TEN: eser/a’sarah. masculine & feminine noun. (Strong’s 6235). TENTH: asor. masculine noun. (6218). TITHE: ma-aser. masculine noun & verb. (4643, 6237).
Root: עשר
Sounds like: eh’ser/aw’sahrah/ah’sore/ma-ah’sehr
Welcome to a brand new year! This is the time when we often hear people summing up the previous year with a list of top tens: top ten best movies, top ten favourite reads, top ten things to do while in quarantine, top ten bingeable shows, top ten work-from-home distractions, top ten places you want to travel when covid is over (will it ever be over?), top ten moments to remember.
Ten seems to be a good number for lists, and the Bible supports that, providing more than one list of ten. In honour of the New Years List, let’s take a look at the top 10 times the number ten was used in the Old Testament (not necessarily in order of importance):
#1 God Said…
Although the number ten is not specifically written in the text, it has been observed that during creation, in Genesis chapter 1, there were ten, “God said…” statements, the first being:
Genesis 1:3-4a
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good…
With words God breathed life into the world and He saw that it was good. His ten statements continued:
#2 Let there be an expanse between the waters, giving the heavens (the sky)…
#3 Let the waters on the earth pool together and open up land…
#4 Let the earth sprout vegetation…
#5 Let there be lights in the expanse (sky) forming the moon, sun, and other stars…
#6 Let the waters teem with life…
#7 Let the earth bring forth living creatures…
#8 Let Us make human in Our Image…
#9 Let humans be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth…
#10 Behold, let there be nourishment (food) for all!
#2 The Ten Commandments
The ten God said statements in creation were a collection of words pronounced by YHWH. The Ten Commandments were also a collection of words pronounced by YHWH. The Hebrew phrase translated as the Ten Commandments should, more accurately, be translated as the Ten Words (a’seret ha-d’varim). It’s not ten single words, but a collection of words/statements:
Exodus 34:27-28 (Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 10:1-5)
Then YHWH said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” So he was there with YHWH forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments [a’seret ha-d’varim].
The Ten Commandments given to Moses in Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 were:
#1 You shall have no other gods before Me
#2 You shall not make, worship, or serve idols
#3 You shall not take the name of YHWH, your God, in vain (misrepresent the Image of God)
#4 Observe Shabbat and keep it holy
#5 Honour your mother and father
#6 Do not murder
#7 Do not commit adultery
#8 Do not steal
#9 Do not bear false witness against your neighbour
#10 Do not covet what your neighbour has in his life (wife, house, land, servants, livestock)
#3 The Ten Plagues
The Ten Commandments came out of exile and the exodus, a mass departure of the Hebrew people leaving Egypt, came about by means of Ten Plagues.
These ten plagues were used to move forward the exodus of the Hebrew people out of bondage in Egypt and into freedom in the promised land. The Ten Plages, found in Exodus 7-11, were:
#1 Water turns to blood
#2 Frogs
#3 Lice or gnats
#4 Swarms of flying insects
#5 A livestock plague
#6 Fine dust resulting in boils on humans and animals
#7 Thunderstorms, lightning, fire & hail… the worst storm since Egypt became a nation.
#8 Locusts
#9 Three days of darkness
#10 Death of the firstborn
Although YHWH gave these ten signs to reflect His awesome power and glory, the people were quick to forget. Instead of remembering the ten plagues, they instead put God to the test, not just once, but according to YHWH, ten times:
Numbers 14:22-23, 30-31
[YHWH:] “Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it…
…Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.”
By way of plagues, YHWH set the people free, and YHWH instructed Moses to head for the land of the Canaanites. But by way of tests the Hebrew people failed to live up to their covenant with God and the people who tested God “these ten times” would not enter the promised land.
#4 The Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom (Israel)
Long before Moses led the people out of slavery and towards their own land, the Hebrew people lived nomadically. They were a small family of people just etching out an existence. Abraham and Sarah, the parents of nations, begat Isaac, and Isaac and his wife Rebekah begat Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons who became the basis for the twelve tribes of Israel.
