Thursday, July 1, 2010

Biblical Root of the Word 'Pray' by Lewis Turner


Biblical Root of the Word: Pray


Utilizing the Ancient Meanings of the word ‘Pray’ and related words, derived from the meanings of the Hebrew Letters

by
Lewis Turner

Wheatland Ministries

Revised April 10, 2015

 
If most of us were asked to define prayer, probably the majority would say ‘asking God for something’. Unfortunately that may be the limit of our understanding of prayer.  There is much more to prayer, and the Hebrew language used in writing the Old Testament in the Bible is a good place to go to teach us about prayer.

Note:  This study is detailed, but it is worth reading and studying.  If one desires to just see the conclusion, the conclusion is at the end, and is underlined.  You are encouraged to at least read through the study, and spend some time reviewing it, like the Bereans in the book of Acts (Acts 17:11), who searched the scriptures to see if these things be so. 

In the Bible, in the Old Testament, which was originally written in Hebrew, the word used for prayer is tephillah written תְּפִלָּה. It means intercession, or supplication (earnest prayer of petition); in implication - a hymn. A Prayer can be a Psalm and many of the Psalms in the Bible are actually prayers, and area part of communication with God. A closer examination of the word tephillah we find the root word palal written: פָּלַל. By definition, it means—to judge; by extension to intercede, pray: entreat, judge(-ment), make pray(-er,-ing), make supplication. [1] Supplication is often defined as a presentation of requests.

To further understand the root of prayer, let’s look at the word (1) ‘tephillah-or tephilla, palal, and the word (2) tekhinnaw (supplication) by making an examination of the meaning of the Hebrew letters that make up these words.  Hebrew letters have meaning, and those meanings can offer insight into the meaning of the word.  Let’s start with the word for prayer mentioned above.  It is tephillah:
tephillah תְּפִלָּה Two of the locations in the Bible where the word is found are Psalms 86:6, II Chronicles 7:15.
The Hebrew Strong’s Number for the word is H8605.
Listed below are the meanings of letters used in the word tephillah:
ת   Tav  -- It's literal meaning is "ownership" "covenant" "sign" "a mark" and "to join two things together". (1a), mark, sign, signal, monument (2b)   T
Note about Tav:  In the ancient Hebrew picture letters the Tav was written as a cross, and later as an X.
The Hebrew word for religion is "DaT"
, דתּ.  In Abraham’s Day it was written as a cross and a door flap to a tent.  This ancient word picture tells us that religion is the "door of the sign" or the "door of the cross".  Souce  (1a) 
פֶּ ף  Pey - Pe - mouth, speak, word, to speak, to open, It's literal meaning is “mouth” and it's symbolic meaning is "to open", "speak", "word", "the beginning" (like a river). In the ancient picture Hebrew, the letter Pey was drawn according to the meaning, in this case, a mouth.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14 (1a) P (7)
ל  Lamed - Go toward, learn, teach, urge forward -The ancient picture form of this letter is a cattle goad and in this form it symbolized: to control or the controller, to prod or urge forward, to go towards of forward, and a tongue (1a) L
ה  He, Hey behold, to reveal, the – look, reveal, breath (2b)  It's literal meaning is a window, or lattice. The symbolic meaning is behold, or to reveal. This meaning of the letter is one of the many reasons Rabbinic tradition calls the letter hey the letter of revelation! (1a) (Also by inference, the meaning could mean--expose or show.)  E

Putting the meanings together and deriving a letter meaning of tephillah we have the following:  the revelation/looking of going toward the speaking/opening of the covenant (the cross)



Note:  You might conclude from that meaning that prayer involves revealing and to speaking to—in  the sense of opening—seeking  the covenant of the cross.  That is what praying the scriptures can do.   It might be stated even simpler that Prayer involves speaking to—possible our desire speaking, a request—seeking what  the covenant of the cross, the Bible says on the issue, and using that to guide our prayers.

