Hebrew Word Study – Proud – Gevah – גְּבַהּ Gimmel Beth Hei
Proverbs 16:5: “Everyone [that is] proud in heart [is] an abomination to the LORD.”
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis claims and I agree with him, that we are all guilty of pride. I recall when I signed my first book contract with one of the big five publishing houses. I was a one percenter, I was that one out of a few thousand writers sending their book manuscript to an agent or publishing house who was offered a book contract where they paid you to publish your book and not you paying someone to publish your book, ie., self publish. I was boasting to anyone who had the patience to listen to me that I was being published by one of the big five who owned the largest Christian publishing house in the world. I pictured in my mind’s eye all my former classmates in Bible College and Seminary who were now successful pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders shaking their heads and saying: “Why Chaim, this is amazing, we thought you were just destined to be an ordinary small town pastor of a church of maybe 25 people. How did such a thing happen?” I would then respond, “Oh that is what happens when you spend three to four hours a day studying the Bible in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.”
Would you like Chaim Bentorah as your personal Hebrew teacher?
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Halfway through the publishing process, the publisher yanked the contract, they did not like some of the things I was writing and I refused to compromise. So there I was, I was shattered. I could hear everyone now talking. “That’s alright Chaim, we knew you were not getting published by the largest Christian publishing house, we knew you would not be published by one of the big five, we knew the only books you would publish would be self-published books, you probably just made up the whole thing.”
I went off alone and wept before God and asked why. The Lord asked me why I wanted to be published. I replied that I wanted to get the message out about His Love as expressed in Hebrew. He kept pressuring me, “But why did you want to be published by one of the big five? “Oh,” I said, “Why they could reach a much wider audience.” Again, I felt God prompting me asking “Why?” I finally had to admit, I wanted vindication. I wanted to be a success like all my former classmates and even many of my students. I was tired of living a mediocre life as everyone figured I would. I was going to be published by a major publishing house, top that you senior pastors, mission directors, and conference speakers, the old Aspie came through after all. Pride. I could feel God respond by saying: “What do you care what people think about you, I created you for a purpose which may not please others, but all you need to think about is just pleasing Me.” You know I learned? He is the easiest one to please.
Proverbs 16:5: “Everyone [that is] proud in heart [is] an abomination to the LORD.” The word proud in Hebrew is gavah. It comes from a Semitic root GV which is the word for locust as a reference to the swarming of locusts that devours all the crops of the lands, the food source of the land. As it swarms through the field it gradually eats the life-giving food that a farmer was growing. As I reflected on that experience of signing a book contract I realized that it was like a swarm of locusts had entered my heart and was devouring all the spiritual nourishment that I was enjoying such that I could no longer hear the cry of the world with my heart, I could no longer see the pain of the world with my heart and I could no longer speak a prayer to the sorrow of the world with my heart. Was it the pride of my heart that caused an abomination to the Lord such that I began to hear, see, and speak with my mind and not my heart? The word abomination is ta’av which is something disgusting. So disgusting even Jesus could not be around it.
Isn’t it odd that the ancients associated pride with a swarm of locusts? For that is what pride does, it swarms into your heart without warning, and no matter how hard you try to fight it off, it keeps coming until it has stripped away all that spiritual nourishment from your heart. Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? What will a man give in exchange for his soul.” Mark 8:36-37.
I re-read a passage from my favorite author, C.S. Lewis in Chapter 8 of Mere Christianity, The Great Sin. The great sin is, of course, pride. Quoting C.S. Lewis, “According to Christian teachers the essential vice, the utmost evil is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that are mere fleabites in comparison.” “As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
Despite all my fancied spiritual insights, and spiritual lifestyle, the enemy managed to sneak in with the greatest sin of all, pride. How did I know I was proud? Because that is the only reason I could think of for feeling bummed out over the cancellation of my book contract.
I remember after the book deal fell through I sat out on my porch one morning and saw a little bird singing and dancing before me telling me that the Spirit of God was near. A squirrel came up to me begging for his morning peanut and when he twitched his nose at me I was no longer bummed out. These friends cared not whether I had a book deal or not, my Savior did not care either for I heard Him speak to my heart saying: “Welcome back.”
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
?his teaching has been the capstone of two other teachings the Lord led me to do from older teachings of yours: 1. Seed/Tazeria – from August 15, 2022, but particularly about leprosy breaking out on a person for evil speech/lashon hara. 2. Who is like God? – sorry but forgot to write down the date – and the message of Humility in the archangel’s name. 3. Yashua HaMashiach – March 9, 2016 – particularly about being set apart for a particular task. and 4. God Sees the Heart – sorry again, forgot to write the date – particularly about your friend Santos who seemed to have a revealed but not necessarily declared heart for God and people. That was a word for me, but He told me that was a word for you, too! We laugh with joy together at how prophetic you are, but you humbly don’t exalt that about yourself, and how humbly you respond to him provoking/resisting you when a tiny bit of pride peeks out. Brother, one day, when God fulfills his promise to me (see Hope Deferred – Oct 14, 2024) I will buy out your entire collection of books, and buy more to give away to others. The only other book I have been told to do this with (besides the Bible) is Lost in Translation Vol. 1 by Rabbi John Klein and Rabbi Adam Spears (which I’ve now probably given away about 150 copies of Vol. 1, but many say they then buy Vol. 2 and 3). Brother, keep up the Good Work. I’m just a lawyer, but he told me when I was in my twenties to not go to seminary, but law school – that my ministry would be there, and that I would not lose my soul but would be found faithful. I have had my struggles, but not with mammon – but with Pride, and he defeats it every time, and I die to self more and more – I die daily to that old man as Paul says. Brother, we’ve never met, but your scholarship confirms all the teachings He has been giving me since about 2008 when I started listening to Him. You and Laura have prophetic insight that CONFIRMS everything in deep word study that He has been telling me and then launches me to His next level. Rabbi John one time during “Darash” stopped mid-sentence and then said, “You know, God won’t give you anything prophetic unless He has given you teaching so that you can understand it,” which was a prophetic confirmation of what God said to me two days before Shabbat. His Vol. 1 confirmed the covenantal walk God had revealed to me in law school. Your deep studies on words are even greater Confirmation than anyone else has revealed, even Dr. Seekins book on Hebrew Letters does not go so deep, tho’ I am grateful for it as my primer.
