Discernment: An Intimate Friend

Hello folks,

This week I’ve been working diligently on the Hebrew word for discernment/understanding (bin/vin). It’s a word with a pretty significant footprint in the Bible. A power outage today (due to an extreme Canadian cold front) dipped into my editing process and (with a bit of wisdom) I have decided to give this word another week of time to provide a more robust and worthy lesson. Fortunately, the power has returned to my house and my fear of our pipes freezing has pretty much disappeared. During cold January nights one learns to quicly appreciate a warm furnace and the ability to turn on the lights!

Before I leave you for the week, here’s a short teaser for what’s to come…

It should come to no surprise that the Scroll of Proverbs relies heavily on the concept of discernment. The introduction in the first chapter is saturated with a call for understanding:

Proverbs 1:1-6

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction, to discern [l-ha-vin לְ֝הָבִ֗ין] the sayings of understanding [vinah בִינָֽה], to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and integrity; to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and purpose, a wise person will hear and increase in learning, and a person of understanding [w-navohn וְ֝נָב֗וֹן] will acquire wise counsel, to understand [l-ha-vin לְהָבִ֣ין] a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Next week we’ll take a deep dive into discernment/understanding/skill. Until then, I encourage you to learn the following verse this week:

Proverbs 7:4

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding [la-binah לַבִּינָ֥ה] your intimate friend [u-moda]…”

אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא

Eh’mor la-khok’mah “akhoti at”, u-moda la-binah tiq’ra

Or, to simplify, say to wisdom, akhoti at (my sister, you are) and call understaning, modu (intimate friend).

As you study scripture this week, pray for understanding. When you find it, it really is like a friend you can’t imagine being without! Shalom… and have a warm and cozy week!

Sarah