Going further in understanding tephillah, lets look at the word described as the root of  tephillah, which is the word Palal:
Palal  פָּלַל   One place where the word palal is found is Neh 3:25.  It means to judge.
The Hebrew Strong’s Number for palal is H6420.
Listed below are the meanings of letters used in the word palal:
פֶּ ף  Pey - Pe - mouth, speak, word, to speak, to open, It's literal meaning is “mouth” and it's symbolic meaning is "to open", "speak", "word", "the beginning" (like a river). In the ancient picture Hebrew, the letter Pey was drawn according to the meaning, in this case, a mouth.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14 (1a) P (7)
ל  Lamed - Go toward, learn, teach, urge forward -The ancient picture form of this letter is a cattle goad and in this form it symbolized: to control or the controller, to prod or urge forward, to go towards of forward, and a tongue (1a) L
ל  Lamed - Go toward, learn, teach, urge forward -The ancient picture form of this letter is a cattle goad and in this form it symbolized: to control or the controller, to prod or urge forward, to go towards of forward, and a tongue (1a) L

Deriving a possible meaning of Palal from the meaning of the letters used in the word, we have the following: The urging toward speaking to open.  You might explain this definition using other words which show that prayer deals with speaking for the purpose of opening our focus—what is on our heart.

Looking at the two definitions of Tephillah and pala, we find that the words for prayer deal with speaking to open our focus/our heart on the covenant, and urging forward.  They also show that speaking indicates making requests.

In our study of prayer, the second word we are looking at is:
Supplication תְּחִנָּה teḥinnâ tekh-in-naw' Hebrew Strong’s Number 8467

Psalms 119: 170 Let my supplication (Beholding the Covenant hedge (of love) and life) come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

The following may help to develop an understanding of the meaning of supplication and what supplication is.  We see this 'Old English Word' in the Bible--but often we may not fully understand what the meaning of the word is and from that what supplication is.  We sometimes hear the phrase 'Prayer and Supplication' (Philippians 4:6) and connect it with prayer.  We possibly conclude that supplication has something to do with making requests.  However, the meaning of supplication is much deeper than just making requests.  The meaning of supplication based on an examination of the meanings of the letter in the word, we find it focuses on beholding the Covenant hedge -or hedge of the covenant --the Covenant of life that is is provided by Jesus for us. (Romans 11:27 and Hebrews 12:24).  Supplication is about meditating on the work of the New Covenant that Jesus gave us.

Below is the development of the meaning of Supplication from the meaning of the Hebrew letters used to write the word supplication.
ת     Tav  -- It's literal meaning is "ownership" "covenant" "sign" "a mark" and "to join two things together". (1a), mark, sign, signal, monument (2b)   T
Note about Tav:  In the ancient Hebrew picture letters the Tav was written as a cross, and later as an X. In the ancient Hebrew word for "sign" א ו תּ   we see that the SIGN is "the strong leader nailed to the cross". It is this same word that is translated in the Greek text of Luke 2:12 which reads: And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
The Hebrew word for religion is "DaT" ,
דתּ.  The letter meaning of DaT tells us that religion is the "door of the sign" or the "door of the cross".  Souce  (1a)
ח   Heth, Chet – fence, hedge, to separate. Outside, divide, half (2b), The literal meaning of this letter is a "fence", "hedge" or “chamber”, (1a) (an inferred meaning could also be protection-IE a fence protects)  (an inferred meaning could also be that Heth refers to instruction—instruction that makes the hedge—see the word Statutes Hebrew Strong’s Number 2706 חֹק)(another inferred meaning is that the hedge represents love-possibly protective love)  H
Chesed is the Old Testament's highest expression for love. It is a love that remains constant regardless of the circumstances. Chesed is translated in English in many different ways: kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, loyalty, love, and unfailing love. (Tiffany Ann Lewis)
נ    Nun-Propagate increase, In the ancient picture language this was pictured as a seed in ancient Hebrew and Egyptian cultures. As mentioned, it represented "life", "posterity", "active life". As used in the Hebrew word for son, the nun symbolized the posterity of the house.(1a) Continue, heir, son (2b)  N
ה     He, Hey – behold, to reveal, the – look, reveal, breath (2b)  It's literal meaning is a window, or lattice. The symbolic meaning is behold, or to reveal. This meaning of the letter is one of the many reasons Rabbinic tradition calls the letter hey the letter of revelation! (1a) (Also by inference, the meaning could mean--expose or show.)  E

Possible Letter Meaning of Supplication: תְּחִנָּה teḥinnâ tekh-in-naw' Hebrew Strong’s Number 8467: Beholding the Covenant hedge (of love) and life 

Note:  Supplication deals with focusing on the covenant and the hedge it provides which offers protection.

Conclusion:  From study of the root of prayer, we find that prayers and supplication include requests presented through speaking to Our Father in Heavenwith our heart focused on the covenant.   When we focus on the covenant of Christ, we have a hedge provided by the covenant that offers protection to us.

©2014 Lewis Turner


[1] Gesenius Lexicon

No comments: