I want to go back to the Background statement of LogandSpeck to remind you of the statement of faith of the school where I trained:
- The Bible school this writer attended, when pressed by others to come up with a “Statement of Faith,” came up with this:
- 1 – We believe every Letter
- 2 – We believe every Word
- 3 – We believe every Sentence
- 4 – We believe every Verse
- 5 – We believe every Chapter
- 6 – We believe every Book
- 7 – Of the entire Bible
- The words shared here should reflect that Statement. That does not mean that I will not point out concerns that I have in Bible translations and teachers. Indeed I will. Thus, this statement is not to say here that the current form of our Scriptures is “infallible,” but that it is Inspired, and when initially written in original language was fully trustworthy, that is Truth.
Upcoming (YHWH willing), it will be noted just how critical it is to notice the point of “every letter,” the first thought. The first entry in the Discussion section is titled 01. Leave Scripture Unchanged. The change of translation of even one letter can change the thrust of a passage, which may change one’s impression of a whole section of the Bible, or even the entire Bible. I have stated before that Bible translation is not an easy task, attempting to make the inspired Word readable in a different language. And many of the more literal translations shared on the site are a challenge to read in English because of differences in syntax (structure) between Hebrew and English. But hopefully we have seen here enough evidence for the importance of maintaining the Hebraic structure, because so much of correct understanding of Scripture is based upon its structure, from elements like parallelisms, Chiasms, and most especially as we have progressed into cognate permutations.
Recall that Hebrew letters have their own meanings, and putting them together is like using building blocks to create a structure. Another important piece to remember is the statement in the Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (Clark/Hirsch) page 299, “In addition, words that contain similar consonants have similar meanings irrespective of the order of the consonants.“ It is this aspect of the Hebrew language that provides its “fluidity” and makes possible the consideration of cognates and cognate permutations. And these concepts are based upon the idea of “homorganic consonants,” letters formed by certain parts of the mouth/speaking apparatus:
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I appreciate so much the imagery of “the potter and the clay” in the Bible. Our Creator and Sustainer uses the “fluidity” of clay to shape us as individuals. That same Creator and Sustainer uses the “fluidity” of the organic Hebrew language to shape its meaning for us. If we think of YHWH as a great Artist or Sculptor and we smudge the Artist’s work with our fingerprints, we modify its impact. And often, based upon history, there is “collateral damage.”
One other technique for understanding Scripture we spoke about in post 08. Emphasis / Repetition in the Discussion section I remind you of for this entry. The technique relates to the idea of “Emphasis.” We speak about “unexpected elements” in other places, as well. R. Fohrman speaks often about unexpected elements frequently and uses the example of the Sesame Street song, “🎶 One of these things is not like the others 🎵.” This brief screenshot from 08. also mentions the technical term. For context go to that post.
I also want to share one other background piece about which we have spoken previously. I am trying here to put into one place several of the tools we should be using in studying the Word of YHWH, partly for clarity for the discussion of Marah, and partly for those who have not begun at the start of the website. Authors speak of the three roles that Yeshua/Jesus played, whether the reader considers him to be divine or not (some who read here do not). The three roles discussed are as prophet, priest, and king. Here I just want to reflect on his role as prophet. Scripturally speaking, prophets clarify for the people the intentions of YHWH. Mankind has a tendency to establish its own traditions based upon its own interpretations of what was written before. We have shared previously some clear examples of how prophets clarify. For example Jeremiah and Ezekiel both have discussions about “sour grapes.” The Ezekiel passage seems the most clear, and I urge you to read the full chapter Ezekiel 18 to understand that YHWH is, through the prophet, clarifying prior misinterpretation of Scripture. See especially:
⦁ Ezekiel 18:3
3 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.
Each person is responsible for his/her own actions.
Also, the oft-quoted passage:
⦁ Micah 6:6-8
6 “With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
… is reminding the people they are too focused on the sacrifices and overlooking what is most important, that seen in verse 8.
The prophet role is a “clarifying” role. The root for “prophet” is:
(from my two-letter work:)
(for the cognate permutations group:)
Impression בנה build אבן stone עון time to advantage; benefit for specific time periods בחןtest performance ענו humble נאף turn from one to another פנה face; turn to and focus attention נבא prophet cognate permutations (demonstrate by continuing/retarding action)
- Note also that a “clarifying” role is often seen in songs in Scripture. Often songs, written in poetry, will help clarify the spiritual aspect of some passage of narrative. See examples in the Song of Moses, Miriam’s Song, the Song of Deborah, and the Magnificat = the song of Mary, mother of Yeshua/Jesus.
- The “prophet role” is demonstrated in Yeshua/Jesus often. See many examples in the Discussion section of LogAndSpeck in the following chapters:
YHWH willing, we will move along to the Exodus 15:22-25 passage next time. Blessings.
Ⓒ Copyright Philip E. Gates; LogAndSpeck.com, April 2026. Please cite if you use this material.