However, eventually there was a breakdown and there was a split between the ten tribes of the Northern kingdom and the two tribes in the South (Judah and Benjamin). The prophet Ahijah prophesied about the division:
1 Kings 11: 29-31, 34-36
It came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for this is what YHWH, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to tear the kingdom away from the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes [a’sarah ha-sh’vatim]’…
…Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you, even ten tribes [et a’sarah ha-sh’vatim]. But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name.’”
It did not take long for this prophecy to come to light. When Rehoboam, king David’s grandson, refused to listen to his experienced advisors and lighten the tax burden on his people, they rebelled against him and turned to Jeroboam for leadership. Jerobaom would become the first king of the newly formed ten-tribe kingdom of Israel.
#5 Hezekiah and the Shadow on Ten Steps
The ten plagues weren’t the only divine signs given in the Tanakh. There’s a curious story of a moving shadow on ten steps that requires attention. One of the most God fearing kings in the Bible was Hezekiah, king of Judah. One day he was given terrible news… he was dying.
In a heartfelt moment of prayer Hezekiah called on God for healing. God honoured his prayer request. YHWH told Isaiah the prophet to announce to Hezekiah that he would be healed:
2 Kings 20:5-6 (see also Isaiah 38)
[YHWH:] “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says YHWH, the God of your father David, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of YHWH. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
Having not heard directly from YHWH, Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a sign:
2 Kings 20:8-11 (see also Isaiah 38)
Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that YHWH will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of YHWH the third day?”
Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from YHWH, that YHWH will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten [eser] steps or go back ten [eser] steps?”
So Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to decline ten [eser] steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten [eser] steps.”
Isaiah the prophet cried to YHWH, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten [eser] steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
God changed the laws of nature to show His sign to Hezekiah. A shadow that turned back over ten steps was a beautiful way to tie in God’s words and God’s promises and God’s signs.
#6 Tens in the Tabernacle/Temple
The most iconic Jewish building was the House of God. First they built a portable Tabernacle to house YHWH’s presence on earth. Among many decoration the Tabernacle had ten curtains of fine twisted linen (Exodus 26:1/ Exodus 36:8), and ten pillars with ten bases in the court of the Tabernacle (also Exodus 27:12, Exodus 38:12).
When Solomon became King, he built the more permanent structure of the Temple. Ten cubits was a common measurement in both the Tabernacle and the Temple construction. The Temple was also decorated with ten basins, ten golden lampstands, and ten tables. There was also a large metal tub known as the sea of cast metal which was ten cubits from brim to brim (2 Chronicles 4, 1 Kings 7). These items were destroyed and/or removed by the Babylonians/Chaldeans (2 Kings 25:13). When Babylon sieged Jerusalem they destroyed the Temple and everything in it. Every ten was reduced to zero.
#7 The Ten Day Test
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. It was razed to the ground and the people were exiled to Babylon. Daniel was one of the young men forced out of Jerusalem. He was sent into servitude to the Babylonian king. But Daniel did not want to give up his heritage. Babylonian food offended Jewish dietary laws and Daniel was in a predicament. YHWH, however, had a plan for Daniel:
Daniel 1:8
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
Daniel was in no position to demand anything, so he sought permission. With God’s favour behind him, Daniel’s request was received by the commander:
Daniel 1:9-10
Now God granted Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.”
Daniel understood the commander’s concerns, so he suggested a ten day test for himself and his three friends:
Daniel 1:11-16
But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days [yamim a’sarah], and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days [yamim a’sarah]. At the end of ten days [yamim a’sarah] their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
For their faithfulness, God rewarded Daniel and his friends with wisdom and intelligence. After talking with the young men king Nebuchadnezzar was impressed with each of them and chose them as his personal servants. Nebuchadnezzar “found them ten [eser] times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm” (Daniel 1:20).
#8 Tithing- a tenth
Another popular “ten” in the Bible was the tenth of tithing (tithing literally means “a tenth”). Tithing has a substantial footprint in the Bible. The first mention of tithing occurred when Abram met with Melchizedek, king of Salem (whose name is literally translated as King of Righteousness). Abram freely gave him a tenth of all he had (Genesis 14:18-20). Fourteen chapters later Jacob announced that as long as YHWH provided for him, he would give back to God a tenth of all he was blessed with:
Genesis 28:20-22
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then YHWH will be my God. This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth [aser a-as’rehnnu] to You.”
