Psalms 119:17: “Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word.”

Yesterday I looked at Psalms 119:11 and the word for word was amar.  Today, just six verses further down and the word word this time in the Hebrew it is the word devar.  Both amar and devar are translated as word, utterances, speak and other similar English equivalents.  However, how can two decidedly different Hebrew words mean the same thing? The Talmud teaches that there are no synonyms in Classical Hebrew.    Unlike English which has over a million words in the language we can have something that  express entirely different words but mean the same thing.  For instance I may look at an object and call it a rock, you may call it a boulder, another person may call it a stone and some may even call it a pebble.  It all pretty much means the same thing although there is a difference between a boulder which is a large stone and a pebble which is a small stone, they are still the same in substance, but different in size.  Yet, in Classical Hebrew there still must be a difference like boulder and pebble. Maybe is has the same substance, but there is something that makes it different.   Amar and devar is like a boulder and a pebble, both mean the same thing and yet are different.

Amar involves words of  purpose to explain, give directions etc.  Devar has that element, but devar are words which are powerful for they are spoken from the heart.  David says that if God deals bountifully with him, he will keep his davar, the words he spoke from his heart.  The word keep is shamar.  Shamar means to watch over or guard.  As a noun it is a watchman or guardian.   David is saying that if God deals bountifully with him he will be a guardian of His devar words of power spoken from his heart.

So what does it mean to deal bountifully?  The word is gimol which is the same root as gimmel, the name of the letter gimmel.  Gimol has the idea of being nourished and weaned.  It also carries the idea of bringing to maturityBountiful therefore has the idea of being brought to a point of fulfillment or maturity.

What David is saying is that if God will deal bountifully with him, or bring him to maturity he will be a guardian of God’s Word words spoken from God’s heart.  There is something important in all this but I just can’t seem to grasp it. I really need some help. I don’t mean going to a commentary. I don’t want to learn another man’s opinion, I want to learn it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak or amar.  I want to learn it right from the word gimol itself, I want to dig deep into this word, mine the gems from this word.   So I look at my Hebrew Bible and say: “Ok, Gimol,  let’s have it, I need some answers here.”

Suddenly,  Gimol (Gimmel, Mem, and Lamed) jump out of my Hebrew Bible.  They are wearing a coal miner’s outfit, complete with coal miner’s helmets with a light. Well, Gimmel said, you wanted to go mining did you not?  I shrug grab my nap sack and follow Gimmel, Mem and Lamed to my Daleth and then we jump through the Look Glass into another adventure in Hebrew Esoteric Land.

I find I am now in a coal mining cave following Gimmel.  I recall how a rabbi explained that he letter Gimmel looks like a wealthy man running to aid one who is poor.  Of course I am really here to search out this word devar or words spoken from the heart.  If I should find devar, I will be rich, bountiful and Gimmel is telling me that God is giving me this treasure, to make me rich in His Word so that I can share it with others.

We continue walking deeper into this mine and I reflect on Mem (revealed knowledge of God) who is in the center of Gimol (bountiful). He is carefully examining the walls, running his hands over the dark coal.  “What is he looking for?” I wonder?  I feel Lamed the third letter in Gimol touching my shoulder.  “He is looking for something that can only come from extreme pressure over a long period of time.”  I looked at Lamed and replied: “I can sure relate to that. I know what it is like to be under extreme pressure for a long period of time. I sure hope he finds something worth while.”   Lamed only smiled and said: “Indeed, it is the pressures of life over a period of time that will bring you to the maturity that will be necessary for you to carry devar, Words from God’s heart.   You see, I am Lamed, the last letter in the word Gimol (bountiful). I represent prayer. God may deal bountifully with you but without prayer, what good is it?  You see it will take  much prayer to make sure that the pressure is not too little or too great.”

So we following Lamed’s direction we prayerfully proceed and now it is getting very very hot and very dark.  “A volcano” I shout, “You brought me into a volcano!”   I panic and start to run but  Gimmel and Lamed hold me down as I attempt to run back to my Looking Glass.  Mem, who represents the revealed knowledge of God touches my forehead.  I suddenly realize that coal, pressure, volcanic heat after a period of time creates something that will make our journey worthwhile.  But thinking back to my own learning, I wonder if what I think we are searching for is right as that is supposed to take thousands of years.  Mem reads my thoughts and says: “The Word of God is not only thousands of years old, it is infinite.”

Gimmel suddenly turns around and calmly announces, “We’ve arrived.”  “I don’t see anything.” I cry out.   Then Gimmel, Mem and Lamed flash their lights on the forward wall and I see them, glistening in the lights of Gimmel, Mem, and Lamed (bountiful and mature).  They are indeed beautiful and priceless, they are diamonds just like God’s devar Words from His heart.

Gimol (bountiful, full maturity) guide me back to my Looking Glass where I pass through to my office. Resting back in my office I consider what Gimol taught me.  Pressure and the heat of a volcano over a period of time will turn black coal into diamonds.   The Word, the davar, or the Words from God’s heart are truly diamonds that God will entrust to those He have  matured and sometimes that maturity comes through great pressure and heat over a period of time.  The Word of God has stood the pressure and fires of time, and to be worthy of carrying His Word, we too must be faithful to stand the pressures and fires of time to bring us to that maturity level to carry the Words from His Heart, His devar.

 

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