HEBREW WORD STUDY – REVIVE US – TECHAYENU תחינו
Psalms 85:6: “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”
This Psalm is a plea from the Sons of Korah. It is believed that these were descendants of Korah the man who revolted against Moses in Numbers 16:1-40. Korah and his followers were destroyed when God sent fire from heaven to destroy him and the 249 co-conspirators. Dathan and Abiram who were also part of the rebellion were swallowed up by an earthquake which also took their families as well. So the only survivors of this rebellion were those of the family of Korah and they were relegated to live a life as porters or janitors in the temple. They were never allowed to own land or hold a position of honor or respect. The name Korah means baldness or blank. I read something interesting in the Talmud Sanhedrin 109a this evening that this name Korah was given to account for the gap or blank which Korah made in his revolt and now, unlike his co-conspirators, his family was spared to be servants and live a life of servitude as a reminder of the gap that rebellion can create.
Yet, who was it that wrote this beautiful poem in Psalms 85 declaring submission to God and calling for God to bring revival. It was a descendant of the greatest rebel in Israel’s history. They were the ones who saw the disobedience and went to the temple and encouraged the priest to arouse the people in faith and obedience to God. Their plea, “Will you not revive us again.”
Have you ever been part of a fellowship or church and for whatever reason you suddenly found yourself on the outside, rejected told you could not be a part of that fellowship or just simply shunned to the point where you just had to leave. Maybe it was a divorce, a pregnancy out of wedlock, a sexual orientation or some criminal conviction. Any number of things could cause the self-righteous to turn on you or shun you. Maybe you did nothing wrong at all but were just the victim of slanderous gossip or you have Asperger’s Syndrome and drove everyone nuts. Could you, like the descendants of Korah, pray and ask God to revive the people so that they, not necessarily you, might rejoice again?
Look at that word revive. It is the word techayenu from the root word chayah. I remember I was in a charismatic church where they believed that speaking in tongues was one way God would bring us a message. There was one old boy, a church elder, who week after week he kept bringing a message in tongues to the congregation only it was just one-word tachayenu. Over and over week after week he would just repeat that one word before the congregation. If he wasn’t an elder who was one of the church’s biggest financial backers I am sure many people would have told him to keep quiet, especially the pastor. Every time old George stood up I could see this sick look come over the pastor’s face I am sure he was thinking: “Hoo boy here we go again, but he is an elder if I shut him up, well, I wonder if my real estate license is still good.” I overheard people snickering in the background. Some whispering to friends: “Poor old George, but let him go if it makes him feel better.” “Poor George, but when one gets old like him I guess you do tend to lose it.” The more generous ones would really try to make it seem like he was speaking in tongues and would say; “It really sounds like native American, maybe Cherokee.” This went on for many weeks and I finally got tired of seeing people roll their eyes so I finally spoke up. At the time I prided myself as the non-believer of tongues, the one who kept his head and did go off on that craziness but I had to defend old George and maybe teach these cynical people who think they are tapped into these spiritual gifts a lesson.
I shouted out; “Doggone it anyways, Didn’t anyone see Fiddler on the Roof? LaChaim – to life. He is speaking from Psalms 85:6, an old classical Hebrew word which comes from the Phoenician root chayim or chaim in Hebrew meaning life, only in this particular verbal form it means to restore life, bring life back, to revive or revival.
So now you know the origin of my pen name Chaim Bentorah. Bentorah literally means son of the law, but in light of Psalms 85 to me, Chaim Bentorah means to find life in being a student of the Word of God. My mission is to encourage other believers to dig into the Word of God, to become a student of the Word of God and when you do, you discover chaim, life both physical and spiritual. I spend a minimum of three to four hours a day studying the Word of God in the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic and every day the Word of God breathes new life into me, I am revived.
Thank you Chaimbentorah ! I HAVE been trying to get my Mom to Go to church SINCE she grew up going to church but now would rather Not live that lifestyle.I Spread the GOSPEL but She doesn’t want to hear it… JESUS said ” DON’T cast your pearls to Swine.” She DOES know better!
