Musing - Did God give us a Compass?

Hebraic Musing - Did God give us a Compass?

I love reading Scripture and discovering hidden meanings with fresh messages.  All too often our English translations miss interesting interpretations.  For example… In Genesis 13: 14 we read, “And the LORD said to Abram…. “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north צָפֹנָה (tzafonah) and south נֶגְבָּה (negebah), east קֵדְמָה (kedmah) and west יָמָּה (yamah).”  NIV 

Our English translations make these sound like navigational terms; but in the symbolic and physical language of Ancient Hebrew the origin of these words was closely tied to the local geographical environment.  Abram was given these words from the LORD while living in Canaan land after nephew Lot had chosen the garden-like land for himself.

The Hebrew word translated as “to the north” צָפֹנָה (tzafonah) is connected to Mt. Tsafon or Zaphon (Isa. 14: 13 “I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.”).  It is now known as Jebel Aqra on the border of Syria and Turkey. This mountain lay to Abram’s north when God told him to look in all directions.

The Hebrew word נֶגְבָּה (negebah), traditionally translated as “to the south,” literally means “to the Negev.” This refers to the name of the desert wilderness in southern Canaan, now Israel.

The word translated “to the west” is from יָמָּה (yamah), which literally means “to the sea”, obviously the Mediterranean.

And the word “east” is from קֵדְמָה (kedmah), which evokes an image of “going back to something from an earlier time.” Its root is connected to the idea of “antiquity” or the distant past.  From a Biblical perspective, itsuggests the Garden of Eden that God planted “in the east” at the beginning of history in Gen. 2: 8.

So was the LORD telling Abram to look in four directions in order to spin him around?  Or was there a symbolic significance in order to get Abe to recognize that the LORD planned to bless him?  Abe is being prepared to receive the “promises land” eventually; remember Lot chose the more favorably looking land at the time.  God was symbolically telling Abraham to look high and low, past and future; which is where God has been and will be for Abram.  Later the LORD will be changing Abram’s name to Abraham when He gives Abram an H, to become Abraham.  And the Hei (h) symbolizes the breath of God.  Interesting!

Someone put it very well: “To read the Bible always and only in translation is like listening to Bach always and only played on the harmonica. You will certainly get the tune, but you will miss pretty much everything else.”

Points to ponder   or   RSVP

Do we recognize that God sees our highs and lows as well as our future and past?

Will the LORD be blessing you during your Highs, Lows, Future and Past?

May you “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.”

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          December 31, 2019

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note –  Inspired by and excerpted from “Jewish Insight into Scripture” by Eli Lizokin-Eyzenberg. p 86.