Shalom upon you and Laura for helping me have a Heart more intentionally knit together with God (like David, and like Job – from another of your older studies)!
And much thanks.
Another beautiful encapsulation of how we can be affected by that which seeks to divert us from the fullness of Our Father, with the safety line availability to not stay distracted by the diversions rendered to us as we go before Him, seeking His path forward.
Also, reading through the comments provides a blessing by adding to the depth of the flow of Holy Spirit in the community, which demonstrates that sense of community in the Spirit.
Blessings abound to you, Chaim, and to all who receive his writings in deep consideration.
So very thankful for your sharing of your heart!! You have lead me to the heart of our Dear Father so faithfully day after day.
Thank you, it is my prayer the Holy Spirit exposes and convicts me to repent the smallest bit of pride in my heart!
God has great ways of bringing us down to size. The first 25 years of ministry I focused on Ministry and Mission to rural churches. I wrote articles, preached at conferences and taught in Bible Colleges. In many parts of the world – and especially in the UK – rural ministry is presented as a second class ministry, but whether to small or large congregations I sought to offer the best I could. Then, after 25 years I parted company with the mission organisation I had helped to build up since leaving school. Suddenly, my diary emptied. No more conferences or book requests. I wondered if I had done the wrong thing. I had gone from being a key person in rural ministry into a nobody. At my last conference engagement I found a little chapel in a seaside cove. I went in and poured out my frustration to God. I hear him say “Look up”, so I did so. I saw that I was sitting in this little chapel which had a dry-stone arched roof. Hundreds of stones of assorted size were over my head with nothing binding them together. Again God spoke. “Which stone is the most important?” I knew that not one stone was more important than the others. What mattered was that they were occupying the space intended for them. From that moment I began letting go of what God had previously given. It wasn’t mine to keep.
Nicely done. Thank you for your continued studying and allowing Hoky Spirit to teach you
thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. this teaching is so precious and was written and given from your heart. God really knows what His children need, and He knows I need to read your message about pride.
Amazing concept and practical image of pride.
Living in Africa the concept of locust swarms is very real.
Merciless, mindless and utterly destructive.
No concept of conscience just own appetite.
This teaching blew my mind, so unerringly accurate.
priceless !!!
Good lesson. The little bird and squirrel was the perfect conclusion!
Thank you Chaim. I love your teachings, they always draw me closer to the Lord. Thank you for your honesty which I find easy to relate to. I can’t adequately express how much you have blessed me over the years. I wish I could.
I pray God continues to bless you in the feeding of others, by being feed by Him. I pray God meets your deepest needs.
That took a lot of humility and a lot of courage to write this article Chaim
Bless you!
This is such a timely reminder. “As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
I will forever remember these words.
It was worth it all just to experience the ‘welcome back’. Know you are so appreciated. You have a special way of revealing YHVHs heart of love, His true self. If you take care of the depth of your relationship ( which you certainly do) He will take care of the width. 🧡
I love you Chaim!
Thank you, sir. This devotion indeed reminds me about my pride. It is destructive and harmful to my spiritual life walking with Jesus.
I thank God for using you for His works that encourage people like me.
Thankyou so much Chaim; such an important message to examine, cleanse and guard my heart.
Prayers for your future writings, in appreciation
Jen
Pride is such a destroyer. I told our worship leader to take compliments like chewing gum. It tastes good but then spit it out. Or, just let compliments fly over your head. When we were first married my wife told me she could not stand to watch me on stage singing or speaking because I was so prideful. I remember the feeling of receiving a phone call from a major Christian network in reference to being a guest singer. How it made me feel was so sickening. Such pride! The bad thing about deception is, you aren’t aware you are deceived. Pride tries to protect itself from itself from being exposed in order to survive, but when it is exposed and repentance occurs there is such freedom from the sin it created. Thank you Chaim for these messages. So life changing.
Thank you for this much need lesson!
A quote comes from an unlikely source. It is this: ” Never look down on someone unless you are giving them a hand up! “. This was said by Jesse James the outlaw.
I must ask what is wrong with being a Preacher of a small church? It is a Saying of the Jews that if you save one person it is as if you had save a thousand! I often wonder if I am saying what God really wants me to say?! I try to base what I say on Scripture.So how can you be sure that you are teaching what God wants you to teach? Can you back it up with Scripture or do you use your own understanding??
Hi!
Thank you for your humility in sharing your testimony of Gods’ grace.
The Lord has also shown me an area of pride. 1 Pet.5:5-7. It is to cast my burdens on Him because He cares for me Also Ps.55:23 and 68:20.