Badad: Together All ALONE

ALONE/LONELY/ISOLATED/SOLITUDE: badad, verb  (Strong’s 909); badad, masculine noun (Strong’s 910); bad, masculine noun (Strong’s 905). 

Root: בָּדָד

Sounds like: ba’dawd, bawd, vawd

Loneliness should be considered one of the gravest dis-eases in our world. It has terrible, and sometimes fatal, side effects. In a society that makes the ability to connect super-easy it also creates a society of superficialness and extreme loneliness. Genuine connections between people are rare and, instead, we see people living false narratives in order to “fit in” to this world. 

But being alone and being lonely are two different things. You can be in a big crowded room and feel more lonely than you’ve ever felt before. But you can also be alone for awhile and know you’re okay because God is with you, and you have family and friends just a phone call away.

After YHWH created human life He immediately knew that a single human wasn’t meant to be left in solitude. Humans would need relationships and community to thrive.

Genesis 2:18

Then YHWH God said, “It is not good for the human to be alone [l-vadoh]; I will make him a helper (ally) suitable for him.”

God created a multitude of humans to be in communion with each other, to support each other, and love each other… and, ultimately, worship God as the One who brought them together in unity. 

Life for a human is very hard without family, friends, and human connection. Anyone who has been lost and alone in the wilderness knows they can survive without relationships (barely), but they cannot thrive without human connection.

In the Hebrew Bible, being alone was often compared to being like an animal. The prophet Hosea spoke of the isolated nation of Israel being alone, like an animal, and exiled to Assyria:

Hosea 8:8-9a

Israel has been swallowed up; they are now among the nations like a vessel in which no one delights. For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey all alone [bohded]…

The introduction of Psalm 102 described this particular poem as a “prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pouring out his complaint before YHWH”:

Psalm 102:7-8

I lie awake, I have become like a lonely [bohded] bird on a housetop. My enemies have taunted me all day long;  those who deride me have used my name as a curse.

Whether we’re like a lonely donkey or a lonely bird… in our loneliness we can become like part of the animal kingdom, fending for ourselves. 

Do not Work Alone

When Moses acted as judge for the entire Hebrew population, he was overwhelmed. He, alone, was handling all the work. Seeing him struggle, his father-in-law Jethro set him straight, saying, “Why do you alone [l-vaded] sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”… “You cannot do it alone [l-vaded]” (excepts from Exodus 18:14, 18).

So Moses said to his people, “I am not able to endure you alone [l-vaddi].” (Deuteronomy 1:9). He continued, saying:

Deuteronomy 1:12-13

“How can I alone [l-vaddi] endure the burden and weight of you and your strife? Obtain for yourselves men who are wise, discerning, and informed from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.”

Humans were never meant to be alone and they were never meant to work alone. YHWH created a partner for Adam because humans were not meant to function all by themselves. They needed, and still need, allies and communities. 

But sometimes the work we do is solitary work. Elijah the prophet felt very much alone as he faced the priests of Baal:

1 Kings 18:22

Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone [l-vaddi] am left as a prophet of YHWH, while Baal’s prophets are 450 men.”

But Elijah verses 450 men wasn’t a problem for YHWH. Through Elijah, YHWH humiliated the Baal worshippers. In response Queen Jezebel targeted Elijah and sought to kill him. Elijah felt more alone than ever. He escaped to a cave and hid in terror. But YHWH made sure that Elijah wasn’t alone. He visited Elijah and spoke to him in the cave, saying:

1 Kings 19:9b-10 (see also 1 Kings 9:14)

“What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

And he [Elijah] said, “I have been very zealous for YHWH, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone [l-vaddi] am left; and they have sought to take my life.”

YHWH recognized Elijah’s fear and loneliness. He saved Elijah, brought him out of the cave and spoke to him in a gentle breeze. The mission God gave to Elijah was to anoint two kings and a new prophet, Elisha. YHWH gave Elijah a job to work with other people, connecting humans and honouring the commandments of God.

