Hebrew Word Study – New Beginning – Yiphasechu – Yod Pei Sade Cheth Vav
Isaiah 55:12: “For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you with singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Summer and winter, springtime and harvest
Sun moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
– Thomas Chisholm, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”
Have you ever been filled with the joy of the Lord such that it seems like all nature joins with you in praising God? I really believe that this is what the prophet Isaiah is trying to express here. I recall years ago when I was working as a caregiver I was sitting with a client on his porch. As a caregiver, I had a client who was pretty unresponsive and so I was just looking out over his backyard when a chipmunk ran up on the porch. You know how they are, once they see you they stop, get up on their hind legs, and twitch their nose at you as if to say: “Hello Chaim, mighty fine day we’re having” and then they run off. Only on this occasion, I suggested to my furry chipmunk friend, that he join me in a little worship session with our creator. As if to answer he started giving a little chirp and then ran off. I took that as a “Praise the Lord.”
Sounds crazy, No? Well, what do expect from a dusty 73-year-old professor who finds spiritual insight under every rock he overturns? I know Isaiah 55:12 is just a metaphor and a personification. The mountains don’t sing nor do the trees clap their hands – do they?
Actually, in the Hebrew the word for breaking forth is yiphasechu which could have two possible roots. It could be pasach which is to break forth with a loud joyful noise. Another possible root would be paras which is the word used when a child is born or breaks forth through the womb for a new beginning. Both words have the idea of breaking forth either with a loud joyful noise or a new beginning or both. This breaking forth is done with rinah which is simply a joyful noise. This would lead me to assume the root word is paras (a breaking forth as in a child breaking forth from the womb) rather than pasach as a breaking forth with a joyful noise. So, if we would say that the root word for yipasechu is paras, then we would render this as “the mountain is breaking forth with the joy of a new beginning.”
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
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So at 73 years of age, I wonder how this verse would apply to me. I would love a new beginning. I began this day feeling the joy of the Lord, almost like a new beginning. Then the old back started hurting and I checked my bank account and this new beginning quickly deteriorated into the same old same old. I didn’t find anything in this supposed new beginning to rejoice about. As I pondered this thought I suddenly heard someone say; “Oh yeah?” I looked around and there I saw my Hebrew letter friends Pei Resh and Sade, paras (breaking forth in a new beginning) sitting on my desk next to my Hebrew Bible waving at me. I warned you that I was just an eccentric old professor. I looked at Pei Resh and Sade and saw they were dressed in military fatigues and each wore sergeant stripes. Pei, (which represents mouth) shouted “Tend hut!” “Who am I tending to?” I asked. Resh (which represents following a path with an unknown destination) shouted “Forward March!” Sade (which represents performing a humble task) began a cadence “One, Two, Three, Four, One Two Three…” Well, I played along and I was marching through my “Looking Glass” where I found myself in the midst of a field filled with hundreds of holes that have been dug by many other Christians this day. I was ordered by Pei, Resh, and Sade to start digging.
“Why am I digging a senseless hole?” I asked. Pei, Resh, and Sade didn’t answer me but only began to sing: “You’re in God’s army now, to satan you will never bow. You grow a little bit by digging God’s ditch, you’re in God’s army now.” “Huh?” I asked. “I still don’t get it, what does digging a ditch have to do with a new beginning?”
Pei, (mouth, speaking) said that Lamentations 3:23 tells us that God’s mercies are new every morning. The mountains and hills break forth with joy every morning as every morning brings new mercies. You come forth in joy and lead in peace because every day is a new day. This joy in Isaiah 55:12 comes from the newness of God’s mercies every day.” “I get it,” I replied scornfully: “So what am I digging for?” Pei said that he is the number 100, Resh said he is 200 and Sade said he is 90. I added this up and found it totaled 390. Suddenly I struck something solid. I pulled out Mem, Shin, Kap, and Lamed, (masekel) which means understanding. “Boy, it was hot down there, thanks for digging us up.” Said Mem. I looked Masekel over and said: “Why you are “understanding.“ “Right and hey and over there is our numerical counterpart, Pasach, how you guys doing?” They went over and shook each other’s hands. “Numerical counterpart?” I asked. “Sure nuf,” said Paras, we both have a numerical value of 390.
I returned Paras to my Hebrew Bible, but before they jumped in Pei, Resh, and Sade snapped to attention and saluted me, and said: “Nice digging, you really found yourself a blessing.”
