ARAMAIC WORD STUDY – ASKING IN THE FLESH – DABISH’IT SHA’IT דבישאית שאלין Daleth Beth Yod shin Aleph Yod Taw Shin Aleph Lamed Yod Nun
Matthew 18:19-20: Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”
“Where two or three are gathered together to study Torah, the Divine Presence is in their midst.” The Talmud
The most common interpretation of Matthew 18:19-20 is such a sacred cow for Western Christians that if anyone dare suggest that our interpretation is even slightly contrary to the standard interpretation that would be like suggesting that apple pie and mothers were un-American. Yet, everytime I attend a prayer meeting and I hear someone say, “Let’s agree in prayer,” I can’t help but stop and think about what they are really saying. I mean is God going to be more motivated to answer a prayer if three people are praying than if one. What if I am alone and have no one to pray in agreement with me over an urgent matter? Am I out of luck? Is God up there in heaven shaking head saying; “Chaim, Chaim, when are you going to learn you need at least two or three others agreeing with you in prayer before you can expect an answer.” Doesn’t that contradict what it tells us in James 5 that the prayer of a (that is one) righteous man can avail much?
In the Greek, Matthew 18:19 literally reads: “Again, amen, I am saying to you that if ever two shall be in agreement out of you on the land in every matter that they are requesting it shall be becoming to them.” Here is the key, the idea is not to be ganging up on the Lord and storming the palace hoping he will give in and give you want you want. It is the idea that someone is agreeing with you that your request is within the will of God. If that person does not agree, then a third person is called in to arbitrate the dispute and bring everyone into agreement. In James 4:3 we learn that: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.” The word amiss in Aramaic is dabishiait which has the idea of asking in the flesh. In other words you are praying for fleshly desires and not heavenly desires.
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
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The Aramaic word Jesus used for agree is nashatuon which in this particular grammatical form means to be found worthy. When people come together to pray many have various motives. Some like to show off their piousness, some like to preach a little sermon when they pray or to show off their great oratory ability, some just pray out of group pressure. But if only two or three are praying the fervent prayer of a righteous person, and they are worthy, that is they are not asking to fulfill their own fleshly desires or lust but only to fulfill the will of God, the request will be granted. Where two or three are found worthy ie., they are not asking for their own vanity but for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Jesus almost quotes verse 20 from Oral Tradition which later became the Talmud. The Talmud teaches : “Where two or three are gathered together to study Torah, the Divine Presence is in their midst.” Ancient Jews, and even today, would never study Scripture alone. The Talmud admonishes one never to study the Torah alone. Some people would actually hire someone and pay them to study the Torah with them, just so they would not have to study it alone. Of course, you are going to say that the passage in Matthew is clearly speaking about our prayer request and not studying the Bible. We would say that because our mindset in our Western Culture is “me” oriented. To many people God is merely a celestial vending machine. Pop in a few token prayers, push the button and out comes what you want. For many in our Western society, Christianity is a marriage of convenience with God. The purpose of such a marriage is to insured that one’s personal needs come first. In Jewish thinking, however, it is a marriage of love where the needs of the other come first. So, we approach Matthew 18 not as “Ah ha, a formula to get my prayers answered” but rather as another deep teaching by Jesus. The reason the Talmud says “Where two or three are gathered together…” and most likely why Jesus used this common expression is that when two people study together, a problem sometimes arises. The two may disagree over how to interpret a passage. When this happens, a third person, often a rabbi, is brought in to bring the two into an agreement. It also happens when we make a request to God. We should have a prayer partner who will confirm our request. If there is a disagreement that the request is not of God but of the flesh, you may need to bring in a third party to help bring all into agreement that they are praying the will of God and not asking out of fleshly motives.
Simply put this passage is speaking more of the unity of the body rather than offering a formula to get your prayers answered.
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
Wow. Once again, Thank you.
I will never be able to hear that verse again apart from this teaching. Good stuff!
This is super eye opening. Thanks for widening perspective away from the “me”-oriented lens we struggle with reading the Bible through.