Chaim, You have no idea how much your messages speak the Lord’s comfort to me. Unknown to me, my ex had had an affair for many years. And once both of my kids had entered college, I was told that he was spreading rumors about me. Then he demanded a divorce. He was the worship leader and so every one turned against me. So I had to move and I got a teaching job in NC. Once in NC, I found out that there were Messianic congregations that followed both Old and New Testament traditions. I found a small fellowship that I attended in Raleigh. After the service, the men would gather in groups and discuss the Hebrew and it was there that I became interested in Hebrew studies. The women were not interested and gathered in the back rooms to discuss grandchildren and eat chips and dip. I had no grandchildren to discuss and I had multiple food sensitivities so I could not eat their chips and dip. However I was extremely interested in the Hebrew studies. Now the guys all gathered in the open part of the little church where the pews were – not in some back corners. The women told me that if I was to continue coming to that church that I had to fellowship with the women. In their eyes, they could not understand how a woman could be interested in all that Hebrew stuff. In their eyes, I was a fallen, divorced woman out to get their husbands – so I had to leave. Anyway, I can identify with you enormously – and it is reassuring to me that I am not the only one that does not quite fit in. Shalom, shalom, Annie
I hope you get this dear sister. We too are a lot alike. I live in mccaysville, ga… its part of the bible belt which I am praying God will lossen so it can grow but I haven’t found anyone like myself but I am very weird. I love all my brothers and sisters but I cannot be like them. I am not suppose to be. God is my walking and talking buddy but like a baby I show my butt at times. I love Bentorah’s teaching which I totally believe our Father sent him to us all for a closer relationship with him. I find it hard not to judge people and I think it’s because of a spirit of rebellion all around this place and even I have it in me but the Lord keeps showing me and I know he is digging that thorne out. Roots can be so very deep. Don’t know why I told you about that but my prayers for the Fathers will to be done in your life are with you. I have been divorced with 3 children and am remarried with 1 child by him. If I cut my life up and went back to my first husband it would just add to all the distruction thats already been done. All I know to do is believe Jesus has wiped the plate clean and so I will remain where I am cause the devil really wants our marrage destroyed. The Lord give you his peace and keep you strong. Brenda
Beautifully said!!!!
Yes.!!!!!! Thank you .
Thank you. I really enjoy your candor. This “thing” I am seeing in your sharing is; unwanted or unwelcome circumstances provide opportunities for a negative or positive outcome, depending on the choice I make. Law can bring death…Law interpreted through Christ brings life. I am finding in the appearance of a negative..the choice for “what Jesus would choose,” a positive. The outcomes are miraculous. Thank you. In Hawaii we say Mahalo.
Your dedication to studying God’s Word is inspiring! I’m thankful for the window of understanding being opened through this site!
Is there a way to assist a novice like me, with the proper pronunciation of the Hebrew words?
Thank you!
Chaim, thanks so much for your daily encouragement and lessons. I’ve been saving them all ever since I ran across them several years ago while I was searching for a way to learn biblical Hebrew so I could search out the hidden messages in the original text. Little did I know that you were doing exactly that and sharing those things with your daily email. I have been so blessed and encouraged and have been led to study and pray and read devotionals as I am going through a time of struggle in my life. I’m retired now, but I am building a house now and it’s been quite a rough time. I was a carpenter and builder for a few years and have done all my own building and remodeling my whole life, but I have trouble remembering how to do things I’ve done many times before, I lose tools, measure things wrong and generally mess things up. I get so frustrated and angry at myself that I end up berating myself and and doubting myself and am so afraid that I am losing my mind that I start ranting and raving and cussing and even doubting my salvation. But every morning I start reading my devotionals and your word study and am always encouraged and reminded that Jesus loves me, even me, in spite of all my failures. Thanks so much.