In our English language, we often define a word by stating what it is not. As an example, we might define what is “normal” by giving examples of what we consider as “abnormal” and indicating normality fits into the category within boundaries defined as within the range between those not in this extreme and those not in that extreme. I often use the cliché that “normal” is just a setting on the dryer. What that indicates, for example, is a setting between “more dry” and “damp dry.” Even these settings are nuances between parched or scorched on one extreme and wet on the other (like the clothes just came from the washer).
We have repeatedly shared on this website the idea that YHWH does not, in the written Scripture, condone extremes. Some examples have been used of דמים“blood-thirst”, and כל “all.” We have also seen the use of cognate permutations as Impressions, often being a “playing field” or big-picture perspective of a spectrum/cline/continuum that defines the boundaries of what the concept is indicating. It is also noted on LogandSpeck that the Hebrew language (as referenced especially by Jeff Benner in his writings) was a concrete language, indicating what the people of the ancient world experienced with their five senses, and not “concepts.” We have learned of the language of parables as painting pictures for us, from which we can formulate in our minds a hidden meaning. (We are also becoming able over time to look at our own lives as parables, seeing circumstances and people in our lives as conveying YHWHs messages to us.)
We have experience in growing up of learning nursery rhymes or Aesop’s fables that teach us to look for a “moral,” or underlying message. For example, we know stories such as “The Boy who Cried Wolf,” “The Little Red Hen,” or the one shared on LogandSpeck blog 33. Winding up the Discussion on Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding the book “Too Much Noise.” The example of that book, “Too Much Noise,” we use as an excellent example of “defining extremes” to allow us to understand “acceptable” or “the range of normal.” Such (and we have recently pointed out this example in Blog 204. The Enemy of Good is Perfect, but have referenced the verse numerous times in LogandSpeck) is the case of Noah in Genesis 6:9. Different English translations translate as either “blameless in his generation” or as “perfect in his generation דור.” YHWH lays out in Torah his instruction to us, the boundaries, the “limits,” the extremes. Paul in Romans 7 goes through a long treatise trying to explain to us this concept, that the instruction of Torah takes into account the human tendency to eat the “forbidden fruit,” (See especially verses 7 and 8.) which today I have seen with “new eyes.” Paul is not simply using “covet” as metonomy (a part to represent the whole), an example of a “commandment” to represent all “commandments,” which is how I had a tendency to see it previously, but is specifically targeting “covet” חמד (see Exodus 20:17 andDeuteronomy 5:21) as YHWH’s acknowledgement of mankind’s tendency (from their youth, or even from toddlerhood – “stealing the cookie from the cookie jar” – how we use the term “youth” in current vernacular may have been a term indicating early life, formative years) to rebel against “rules.” (A brief “aside,” see that guidance given in LogAndSpeck early on that a difference in wording from one witness to another should be a “red flag” that one should dig deeper. And see that the wording in the two presentations of “The Ten Words” on the “commandment” about not coveting is different between Exodus and Deuteronomy.) And since this is SUCH an early development, it does make me 🤔 wonder if this there misunderstood conundrum of Yeshua/Jesus saying:
⦁ Matthew 18:1-6
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles (g5013. ταπεινόω tapeinoō) himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The thought process I am trying to lead you to here is twofold. First it is that YHWH and Yeshua/Jesus recognize what Paul speaks of, the “nature of mankind” (we usually say “human nature”) to desire to “break rules” is very apparent from childhood. The second part is that by choosing to go beyond the set boundary (e.g. “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence”), in this world, the world of the Synthetic Grasp of Life, is “choosing to afflict themselves.”
“Humble”
⦁ Genesis 15:13 ESV
13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will beafflicted (h6031. עָנָה ‘ânâ) for four hundred years.
- Please see Blog 205. Power of God, and see the idea that YHWHs “power” in our everyday lives on Earth is to motivate us or dissuade us. In that Blog is a list of several cognate permutation groups whose “playing field” is to (encourage/discourage), a different way of stating (motivate/dissuade). And this group, ענה afflict; humble, could be added to that list:
Impression מעה entrails; digest ענה afflict; humble cognate permutations(encourage/discourage)
- We are “granted agency” to make the choice to be afflicted. In Matthew 18:14, substitute in your mind the word “afflicts” where ESV uses humbles.
