HEBREW WORD STUDY – MY PORTION – NACHALI נחלי Nun Cheth Lamed Yod
Joshua 13:33: “But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not [any] inheritance: the LORD God of Israel [was] their inheritance, as he said unto them.”
There’s a story in Jewish literature about a man who had eleven sons. He decided that he would give his sons their inheritance before he died and then give them one year to see how well they invested it and what sort of return they received. When it came to his eleventh son to accept his portion of the inheritance the father realized he had errored in his calculations and there was nothing left for the eleventh son. But the father handed his eleventh son a piece of paper and said: “I am giving you the greatest portion of my inheritance. On that piece of paper were 10 names of the father’s best friends and business contacts. After one year the sons returned to their father to report their earnings and losses. The son with the greatest earning, more than all of the earnings of the other 10 sons put together was, of course, the son who received no portion of the inheritance but only ten names.
The word inheritance in the Hebrew is nachalah from the root word nachal which means inheritance but in its Semitic root it is a word for a stream that is flowing downward. That is what an inheritance is, the wealth of the father flowing down to the next generation. We often think of an inheritance as wealth, property or possessions left by someone who passes away because, as we all know, you can’t take it with you.
I’ve always been a bit bothered by the word inheritance as it is used with the idea of someone dying. It was indeed land which God had promised to the children of Israel which flowed down from Him but it was not really inherited in the strict sense of the English word inherit. You inherit something when someone dies. No one died and it was still God’s land. What God did was portion the land out. Your Lexicons may not use the word portion but I have found nachal used in extra Biblical literature for portion. Most all your Modern English translations say inheritance but I have found that the Christian Standard Bible and the Holman Bible uses the word portion. I like that word.
I like the word portion rather than inheritance as inheritance suggests that the prior owner died or became incapacitated. Jesus may have died but He rose from the dead ready to reclaim his property. Portion suggest more of just a division of property or wealth. It has the idea of dividing something up from one big pot of stew with each member getting a portion.
I am making a big deal out of this because eleven tribes all got something material, something tangible except the tribe of Levi, they got nothing. There were given no land to cultivate and feed their families. But the Bible says that the Lord God was their nachal. On the one hand you could say they walked away with nothing but on the other hand you could say they got the greatest portion of all.
In 1905 a lyricist Civilla D. Martin tells of a friendship he and his wife developed with a couple. The wife of this couple had been bedridden for twenty years and the husband was bound to a wheel chair, forced to conduct business for their personal survival from a wheelchair. Yet, their home projected happiness, joy and hope. One day Civilla asked the man their secret of his joy and he simply said: “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.” You, of course, know that song which has become a beloved Gospel song for over a hundred years and is still sung today. There is one line of that song that I personally cherish. “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows fall. When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He…”
Today I listened to a man on You Tube who is noted for his Jewish approach to Scripture. He has written a number of books that became New York Times Best Sellers. He appears on television and has met with presidents. He has become personally wealthy through his books alone. I thought of myself, I have more education and degree after my name than, in fact he has none. I also have a number of books publish, but none sell like his books. I live from paycheck to paycheck, I am well past retirement age at 69 years but I am still driving a disability bus to make ends meet. I worry what might happen if my health fails and I am unable to work anymore, how will I survive? I began to complain to the Lord. “Why does someone who writes books about things I have known for years, who does not even has no academic or research degrees, why does he have such a large platform? Without thinking I used words: “Lord, where is my portion?”
I suddenly felt my portion, I felt that hug from God, that tender, sweet presence as I wept out my frustrations and quietly told the Lord, “Yes, I’ll take that portion, that is all I need.”
Ethel Waters sang that song in a Broadway play. The play failed but the song became a worldwide hit. She soon failed in her acting and music career and was living in poverty surviving on small royalty checks. Billy Graham came to New York and Ethel Waters joined his 3,000 voice choir. Someone told Cliff Barrows that Ethel Waters was in the choir and when he found out he asked her to sing “His Eye in On the Sparrow.” When she did Billy asked her to join the team and she spent the rest of her life singing this song to millions of people. You might say the song was her inheritance or her portion. But it wasn’t. In fact as a small child her mother was a prostitute and she had no idea who her father was. Other children would tease her, torment her because of her mother’s reputation and many times she would run home and fall into her grandmother’s arms weeping. He grandmother would pick her up and sing a little lullaby with the words: “Why should you be discouraged? Why should the shadows fall, when Jesus is your portion.”
The day that the Broadway director asked her to sing a lullaby on stage, any would do, Jesus was already her portion, her career was not her portion. When Billy Graham asked her to sing, Jesus was all the portion she needed. When Chaim looks at his meager bank account, I can smile for I have my inheritance, my portion and it is not found in that bank and I am fully satisfied with my portion.
This brought to mind Chaim’s comment about the sparrow “falling” from Matthew 10:29– “If not even a sparrow is allowed to fall from a nest, yet still closely guarded by the mother bird without God’s approval, then how much more is His loving, watchful caring for us.”
I am sitting here with such a lump in my throat. So encouraged! and what a reminder the Jesus is our inheritance / portion. Thank you.
This is one subject I will not understand until Jesus Himself reveals it to me. I’ve pondered this for years with no conclusion no closure.
I’ve landed here most of the time in all the wisdom written about our lives here on the earth.
Here goes:
The Lord’s joy over us is our strength. His joy of finding His home in us is our strength. Him rejoicing over us with singing is our strength. We are His treasure and His faith in us gives me strength.
My portion/territory is nachalati נחלתי not nachali נחלי which is not really in any use as it means my stream. Stream is used in the meaning of brook, not flow.
Ezra, Chaim said that he is drawing his information from the Talmud and is interested to know what your source is.Thank you,
(Chaim)
Hi Ezra, they come from the same root word. Stream and flowing have the same meaning.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Beautifully written ! Beautifully said! Thank you for your words- for using the knowledge you have to make GOD’s word clearer and so much more profound. Thank you for being the light of understanding that GOD has given to me so that I can continue to grow in my faith. God bless you.
Thank you Chaim once again for an exciting study! I listened to Archbishop Duncan Williams in a sermon saying that John the baptist was the most successful prophet of the old testament, and yet his only job, was to pave the way for Jesus. He healed no sick people. He didn’t perform miracles. He had only one word – One that comes after me, is greater than me! Repent, for the Kingdom is at hand.
What may be success to the world, may not be success to God! He is our portion!!! He is our treasure!! Hallelujah!
This is one subject I will not understand until Jesus Himself reveals it to me. I’ve pondered this for years with no conclusion no closure.
I’ve landed here most of the time in all the wisdom written about our lives here on the earth.
Here goes:
The Lord’s joy over us is our strength. His joy of finding His home in us is our strength. Him rejoicing over us with singing is our strength. We are His treasure and His faith in us gives me strength.
That is a lovely story. Thank you for sharing. It is ALWAYS good to be reminded that Jesus is the ONLY portion we actually need. So grateful.
That was beautiful and spoke to my heart. My family has all done really well financially and career wise but none of them have Jesus in thier life and I am so grateful I answered the call. When I am tempted to compare myself I will remember your story.
My brother I know of what you speak. I too am totally dependent on God as my portion in all He has me do. The Holy Spirit is my Comfort and Provider. My heart is His as I know yours is! Be blessed because you share your portion with us who read your words even daily!
Thank you for that I keep sparrows on my desk to remind me of His care for me and mine. Love your heart Chaim He truly is your portion
And I keep two doves in my living room to remind me how’ Gentle God’s Spirit is. Say hi to your sparrows for me May they continue to speak of your importance to God.