Centuries later, the prophet Jeremiah experienced the same feeling of fear and loneliness as the people of Jerusalem turned on him, and persecuted him, because of his dooms-day warnings. The Babylonians were not far off from destroying Jerusalem and the people did not want to hear about it. In their fear, they lashed out at Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 15:15-19a

[Jeremiah:] You know, YHWH; remember me, take notice of me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; know that for Your sake I endure reproach. Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, YHWH God of armies.

I did not sit in a circle of revelers and celebrate. Because of Your hand upon me, I sat alone [badad]. For You filled me with indignation. Why has my pain been endless and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?

Therefore, this is what YHWH says: “If you return, then I will restore you— you will stand before Me; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman…”

If we reject our Creator He will respect our decision and leave us alone, but If we turn to YHWH, He will be right there, at our side. We will never be alone! Even in our darkest moments, He is there for all who call on Him.

Facing God Alone

Although the world is filled with people, sometimes we have to face God alone. Some of the most profound moments in the Bible were when people faced God by themselves:

• Noah stood alone in a sea of sinful people; he humbled himself, listened to YHWH and followed His instructions for salvation (Genesis 6)
• Hagar faced God alone when she ran away from Sarah who was abusing her. In her loneliness and humility God saw her and gave her hope (Genesis 16)
• Moses faced YHWH on his own a few times: at the burning bush (Exodus 3), receiving the ten commandments (Exodus 19-20), at the Covenant confirmation (Exodus 24), and receiving the ten commandments the second time (Exodus 34). Each time Moses humbled himself before YHWH and was rewarded with a view of God’s Presence.
• Isaiah faced YHWH in His throne room and he was shaken and overwhelmed. But even in his fear, he humbly volunteered to be the messenger for God and His heavenly council (Isaiah 6)
• Ezekiel saw the glory of YHWH standing in front of him and fell on his face in humility. The Spirit of God brought him to his feet again and he accepted his commission to be God’s spokesperson (Ezekiel 3:22-27)

One of the most profound human-YHWH interactions was when Jacob wrestled with God. Jacob was about to face his brother Esau, whom he had treated terribly years before. He was terrified at the prospects of facing a very angry brother. After arranging his family’s safety, he waited for his brother, but instead he found himself alone, facing a “man”:

Genesis 32:24-30

Then Jacob was left alone [l-vadoh], and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him [Jacob], he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.  Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” 

But he [Jacob] said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 

So he [“the man”] said to him [Jacob], “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 

Then he [“the man”] said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel [meaning “wrestles with God”]; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

And Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” 

But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

Jacob faced YHWH alone and he saw YHWH’s face! He was no longer alone. He was Israel; he represented the whole nation that wrestled with God. 

YHWH Alone

Humans were never meant to be completely alone. YHWH gave Adam an ally to build a world of community. But why not just have Adam and a beautiful planet filled with plants and animals? Certainly God could build a beautiful relationship with one human.   

YHWH knows, full well, what it’s like to be alone and He did not want that for humanity. Have we ever stopped to think about what it must be like for God to be the One and Only Lone Creator?

Job 9:5-10

“He [God] moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger. He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble. He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars. And He alone [u-vaddoh] stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.”

Creating the Universe was a beautiful expression of divine creativity. There’s a reason why some of the worlds greatest artists are often loners. Creating art is a solitary expression of love. YHWH is the One and Only, Single and Lonely, Creator God. We are to worship Him alone because He is alone, there is no other:

Deuteronomy 4:32-35

“Indeed, ask now about the earlier days that were before your time, since the day that God created mankind on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it? Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? Or has a god ventured to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, just as YHWH your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that YHWH, He is God; there is no other. He is alone [mi-l-vadoh].”

YHWH was on His own, but provided a antidote for his aloneness by creating living, breathing, souls. Every soul was loved and known by God. Solomon prayed a prayer of thanks that the One and Only God knew the hearts of every single person that He created:

1 Kings 8:39-40

[From Solomon’s Prayer:]  “Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know—for You alone [l-vadd’ka] know the hearts of all mankind— so that they will fear You all the days that they live on the land which You have given to our fathers.”