Different kinds of tithes were eventually set up. The first tithe was to go to the Levites, to help the priests financially as they focused their time on prayer and servitude towards God (Numbers 18:21-26). And from this the tithe of tithes, or a tenth of the tithes given, were to go to the treasury in YHWH’s Temple (Nehemiah 10:37-39).
In the third year the tithe was to go to the needy, in particular orphans, widows, foreigners, and needy levite priests:
Deuteronomy 26:12
“When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase [la-a’ser et kal ma-a’sar] in the third year, the year of tithing [ha-ma-a’ser], then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”
To eat and be satisfied was a human right and tithing out of one’s excess helped others who had no excess to draw from. Tithing wasn’t about building up wealth, it was about sharing it.
Yeshua never preached on the necessity of tithing but He did point out what was of greater importance. He was particularly concerned with the insincerity of some peoples tithing practises. The religious elite put more emphasis on the strict rule of tithing than on justice and mercy towards their fellow humans:
Luke 18:9-14
And He [Jesus] also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Yeshua never spoke ill of tithing, but He put more emphasis on the heart of the giver than on the amount given (see Mark 12:41-44).
#9 Ten Loaves
Bread is synonymous with sustenance that in Hebrew language. Yeshua (Jesus) claimed to be the Bread of Life (John 6:35).. He was the true form of spiritual sustenance. So when we read about bread in the Bible, our brains should be trained to pay attention.
Bread (which was sometimes synonymous with food or sustenance) was a basic element needed to survive. We all need food. We cannot maintain our existence without it. Tithing, as we just read, helped those in need be able to eat and be satisfied. But there would come a time when all the Hebrew people would find themselves immersed in war, pestilence and famine. They had rebelled against YHWH and turned their attention towards pagan gods… they turned their backs towards YHWH and He, in turn, turned His face away from them. And with YHWH’s face turned away, the people became easy targets of war and pestilence, and war and pestilence often led to famine.
Leviticus 26:26
[YHWH:] “When I break your staff of bread, ten [eser] women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied.”
In this time of great distress the measly amount of bread received from ten women and one oven would not nourish or satisfy them… they had only enough to survive, but not enough to satisfy. They were starving spiritually and held on physically only by a thread.
Only God, the Bread of Life, could sustain them and in time He would come back to His rebellious children and save them.
Loaves and life, food and sustenance played a part in the story of king Jeroboam’s family:
1 Kings 14:1-3
At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise now, and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves [a’sarah] with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”
Sadly, although bread was taken to supply sustenance and life to the prophet, the message received about Jeroboam’s son was devoid of life. The son would die; human words and baked bread weren’t enough to save him.
Years before this little boy died another family, with seven sons and two daughters, waited for bread. Jesse knew the trials of food insecurity during war. His eldest sons were fighting in the battle against the Philistines. Concerned for his older sons he sent his youngest son, David, to bring them nourishment:
1 Samuel 17:17-19
Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten [w-a’sarah] loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. Bring also these ten [a’seret] cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them. For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”
A well fed soldier could fight well. Jesse was looking out for the welfare of his sons. He wanted them to stay alive and be nourished… and his youngest son David, a shepherd boy and future ancestor of Yeshua (Jesus), would be the one to deliver the bread. The story spoke to the moment, a need for nourishment in the ravages of war, but it also spoke to the future when true spiritual nourishment would come in the form of a Saviour from the line of David.
#10 The Tenth Day
The number ten was connected with many appointed times in the Bible.
- the tenth day of the first month: the day for choosing the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:1-3, Joshua 4:19-24, (Ezekiel 40).
- the tenth day of the seventh month: Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31, Leviticus 23:26-32)
Yeshua (Jesus) would be the lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice, to take away the sins of the world. The Passover feast was a memorial feast, recalling the events of the ten plagues of Egypt. The final plague, death to the son, was held back by sacrificing a lamb and placing his blood on the door frame of the home. The angel of death passed over theses houses and they were spared. Yeshua was in Jerusalem on the tenth day of the first month for the Passover festival. Just days later he would be sacrificed, along with all the other sheep slaughtered for the passover feast. Yeshua was the lamb that died so others could live.