⦁ Matthew 18:4
4 Whoever afflicts himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Of course the greatest example of this self affliction is the choice of crucifixion. But there are many movies/parables out there that poke fun at “self-flagellation.” This is not a well-respected concept in modern American culture, that we spoke of in the last Blog, one expression of which is submission. It is the idea of the “servant king.” (And a friend of mine might recall a discussion of the Book of Ruth and how she submits, or the line in the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, when the new black chief of police indicates there is no cause to arrest Mildred, and Mildred responds “not yet.” Submitting oneself willfully to a cause.) There is a “cause” for which one may be willing to submit/humble/afflict oneself. There is a “willing sacrifice.” It does indeed take great strength/self-determination to make a self-sacrifice. ((And extreme examples of such that may be seen in the news are suicide bombers or crashing planes into tall buildings. Definitely not to condone or glorify such behavior, but to help the reader see “hyperbolic examples” that can result from literal interpretation of any scripture that is purposely exaggerating in order make a point. We referred to hyperbole and similar devices recently in Blog 204. The Enemy of Good is Perfect, but also much earlier in LogandSpeck [see post 08. Emphasis/Repetition, 09. Figures of Speech, and 12. Levels of Meaning in the Discussion section] )) Yes, we must believe that Scripture, the Word of YHWH, is reliable and true and presents to us as an instruction book for life. But we must also recognize that a simplistic reading, taking points at face value that were using linguistic techniques that we may not recognize as such, is dangerous. Such a cause was that of Yeshua/Jesus, to make it clear to the world that there must be a combination or balance of the two great commandments, to love YHWH and to love neighbor; and who is neighbor? The one who has mercy… (Luke 10:25-37; Micah 6:8) “Go and do likewise.” If you ant a “big picture” view of Scripture, this is it, both to love YHWH and our fellow humans.
- EBBING is a fictitious name, not a real town in Missouri. But McDonagh came up with that name for the screenplay, likely not by “coincidence.” Pause to think what that really means in relation to the discussion we are having here.
- To put oneself in a lower state… 🤔
⦁ 1 John 4:20-21
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
- Resuming “generation.”
Impression דבר word; ברד hail דור generation רוד wander; roam cognate permutations (gain/lack understanding)
Impression דר/רד cognate permutations (move forward/backward)
▸ h1755. דּוֹר dôr; or (shortened) דֹּר dor; from 1752; properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling: — age, x evermore, generation, (n-)ever, posterity.
AV (167) – generation 133, all 18, many 6, misc 10;
- period, generation, habitation, dwelling
- period, age, generation (period of time)
- generation (those living during a period)
- generation (characterised by quality, condition, class of men)
- dwelling-place, habitation
▸ h1752. דּוּר dûr; a primitive root; properly, to gyrate (or move in a circle), i.e. to remain: — dwell.
AV (1) – dwell 1;
- to heap up, pile
- to dwell
- (Qal)
- to dwell
- heap up (imp.)
- (Qal)
Notice this is a different word for “generation.” – h8435. תּוֹלְדָה tôleḏâ; or תֹּלְדָה toldah
- But still it is helpful to look at the passage using the groups for h1755. דּוֹר dôr; or (shortened) דֹּר dor, the generations of mankind:
⦁ Genesis 2:1-6
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
4 These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—
- Where there is and overlap between the “generations” of the heavens and the earth and the generations of mankind overlap…
- See “the work which,” repeated and repeated.
⦁ John 5:17
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Life is not lived at the extremes, the black and white, the “good” and the “evil.” It is not “bipolar.” Life is the part that is in between. It is nuanced. There are shades of gray. There are colors and textures and flaws and imperfections and blemishes that give the beauty that is life on this earth.
The boundaries, the borders, the extremes are shown to us by YHWH. We learn to live, having been granted the agency, the free will, to choose how we live between the boundaries. These boundaries are established by YHWH who is both the author of life and perfecter of our truth/faith אמנה/אמן.
⦁ Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
⦁ Acts 3:14-15
14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
Ⓒ Copyright Philip E. Gates; LogAndSpeck.com, March 2026. Please cite if you use this material.