Literally Solomon’s prayer was this: “You know, in your aloneness, (from beginning to end), the hearts of all the sons of humanity.”

We may feel very alone, but YHWH looks at each individual human heart, including yours. He reads the heart of each human and He sympathises with our solitude. He knows us at our weakest, naked before Him. He gets how alone we really are… He gets it because He lives it every day.

For He is the lone Creator:

Isaiah 44:24-26a

This is what YHWH says, He who is your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb: “I, YHWH, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth alone [l-vaddi], causing the omens of diviners to fail, making fools of fortune-tellers; causing wise men to turn back and making their knowledge ridiculous, confirming the word of His servant and carrying out the purpose of His messengers.”

There is One God with One Name, who loves each of us individually, and He alone deserves our praise:

Psalm 148:13-14

They are to praise the name of YHWH, for His name alone [sh’moh l-vaddoh] is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven. And He has lifted up a horn for His people, praise for all His godly ones, for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise YHWH!

YHWH Alone Against a Nation of gods

But God’s name alone was not praised… not alone, not on His own. The Hebrew people added the names of other gods to their faith family. They did not acknowledge the unique aloneness of God, instead they pushed Him into a community of deities. 

Psalm 83:17-18

[Asaph:] May they be ashamed and dismayed forever, and may they be humiliated and perish, so that they will know that You alone [l-vaddeka], whose name is YHWH, are the Most High over all the earth.

Samuel encouraged the people to reject the multitude of pagan gods and turn to the One and Only YHWH:

1 Samuel 7:3-4

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to YHWH with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to YHWH and serve Him alone [l-vadoh]; and He will save you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served YHWH alone [YHWH l-vadoh].

David consistently fought against the nations and their pantheon of gods and he believed there would be a time when all nations would recognize YHWH as the One and Only God Alone:

Psalm 86:8-10

[David:] There is no one like You among the gods, Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord, and they will glorify Your name. For You are great, and you do wondrous deeds; You are God, You alone [atta Elohim, l-vaddeka].

The prophet Isaiah shared a similar message:

Isaiah 2:17-18

And the pride of humanity will be humbled and the arrogance of people will be brought low; and YHWH alone [YHWH l-vaddoh] will be exalted on that day, and the idols will completely vanish.

The Lonely City

The Bible often described the Hebrew people group in singular form. They were His Bride; they were His City. They were separate from the nations, a lonely people, waiting for their God to save them.

Balaam, (who was not an Israelite), recognized that the followers of YHWH were a set-apart people:

Numbers 23:8-9

[Balaam:] “How am I to put a curse on him upon whom God has not put a curse?  And how am I to curse him whom YHWH has not cursed? For I see him from the top of the rocks, and I look at him from the hills; behold, a people that lives in isolation [l-vadad], and does not consider itself to be among the nations.”

God’s chosen people were, for a time, the only ones to worship YHWH alone. Because of that, they were separated from the other nations. They were alone in a global community of pagan worshipers.

Deuteronomy 33:27-29

“The eternal God is a hiding place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from you, and said, ‘Destroy!’

So Israel lives alone [badad], the fountain of Jacob secluded, in a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drip down dew. Blessed are you, Israel; who is like you, a people saved by YHWH the shield of your help, and He who is the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, and you will trample on their high places.”

When Hezekiah faced the Assyrian army on his doorstep, he prayed to YHWH, the One and Only God of the Universe to save them:

2 Kings 19:15-19 (Isaiah 37:14-20)

Hezekiah prayed before YHWH and said, “YHWH, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone [l-vadd’ka], of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, YHWH, and hear; open Your eyes, YHWH, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God. It is true, YHWH; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. But now, YHWH our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, YHWH, are God [ata YHWH Elohim l-vaddeka].”