Like the Passover, the Day of Atonement is still observed today, as a day of penitence and humility. Historically a sheep, or goat, was slaughtered to cover the sins of the people for the previous year. They would start again with a new slate. Yeshua was also representative of the lamb of atonement… He was the sacrifice to cleanse the sins. But His sacrifice wasn’t just good for one year, but it was a permanent cleansing.
Two other memorial days that land on the tenth of a month were connected to the Babylonian attack and subsequent exile
- the tenth day of the tenth month: the day Babylon attacked of Jerusalem. It was to be remembered as a memorial (2 Kings 25:1-2, Jeremiah 52:3b-5, Ezekiel 24:1-2)
- the tenth day of the fifth month: the day Nebuchadnezzar’s army burned Jerusalem to the ground (Jeremiah 52:12-14, Ezekiel 20:1-3, 30-35)
Although Jeremiah placed the destruction of Jerusalem on the tenth day of the fifth month, in 2 Kings 25:8-9 the destruction was recorded as on the seventh day of the fifth month. Today Jews remember the destruction on Tisha B’Av (ninth day of the fifth month).
Through the prophet Zechariah, YHWH affirmed that the fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth [ha-a’siri] months (Zechariah 8:19) would become cheerful feasts of joy for the house of Judah. And there would come a day when many would seek the face and the favour of YHWH:
Zechariah 8:23
Thus says YHWH of hosts, “In those days ten [a’sarah] men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
A Few More Tens
Of course these top ten uses of the word TEN, are hardly the only use of the word in the Bible. For a more detailed study, here are some other uses of the number ten in the Tanakh (Old Testament):
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- Abraham bargained with God. Would God save the city of Sodom if He found only ten righteous humans? Answer… yes. (Genesis 18:32). Did He find ten righteous? Answer… no.
- When a servant was sent out to find Isaac a bride, he took ten camels for the search. When he found Rebekah, he offered her jewelry weighing 10 shekels of gold. The family agreed that she could go, but they asked for ten more days with her. The servant did not agree to ten more days and Rebekah went with him (Genesis 24).
- Laban changed Jacob’s wage ten times (Genesis 31).
- Joseph sent his father ten donkey’s with goods and ten female donkeys with sustenance (Genesis 45:23).
- The five daughters of Zelophehad requested part of Manasseh’s inheritance as YHWH commanded and so ten portions were given to Manasseh because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons (Joshua 17:5-6, see also Numbers 27:1-12).
- A Levitical division allowed the Koahites to receive ten cities scattered across the territories of Dan, Manasseh, and Ephraim. (Joshua 21, 1 Chronicles 6:61).
- Ten chiefs were sent to discuss an altar on the border (Joshua 22).
- Gideon received help from his ten servants to destroy his father’s baal altar an asherah pole, and build an altar to YHWH in its place (Judges 6:27).
- Elon the Zebulunite was a judge for ten years (Judges 12:11).
- Micah of Ephraim, whose mother had idols made for worship, offered ten pieces of silver a year to a young levite from Bethlehem to become his personal priest (Judges 17:7-13).
- Job accused Bildad of insulting him ten times (Job 19:3).
- Naomi, and her sons and daughters-in-laws lived in the land of Moab for ten years (Ruth 1:4).
- Jesse sent his son David to take ten loaves of bread and ten cuts of cheese to his brothers in the war field (1 Samuel 17:17-19).
- David sent ten men to Nabal for help. Nabal refused and David wanted to kill him. Nabal’s wife, Abigail, interceded and Nabal died on his own ten days later (1 Samuel 25).
- When David’s son Absalom rebelled and sought his father’s life, David left Jerusalem leaving behind ten of his concubines to look after his house (2 Samuel 15:16). Upon David’s return the ten concubines were taken very good care of and they lived as supported widows for the rest of their days (2 Samuel 20:3).
