Amos 3:3: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
I almost overlooked doing a Hebrew study of this verse as the meaning seemed to be so clear cut. I mean what more could we find about this verse. Could it be saying something more? I mentioned this verse to my study partner and that began a discussion and study into certain words. What we found might be a good message for the church today.
First thing is that this verse is an interrogative or in the form of a question. Grammatically in the Hebrew it is not in the form of a question, but that does not mean you cannot translate it as a question. If the context calls for it, then do it. Obvious, just to say, two walking together cannot be agreed makes little sense. It has to be a question. Or does it?
Let’s think out of the box a second. The word can is not there in the Hebrew, it is just implied. The word walk is heyeliku from the root word yalak meaning to walk often used to express a righteous walk. Grammatical this word is in a Hiphal imperative form. It is a command. Thus it would read, “Two shall walk a righteous walk together.” (in other words…walking in God’s will and His purpose together). The next couple words are very interesting. It is bileti im, which means except if. It is expressed as except if they be agreed. That is a little rough. If I am following the idea of a command, then there should a condition attached. Thus, I would render this as: “Two shall walk together only if they are agreed.”
You may ask, does that not mean the same thing as my translation says when put it into a question? My answer is, yes it does. I just prefer to view this as a command rather than a rhetorical question which is my personal bias. It is the meaning behind the words for together and agreed that I find very interesting and may add some insight into this which could have implications for the church today.
The word together is yachadu from the root word yachad. This sounds an awful lot like the word echad. The ancient rabbis saw a relationship between these two words. Echad means one and is often applied to a collective one. Like one baseball team, which is made up of many players. One family which is made up of two or more people. However echad shows a oneness where each member of that one body walk in lock step with each other. Deuteronomy 6:4 uses the word echad as “Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one.” That one is echad. We Christians believe God is one God but in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each are equal, walking in lock step with each other in thought, deed and word such that they are one. Now I am not trying to explain the trinity I am only trying to explain that the word echad is a collective one. I once knew someone who was the President, Secretary and Treasurer of an organization. One man performing three roles that fits echad. His style, his manner and person are identical in each role.
Yet when God points out two walking together the word used for together is yachad. This is spelled with a Yod and not an Aleph. The ancient sages point out that the Yod is the only letter in the Hebrew Alphabet that has no base. It is floating in the air, it shows a sense of freedom and independence. My study partner pointed out that it could be a picture of a person who is a free spirit. They are not a lone wolf and do desires to be connected as part of a group, however they will always think for themselves and does what’s right according to their own heart in their walk with God.
That really expresses the idea of the yachah. Yachah is a oneness or togetherness of two different people with two different ideas and thoughts. The Yod is also the word for hand. Indeed the most common way that two people join together physically is by joining hands. Years ago during the civil rights movement a solidarity would be shown between blacks and whites when they would join hands in a march. Joining hands is a way of showing solidarity even if the two are totally different. A man and woman may be two totally different people but if they are married they are united under the common bond of love.
This last word really ties this together in an interesting way. It is the word our English translations render as agreed. In Hebrew it is the word no’adu which comes from the root word ya’ad. Ya’ad gives us many English words to choose from. We have to fix, appoint, assemble, meet, set and even betroth. Another use of this word is solidarity. It comes from an old Akkadian word meaning to decide. All these words carry a common element of making a decision or a commitment. A decision or commitment is made when you agree to meet, assemble or to marry as in a betrothal. .
So let’s just say we follow the grammatical implication of a command, how would that play out in the English. It would be something like this. Two will be caused to walk together (even if they are a different race, doctrine, creed or theology they will hold hands) only if they make a decision or commitment to each other.
The way this plays out is that God is saying, we cannot walk with Him if we do not make a commitment to Him, He will gladly make a commitment to us which He already has, it is up to us to make a commitment to Him. If we do not make a commitment or decision for Him we cannot walk with Him. Us Baptist call it getting saved. We even say that when a person accepts Jesus as his personal Savior he is making a commitment to Him.
This also plays out in your local fellowship or church. People of many different backgrounds, races and even doctrines come together to worship God. They will not be able to worship together unless they make a commitment to each other. That does not mean they have to dress like you, talk like you, behave like you. That is echad. This is yachad, They must be allowed to be the person God created them to be, to express themselves the way God created them to express themselves and we are to still join hands with them in solidarity of our common bond in our love for Jesus. There is unity in diversity. Let’s give each other the freedom to be ourselves!
Recent Comments