I thought about that. I just dug up understanding. I was having one miserable day, but when I dug through that day I found a moment of understanding where God had given me a real blessing, in the form of a new beginning which I had never realized was a new beginning, a simple beginning, one I would not have recognized but for my friend Paras. For you see, every day is a new day with God, a new beginning. If I can’t rejoice as the mountains and hills over this new day or beginning, then I must dig to find out the blessings that God gives each day if I am to fully comprehend the meaning of Isaiah 55:12 in my life.
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
I was out one day late summer when the leaves were still on the trees,colors not quite turning yet. I was swinging on my back porch talking to God and was admiring His creation on a calm day. The thought of Isaiah came to mind and I asked God how do trees clap? Do they really clap? After sitting in His Presence for a bit, thanking Him for being Who He is, a breeze kicked up. The limbs started swaying, I looked and watched and asked God if this is what He meant, the trees clapping, as I was thanking Him for being with me out on the porch, the breeze got stronger, the limbs were nearly bowing and clapping at the same time. Creation was worshipping God together that day. It was such a blessing and a time with Abba that I will always cherish. Praise brings everything into joy and understanding. Thank you for this post. Bless you and may you and Laura experience the joy in joining with creation to sing His praises as I did that day. So,yes, Chaim, trees do clap!
Hi Chaim
Thanks so much for your wonderful word studies !
I think the mountains and trees do move to a different metronome.
Why? Can we hear the elephants deepest voices? Do we see the wind? Can we see love?
Did my Mother not remind me « in God’s time »
💜
I must tell you this email came to me at almost the exact moment my son’s wife was giving birth to my grand daughter. And was the culmination of nine months of prayer for his wife and this child. This essay was a very powerful affirmation and answer to my prayer that God intends to use, bless and love this child and this little family, as my son likes to refer to it as. The email, the content and timing were in perfect sync with many other events that took place. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, heart and for your obedience to the Fathers will.
Congratulations on your new grandaughter. God bless!
must get old spade, called Search out.
Thank you so much for this email.. was feeling a little low but am up and about after reading this, grateful for yet another day to give glory to Yahuah…
I love ALL the kisses Elohim(et all ) gives to each of us individually!
For example, today…yesterday a portion of the verse of Isaiah 55:12 “ all the trees of the field will clap their hands” , arrived in my hearing. Immediately an old melody came to me with this portion in the chorus . Honestly , the Spirit, made my heart ‘jump’. To be honest I’m living among multiple transitions , illness of immediate family that I’ve been a bit grieved. Yet here on this day to read this portion and what you shared has turned my heart to Tehillah Praise!. I surrender grief, my thinking, memories, anything else He shares, to Elohim and chose to praise Him. Thank you , Chaim
What a beautiful word. Waking up in body pain. I sensed the Lord saying he is leading me through He is teaching me
Your word that I received today February 8 has confirmed it.
I live in bushland surrounded by gum trees and kangaroos all
by myself and nature is always beautiful. I love your little friends and you are such an awesome blessing. Why do you not write story book on your little friends that will inspire and strengthen our imaginations in our daily struggles love you Chiam God bless
Oooh. A compilatiin of your teachings where you are joined by your hebrew alphabet friends will be wondeeful Chaim. 😘
That’s exactly what I thought. Chaim needs to write a story book with the Hebrew letters as characters talking to us. The possibilities are endless…
As I read the story, my imagination opened up and I was able to receive the message God wanted me to hear today.
Thanks for sharing
This is Chaim, I do have a manuscript of my silly little stories of my adventures in in the land of the Hebrew Alphabet. I even had an artist illustrate it. However, neither of my publishers are interested in publishing it, they say people won’t understand it nor be interested. It would be way beyond a child’s understanding.
Maybe after I am long gone someone might dust it off and publish it and it will be like my version of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
Chaim that’s not true, you do have some adult readers that are very interested in your Land of the Hebrew Alphabet.
You know, God gives us “ideas” and you have taken that gift from heaven all the way to the finish line. Need to pray that your publisher will have a dream that they visited that land and the characters talked with them.
I’ve read two of your stories and each time and don’t know how to explain it, but I felt as if I was in a land like “Pilgrim’s Progress”. The characters- The Word of God walking with me through my journey in life.
Maybe you’re a John Bunyan and the publisher can’t see it.
Great and timely lesson, relevant for me today. Bless Yahweh
Good morning Chaim,
After reading your post Psalm 92:12-14 came to mind and I think fits in well ,
May God bless your days
From Rosie Grace
What an On time Father He is!!! I read this when I needed exactly this for understanding of a happening yesterday, and was in repentance over, and needed this exact understanding!!! Thank You Father!!! Bless this teacher!!!