At the end there you said “… We should have a prayer partner who will confirm our request. If there is a disagreement that the request is not of God but of the flesh, you may need to bring in a third party to help bring all into agreement that they are praying the will of God and not asking out of fleshly motives.”
How does this look practically in a believers prayer life? And if there was a prayer that wasn’t in accordance, how would one go about calling that out without causing defense and further discourse?
With scripture
Oh Chaim, Such a troubling fact in much of scripture interpretation in the Christian church. I could write a book on this topic! After the Holy Spirit revealed to me the Hebraic roots of Christianity, my theology did a 360. I literally felt that most of what I had been taught up to that point was incorrect. As I began to study Torah and purchased many Hebraic commentaries I felt such heartbreak. I felt like I no longer belonged in the church and I didn’t belong in the Synagogue either. I read once that revelation brings sorrow, and that’s what I was feeling. Every time my prayer partner and others in my church began to pray and quote scripture incorrectly I would cringe. When I tried to impart what the Lord was revealing to me to my prayer partner of 12 years, she told me I needed to “check” myself. I always taught in my classes that scripture misinterpreted was scripture misapplied. I prayed fervently [fervently, alone!!] that the Holy Spirit would reveal to others what He had revealed to me but it never happened. I truly believe that the only way to have a Messianic mindset is by holy, Spirit breathed revelation that strikes deep in the heart. I am so grateful that I found your books and now getting a daily teaching from you is the frosting on the cake, thank you so much. Being alone now, I look forward every day to your email. I pray that the Lord continues to bless you so that I am blessed. Sorry if that’s a fleshly prayer!! Hope the Lord overlooks that.
MaryEllen, I love to study deeper and to learn the Hebraic and Aramaic also. I’m in a prayer group of five ladies who are each from a Post Abortion Bible study I lead. Each are at a different level of Understanding Scripture but what keeps us together is the humility of having been forgiven. Though I never had an abortion, we are all equal at the foot of the Cross in needing the simple Gospel of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. I was once less knowledgeable about Scripture so I cannot look down on the lady who is newer to reading Gods Word. Often when she sends a short verse, she will say ,”This spoke to me today with what I need prayer for.” As we respond, we can humbly thank her and share how it speaks to each of us. She is encouraged to think deeper and we are blessed to reflect again on a simpler level. Knowledge should never bring pride which isolates. God looks at the heart not head knowledge after all, the their on the cross next to Jesus was saved with a simple repentant heartfelt prayer. I pray you can find a prayer partner who will share your enthusiasm for learning and will enable you to reflect on the simple Gospel .
I so agree with Janet. I would like to add that it seems in the Western Christian mindset prayer is all about me, me, me. Give me, give me. How did Jesus teach us to pray? It was Our Father. Give us, forgive us, lead us,, deliver us, When the Jews pray they are praying as a community even when alone. They don’t even call a personal request prayer, it is a petition.
Hi Janet, thanks for the feedback and thank you for the prayer. My prayer partner of 22 years passed away from lung cancer a few years ago and it’s been pretty difficult being without her. We spoke and prayed together on a daily basis. For 12 years we conducted a weekly women’s bible study and prayer group in her home, where God moved among us mightily. She was the most generous person I have ever known, hysterically funny and filled with the Holy Spirit. I loved her very much. I too am a post abortion follower of Christ who loved me and gave Himself for me when I was yet a sinner.
Maryellen, I have struggled with the same – not feeling completely right either with other Jews (traditional who are incomplete in their faith in Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah) or with gentile Christians, because although the power of what is taught from Scripture is used by the Holy Spirit, the power of what isn’t being taught because of the early direction the church took pushing away from Jewish people, even Jewish believers over time, much was lost and anti-Semitism was brought into the church. The thing that I remember is my limited perspective isn’t G-d’s perspective, and as my pastor’s wife said recently, “I believe that G-d is in the business of healing and restoration.” She was talking about evil being used for good, and His love for each of us. We can study and rediscover things lost by the direction the church took away from the Jewish cultural understanding while remembering G-d knows what He is doing. We can share, but not out of selfishness.
Very good! It makes so much more sense. You are spot on about our Western mindset……all about me. This helps me to remember to check my motives!