- When soldiers reported that they left David’s rebellious son, Absalom, hanging in an oak tree, Joab mentioned that he would have offered ten pieces of silver, and a belt, to whoever would have killed him. Later ten of Joab’s armour bearers went back and killed Absalom (2 Samuel 18).
- Praises to YHWH were given with a ten-stringed instrument (harp/lyre) (Psalm 33:2, Psalm 92:3, Psalm 144:9).
- Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city (Ecclesiastes 7:19).
- When Namaan went to Elisha to be healed of leprosy he took with him ten talents of silver, 6000 shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing (2 Kings 5:5).
- Menahem, king of Israel reigned for ten years in Samaria (2 Kings 15:17).
- When Asa was king the land was undisturbed for ten years (2 Chronicles 14:1).
- Ten men, and Ishmael, killed Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1-2).
- At the end of ten days the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah to warn the people that they should not try to escape war by going to Egypt. (Jeremiah 42:7).
- Daniel’s vision of a fourth beast with ten horns was representative of a fourth kingdom from which ten kings would arise (Daniel 7). John’s revelation also described a beast with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 12, 13, 17).
- In the book of Esther, the evil Haman’s plan to destroy the Jews was stopped and he was hanged on the gallows that he had built to hang the Jews. His ten sons were also hanged after they had been killed in battle (Esther 9:6-15).
Yeshua and the Number Ten
Finally, we cannot tell the story of the Bible without looking at the gospel account of Yeshua (Jesus). The number ten shows up repeatedly in Yeshua’s ministry. The number ten was used a lot in the telling of His parables. There was:
- the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
- the parable of the talents (the person who was given five talents doubled them to ten talents) (Matthew 25:14-30)
- the parable of the lost coin (they had ten coins but lost one) (Luke 15:8-10)
- the parable of money usage (ten slaves were given ten minas) (Luke 19:11-27)
Outside of parables, Yeshua also came across ten lepers who called out for healing:
Luke 17:11-19
While He [Jesus] was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.
Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
Only one out of the ten men who were healed returned to Yeshua to thank and praise Him. No doubt those odds would be close to the same today.
In the New Testament (B’rit Chadashah) Yeshua’s twelve disciples were a reflection of the twelve tribes. When the brothers John & James asked Yeshua to sit them at His right hand in paradise, the other ten disciples were angry:
Mark 10:41 (see also Matthew 20:24)
Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John.
This was possibly a small reminder of the division between the ten northern and the two southern tribes. Jesus, who was from the tribe of Judah, healed the division between the disciples:
Mark 10:42-45
Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
None of the disciples were to crown themselves kings or co-regents with God. They were not to split into two and ten, but they were to work together as one. They were to be servants, giving their lives to the devotion of YHWH and the healing of the nations, just as Yeshua had done. This is our calling as well.
So in keeping with the theme, here is a countdown of the Top 10 Hebrew Words viewed in the year 2020:
#10 Hekal: TEMPLE
#9Bakhir: CHOSEN
#8 Chokhmah: WISDOM
#7 Nuakh: REST
#6 Zera: SEED
#5 Malak: Messenger/Sent One/ANGEL
#4 Lechem: BREAD
#3 Ruach: SPIRIT/BREATH/WIND
#2 Tselem: IMAGE
#1 Qavah: WAITING
Ironically the number one most popular word this year was WAITING. It seems like a fitting word for 2020 as we have waited a long time for the pandemic to fade away… and we’re still waiting. But what I find even more interesting is that the year 2020 pushed out the Hebrew words for Satan and Hell off the top ten list (which for quite some time were the most popular postings on the blog). Although they are words worth studying, people perhaps felt the need to search for different, more uplifting, words in 2020… words to get us through some dark trials.
Certainly 2020 was a year of forced waiting and rest! As much as we want to be down on last year’s events and get back to our “normal” lives, for many of us we have found a new way to connect with our Creator as we have been forced to sit still, stay home, and quietly listen to what YHWH wants to tell us.
May 2021 be a year of reflection and peace; a time when we continue to get closer to YHWH with every step we take, every breath we breathe, and every word we read. Amen.
Next week: United/Together
Hebrew Word Lessons 