (KJV) It then led me to a very loose look at reading and gathering knowledge. (Thank you, Bible Gateway, and Mounce.) In Hebrew qara means to read.

I will flip back a few pages in the Bible to see how the written word and the transmission of its knowledge would take place.

  1. Exodus 24:7 – Moses wrote down the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people.
  2. Deuteronomy 17:19 – When a king started to rule, he was to write a copy of the Law and read it so he would fear the Lord and keep the commandments. We never read of one king doing that.
  3. Deuteronomy 31:11 – When Israel came together (At the Feast?) the Law was to be read to them. Nehemiah made this happen.   

Our God who loves righteousness and wants people to choose to follow Him needs people to be able to write, read, and hear His love Letter to them. That means two things:1. We have to read, hear, and study His word to know Him better. 2. The people who translate His word for us better do a faithful job. Isaiah 29:11-13 speak to this, if you cannot read or do not read His word, we will have man-made rules that do not honor the Father.

Jesus as our Master Teacher asks six times in the Book of Matthew, “Have you not read”. I see the meaning of Anaginōskō here as “Have you not gathered understanding by reading”. Those references are 12:3, 12:5, 19:4, 21:16, 21:42, and 22:31. In His Sermons from the Two Mounts He requires the learner/reader to decern the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken by the prophet Daniel in verse 24:15.

On your own. Anaginōskō or Strong’s G314 is used 32 times in the New Testament. Find and read the other times it is used and see what information and understanding you can gather.

Renewal, Regeneration, and Born Again

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This word study began in a “last to first” post in Matthew 9:28. That inquiry also generated a study for some other great words. Translators and dictionary makers have a demanding job, especially if they are keeping politics out of the final product. The words and phrases that caught my attention are very close in usage in our modern vernacular, I wonder what they were in the first century.

Strong: G3824 palingenesia a new birth; regeneration, renovation, Matthew 19:28; Titus 3:5.

Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (KJV)

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (KJV)

Strong: G342 anakainōsis renovation, renewal – Romans 12:2; Titus 3:5 

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)

Titus contains both of the first two words, which I found interesting. Paul is very careful with his words; I don’t think this was a mistake. More study on my part is required. This led me to the idea in John 3:3 and how it compares with the first two words.

Strong: G1080 and G509 gennaō anōthen birth from above or born-again John 3:3

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (KJV)

Mounce did a doctorial paper on the topic of new birth. I could only access the introduction. There seem to be other writers who have pondered this. For me, it is amazing that these few words occupy so much of our theology.

The verse in Matthew made me reflect on exactly what happened when Jesus came out of the tomb. Christianly has used many words to describe Jesus’ new state of being. For all practical purposes, He was born anew, with a glorified body and several new titles and responsibilities.

Sources were Mounce Interlinear and Strong’s Concordance.

Last to First with Some Great Words

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Matthew 19:28 to 20:16 is a formal lesson on last/first. Matthew recorded four great words Jesus used in this teaching. I have used Strong’s Concordance for many years, recently I found Mounce’s Greek Interlinear to help in my studies, like this one. Which for me is great because the New Testament can be Greek in my mind at times. Tools like these can expand your study, but they are just two of many helpful resources. Go outside your box every now and then and let the Spirit expand your knowledge.

The four words that caught my attention have limited use in the New Testament, are important to the tone of the lesson, and/or I thought they were funny.

Palingenesia – Strong: G3824 is used by Jesus, in verse 28, to introduce and set the tone for His answer to Peter and to give a timeframe for His teaching. Regeneration is maybe the best translation for this word, but you may see new birth, renewal, or renovation in some translations. It is used twice in the New Testament; the other time is in Titus 3:5. Jesus includes the disciples and gives it a heavenly tone, but contrasts this against the thought that part of the receiving will be done here on earth.

Hama – Strong: G260. In 29:1 it is “early in the morning”. Hama is used 10x in the New Testament, in most of the other verses it is “at the same time”. Since the landowner is hiring workers at various times that is okay. If you reflect on the second usage, I believe it can change how view the Father’s desire and consistent practice of getting laborers into His field. 

Misthoō – Strong: G3409. It means to hire out. This word is used only twice in the New Testament- Matthew 20:1, 7. These refer to the first and the last workers to be hired, the third, sixth, and ninth-hour workers are offered payment and told to go. The first ones the owner went to hire and the last men no one had hired.

Ouchi – Strong: G3780. It appears in Matthew 20:13 and means “not or no”, the no is emphasized. The first hired are complaining and the owner says he is not unfair on the wages. Ouchi is used many times in the New Testament.

I believe these four great words, that Jesus uses, demonstrate how important the first to last and last to first concept is in the Kingdom.