God listened to Hezekiah’s prayer. The Assyrian army was destroyed without sending a single arrow into Jerusalem. YHWH, the One and Only God saved His people and proved He, alone, was the God of all kingdoms. He was, and is, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

But God’s hand would not always save His people. A few centuries later, Jerusalem had rejected the Lone God in favour of a multitude of pagan gods, and as a result they became the exposed targets of Babylon. God’s unique city fell hard. Jerusalem was destroyed and her people were dragged off to Babylon:

Lamentations 1:1-2

How lonely [vadad] sits the city that once had many people! She has become like a widow who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a forced labourer! She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; she has no one to comfort her among all her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.

We may feel very lonely, as followers of YHWH. We are not part of the popular crowd these days. But the suffering city in the scroll of Lamentations reminds us that being alone with YHWH is so much better that being surrounded by a bunch of humans without YHWH:

Lamentations 3:25-28

YHWH is good to those who await Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of YHWH. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone [badad] and keep quiet, since He has laid it [the yoke] on him.

Sitting alone, with YHWH, is really not sitting alone at all. When we feel at our loneliest, that’s an important thing to remember. God is with us wherever we go, whatever we face.

But we are human, and even when we know that God is with us, holding onto our faith, by ourselves, without the support of other people, can be a very lonely experience.

That is why our faith communities are so vital to our spiritual health. God did not want us to be alone. He created allies to help us. We are each others collaborators and support networks. We are not not to be a lonely, hide ourselves away, gated community of believers. Instead we are to be a an open access neighbourhood of disciples, reflecting God’s face to those around us.

Sin Alone

We know what we ought to be: loving, non-judging, advocates of generosity and peace. But why is that so hard for us? The prophet Micah recognized that YHWH was the perfect Shepherd to lead His lonely flock. The sheep of His flock weren’t perfect, but He was a forgiving Shepherd:

Micah 7:14a, 18-19

[Micah to YHWH:] Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, the flock of Your possession which lives by itself alone [l’vadad] in the woodland, in the midst of a fruitful field… 

…Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing and passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. 

God’s plan  has always been to cast our sins into the depths and bring us back home to Him in the heights of heaven. Our sin would have to be wiped out in order for us to get back to the Garden of Eden and into His Presence, where we belong. 

King David recognized it was our sinfulness that made us truly lonely, because it separated us from God:

Psalm 51:1-4

[David to YHWH:] Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; according to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings. Wash me thoroughly from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my wrongdoings, and my sin is constantly before me. Against You, You alone [l-vadd’ka], I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.

Our sins are ours alone. Even when a collective people make a bad choice in unity, each individual is responsible, alone, for their own choices. The fact is, we continually make sin-filled, deadly, decisions against the One who does not sin. It’s rather poetic, if you think about it.

And so the One, alone, who has never sinned would sacrifice Himself for the entire race of humanity. Yeshua, alone, would save humanity by bearing all of our sins and taking them to the grave.

Not By Bread Alone

It’s always been about life and death. Connection with God is LIFE, separation from God is DEATH.

Moses reminded God’s people who they were. They were drawn out of Egypt to be a chosen people, separated as the loners of God’s creation. They were to be a humble people, living alone on God’s good graces… and yet, at the same time, completely connected to YHWH in a way that being alone was impossible.

Life was more than just consuming sustenance and surviving:

Deuteronomy 8:2-3

And you shall remember all the way which YHWH your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, in order to humble you, putting you to the test, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you go hungry, and fed you with the manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, in order to make you understand that man shall not live on bread alone [ha-lekhem l-vadoh], but man shall live on everything that comes out of the mouth of YHWH.

Life was about fully immersing themselves in every aspect of God’s goodness.

When the Adversary (ha-Satan) tested Yeshua (Jesus) in the wilderness, he quoted Moses’s words:

Matthew 4:3-4 (see also Luke 4:1-13)

And the tempter came and said to Him [Jesus], “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone [Greek: mono], but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

YHWH was the God of eternal life and bread helped sustain life on earth, but not life beyond earth. It would take more than bread alone, to be saved. 

