Formation - Dalet family
The meaning of each letter in the Dalet ד or Commandment Family has something to do with the commandment. The dalet ד representing the commandment, is found in each letter. There is the commandment ד, the commandment which was heard but not understood ה, and the commandment which was understood ח. The vav (or lack of it) distinguishes between them.
Dalet ד the commandment [∞]
A commandment [1] accomplishes something. When God commanded the light to be, the waters to part, and the dry land to appear... they did. [2] This demonstrated that he was God. [3] Likewise when he commanded men with two tablets of stone [4], it displayed the character of God, and confronted the universal sin of man. [5] This demonstrated that he alone is God. A revelation [6] is a communication from God intended as a dialog; it contains personality. "Let there be light" has no one to dialog with. "Thou shalt not covet" is also not up for discussion. If the purpose of God was to free an enslaved people, he would have commanded that they be free, they would have been free. But the purpose was to make himself known. Moses was free to dialog about it. [7] [8] [9] [10] When presented with a command, observe how God is revealed.When presented with a revelation; dialog with God. |
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He ה they did not understand [∞]
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Chet ח they understood [∞]
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Final kof ך [∞]
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| חד sharpen [∞]
chad חד
Interpreting word formations is not as simple as merely replacing the letters with a meaning. Such replacement forms a riddle which is answered by scripture.
'Sharpen' chad חד is formed as 'understand ח the command ד'. It is not easy to see the connection between the two. But God says the same thing in different ways until we understand. He has given another clue to the connection in the verse: ▸ ± Pr 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Now we understand how to sharpen our friends better. To improve the countenance of the friend, we help them understand God's commands. 'Command' is used in a technical sense as that which God makes God known as he says and it happens... no discussion. We would remind our friend that God spoke and as a result of his command, the universe sprang into existence. We might also confront his sin and bring hope for a changed life based on God's mercy and power in overcoming sin. Without the underlying meaning of chad we are left to guess as to how we sharpen one another. |
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