HEBREW WORD STUDY – WHERE ARE YOU – AYEKAH – איכה  Aleph Yod Kap Hei 

Genesis 3:9: “And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto Adam, ‘Where are you?’”

נLately with my Hebrew class on our All Access I have been encouraging my students to think out of the box.  Just because a translator chose a certain English word to fit a Hebrew word does not necessarily mean that is the final say. Not by a long shot., There are many other possible words to choose from and 450 different Modern English translations of the Bible is proof enough of that. 

Sometimes I read our English translation of a verse and I just feel in my spirit, that this rendering doesn’t fit. Genesis 3:9 is such a verse. 

I don’t know about you, maybe it is just me, but somehow the idea of God wandering around the garden unable to locate Adam and having to call out to him, hoping for some response so he could find him, just doesn’t seem to make much sense to me.  I mean if God had problems locating Adam because he was hiding in some bushes, then that picture does not inspire much confidence in me as to God’s ability to keep track of me 24/7.  Yet, it appears our modern translators have no problem with this little bit of context. 

Do you for a moment believe that God didn’t know where Adam was hiding?   Yet, practically every modern translation will translate the word alyekah as “Where are you?”  But we do have options, always options and this word “alyekah” has options for your consideration. As always, I am not saying your translation is wrong, I am just saying let’s look at these options. Due to time factor, I will offer just one option which I like.  Maybe it will make more sense. Translators, however, will not use this option for two reasons.  One, is that there are no English words we can use for this alternative rendering and the second reason is that even if we found some English words that fit, we certain don’t want to ascribe something like that to God.  You see, it would come out to be something like this: “O’ woe is me, woe is me.”  We most certainly do not want to ascribe such human grief to God.  But, then again, are we not made in His image?

Turn to the Book of Lamentations.  If your Bible has the Hebrew rendering for the word “Lamentations,” you will note that it is the same word “elyekah” just a difference in one vowel pointing inserted by the Masoretes. Just as the Jews, we Christians do not accept the Masoretic text as inspired.  So let’s look at the root word which is ayin, like the letter. Ay is an adverb interrogative means when, where, how, and so forth.  But it is also used in extra Biblical literature, I have found, as an expression of grief, mourning or lamentations.  

Now can you picture God wandering through the garden, weeping and saying “O woe is me?”  Most Christians seem to have a hard time picturing God as weeping over his lost children.  Hence we take the more appropriate rendering of  “Where are you,” even though an all seeing, all knowing God where know where Adam is hiding. 

We get yet, another clue to the possible rendering from the previous verse.  Note Adam and Eve were not hiding from God, they were hiding from the presence of God.  They had willfully separated themselves from the presence of God. It was not their sin that separated them from God but the guilt.  God didn’t remove Himself from them, they removed themselves from God.  

Why did they hid from the presence of God?  Adam said they were naked.  Another little mystery, why did they not want God to see them naked?  He is after all the master Physician, He knows the human anatomy better than anyone.  There should be nothing shameful for God to see them naked.  The word “naked” used here comes from a questionable root.  It could be ‘aram which means naked, but could also mean to act prudently, wisely, or cautiously. This word could also come from the root ‘eyar which would then mean to be in agony as the agony of death.  

So much of translation work, particularly when translating from the ancient Hebrew, reflects your understanding and world view of God.  As I find myself drawn to the heart of God, I find my translation of certain passages to assume some of the alternative renderings.  This is one such case.  If you believe in a God who can’t find you if you hid yourself in some bushes and is repulsed if He sees you naked, then go with the standard translation: “Adam where are you”  “I am hiding in the bushes because I am naked.”   There is an alternative rendering that is also possible and one that I find drawn to. However, I can find no English words to give such a translation, I can only describe it.   It would be the cry of a lover who is separated from his beloved and his beloved is hiding from her lover’s presence because she was in agony over having betrayed her lover.  We have a God who is grief stricken, not angry over your sins. He is grief stricken because the sin has caused you to hide from His presence that He longs to share with you.  The history of the church seems to suggest that they would like you to consider God as a taskmaster ready to whip you in line.  In my 13 year search for the heart of God, I have found no such God, I have found a lover who has open arms, ready to hug you, forgive you and seduce you into submission into submission to Him.