Then Satan told Yeshua to throw Himself off the highest point of the Temple, for certainly the angels would save Him. Satan wanted Yeshua to prove Himself as the One and Only God. But proving His divinity would be in opposition to Yeshua’s spirit of humility, and it would also expose YHWH’s plan for Salvation.

Then Satan tried to get Yeshua to worship him, but it was a futile request:

Matthew 4:10-11

Again, the devil took Him along to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and serve Him alone [Greek- mono].’” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him.

There was only one God, alone, worthy of worship, and Satan wasn’t it. Satan did have an entourage of spiritual servants willing to bow down to him, but Yeshua did not play by Satan’s rules. Yeshua humbled Himself and lived and breathed as God’s One, Unique, Son amongst humanity. He was One with His Father, the true reflection of God, and worthy of praise.

Jesus- Mono-alone

Being one with His Father meant that Yeshua was very much alone. He often chose to separate Himself from the crowds and pray by Himself:

Matthew 14:23 (see also Mark 6:47, John 6:16-21)

After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone [Greek: monos].

John 6:15

So Jesus, aware that they intended to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself, alone [Greek: monos].

Yeshua was surrounded by people, including His disciples, His critics, the Jewish communities, the Gentile communities, and the Roman soldiers. But even though there were always people around, He must have felt very lonely, very often. Regardless, He always knew that YHWH was with Him. He could do nothing alone without YHWH, because He was wholly integrated with His Father… so alone, and yet so together:

John 8:25-29

Then they were saying to Him, “Who are You?”

 Jesus said to them, “What have I even been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to say and to judge regarding you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I say to the world.” 

They did not realize that He was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and I do nothing on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone [Greek: monon], for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 

Yeshua’s statement was clear. YHWH had not left Him alone. He couldn’t do anything one His own because YHWH was always with Him.

Alone on the Cross

Loneliness is often associated with death and dying. These things seem to be wrapped up together. It’s often said that we came into this world on our own and we must leave this world the same way. 

But the Bible tells a different story. We go alone into death, only to find ourselves reunited with our Creator. We go back to the Garden because Yeshua faced death, alone, on our behalf:

John 12:23-26

But Jesus answered them by saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [Greek: monos]; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him.”

A seed that is not planted does nothing, but a planted seed breaks down and sprouts new life. Yeshua was about to show the world how death was not the end:

Luke 15:12b-20

Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”

But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”

Intent on satisfying the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Now the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. And they dressed Him in purple, and after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and they began saluting Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they repeatedly beat His head with a reed and spit on Him, and kneeling, they bowed down before Him. And after they had mocked Him, they took the purple cloak off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

Yeshua must have felt utterly alone on that day. He was surrounded by people, but no one was there for Him. Apart from some of the women, most of His community abandoned Him in His darkest hour.

But He did what He came to do. We were under the curse of death, but He died in order to defeat death, redeem our souls and bring us home into community with YHWH.

You see, God made humans, in His likeness, to experience the joys of relationship. We receive that joy here on earth in the form of friendship and family. But the joy of community will be all the more wonderful in heaven because everything that makes us lonely here (fractured relationships, rejection, bigotry, segregation, oppression and persecution) will not be present with God. We will never be alone in God’s presence because we will be completely loved as we are, fully at peace. And we will be surrounded by all of God’s children, worshipping and feasting together. What a party it will be:

Isaiah 25:6-8

Now YHWH of armies will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;  banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined wine.

And on this mountain He will destroy the covering which is over all peoples, the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord YHWH will wipe away tears from all faces, and He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth; for YHWH has spoken.

YHWH is God-alone and in His divine loneliness He saved us. Yeshua’s sacrifice broke the barrier between YHWH and His children. No longer are we separated from God’s presence by the threat of death’s curse. We are free to be filled with God’s glory, not alone, but united together in His Presence:

Psalm 72:18-19

Blessed be YHWH God, the God of Israel, who alone [l-vaddoh] works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

Next week: Resting Place