February 9, 2015 - Many Grammar concepts and Hebrew Word Meanings

1. *Started class by discussing the appropriateness of asking for gifts of the spirit, and particularly the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues in this class. The motives for asking for gifts should always be for building up the Lord's kingdom, not for a sign.
2. *Genesis 22:1 "After these things"... WHAT things? ANSWER: The preceding chapters since Genesis 12. The author is making an important note that this chapter is a climactic event.
3. *Chapter 12 begins with a test, and chapter 22 is a test. In the first test Abraham is asked to leave his fathers house, his kinsman, and his country, and go to a land the Lord will show him. In other words, he is being asked to leave EVERYTHING (His inheritance) for the Lord. 
4. *COOL GRAMMAR LESSON: ABRAM is two syllables "Ab" (Father), and "Ram" (High). Abram means "High Father". Made a connection with the syllable "Ram" to the Book of Mormon Hebrew word "Ram-e-um-tom", (High place). 
5. *COOL WORD LESSON: "Malach" means Angel, but in Hebrew can mean "Messenger", whether mortal, immortal, or even God. So, Malach is often translated as angel, but may not always have the heavenly messenger context.
6. *"Seraph" has a strong connotation of burning, cremation, fire, etc. "Seraphim" was used by Isaiah to describe angels who burned his lips with a coal. "Seraphim" literally means burning ones.
7. "Isaac" means "He Laughs". This suggests he was so named at birth because he laughed as a newborn.
8. "Nathan" means "He Gave"
9. * God issues commandments. There is no need to soften his commandments, but he did in one instance in Genesis 22. The King James version of the Bible rendered it "Take now thy son, thine only son...". There is found an interesting syllable with the word for "Take" which is pronounced "nah" and means "Please". The correct translation would be "Please take your son...". This is significant because God softened his commandment. Why? Perhaps because he was about to ask Abraham to do something horrific, and knew the difficulty of the task. Perhaps because The Lord was able to personally relate to Abraham like no one could in offering his own son. Interestingly, the Lord commanded Abraham to leave his home and go to a land he would show him. It was in that land he was asked to sacrifice his son, Issac. The Land of Moriah is the same area where the Savior was crucified, possibly a stone's cast from where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac.
10. *The syllable "Nah" just mentioned is found in the familiar expression of worship, "Hos-san-NAH". The syllable "Hos" has reference to "Jehova". The syllable "San" has reference to being saved. So the command "Hoshan" means "God save us!", but because man does not command God, it is softened by adding the syllable "Nah", and means "God, please save us!"
11. *"Helpmeet" in the scriptures according to the instructor is a good translation, but not quite accurate, as no English word exists for the Hebrew word. The Hebrew word denotes a strong connotation of being Opposite, different, and yet, Equal, and totally necessary. He then used the example of an airplane wing on one side. The wing on the opposite side is opposite, different, equal, and totally necessary for flight. In my experience, the previous generation at large does not tend to treat woman equally to men. I love knowing woman are equal to men in God's eyes! I love knowing men and woman are opposite by divine design! I love the soaring feeling I share with my sweet wife at my opposite side!

February 2, 2015 - "Har" and Perfection

1. "Har" can mean "Mountain" or "Temple"
2. * The Hebrew word for "Perfect" doesn't necessarily denote sinlessness, but rather "Completeness". There are four degrees of completeness, the Celestial, Terrestrial, Telestial, and the fourth lacking a name is outer darkness. Our choices culminate into a point of completion following our mortal experience. This adds insight to the Savior's command to "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect", or in other words, strive for his level of completion... DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS!

January 28 - February 6

Grammar concepts...

January 23, 2015 - Hebrew words. Israelite Exile periods; Scribes

1. *Some words are spelled exactly the same, and have opposite meanings (CLEAVE)
2. Some words are spelled exactly the same, and are pronounced differently (READ, READ)
3. *Phonecians are Canaanites (Greeks called them Phoenecians)
4. *An important part of Hebrew culture is understanding the Exhile (Pre-Exhillic, Exhillic, Post-Exhillic)
1. Following David/Solomon, Israel was divided into two lands. The tribe of Judah lived to the south, and the rest of the tribes lived in the north. Israel was scattered and has not yet returned; Judah was exhiled but returned.
2. 1,300 B.C - 586 BCE = Pre-Exhillic
3. 586-520 BCE = Exhillic
4. After 520 AD = Post-Exhillic
5. *Gallileans colonized the Northern areas and were essentially considered 'hillbilly's" to the Judeans in Jerusalem, who were considered more of the upper class. Jesus Christ came from the lower Gallilean class, which may have been a reason he was rejected by many Judeans.
6. *Sopherim - means "Scribes". It was a rare class of people who were literate. Even kings in those days were not literate. Nephi was likely a Sopherim, due to his fine literacy skills. He made comments in his account referring to his skills. "written by my own hand", "I Nephi wrote these things", "Taught in the learning of my father", etc.
7. *Lehi may not have had access to the scriptures before Nephi secured them from Laban. When he read them he was overcome with the spirit of prophecy.

January 16, 2015 - Hebrews wrote right to left

1. Hebrew runs right to left. The reason is believed to be due to the chisel and hammer approach of writing. It would have been very difficult the other way.
2. More grammar stuff
3. Realized I like the word אֶרֶץ (Earth. Pronounced "Airetz"). And it actually resembles the English and Afrikaans sound for earth, 'Ardt'.

January 14, 2015 - Sophos / Moros (Wise / Foolish)

1. In Greek, "Sophos" means "Wise", and "Moros" means "Moron". So what is a "Sophmore"? :-)
2. In the parable of the 10 virgins, the five foolish were rendered "Moros", and the five wise were rendered "Sophos". 
3. Reviewed the Dagesh Forte and Lene.

January 12, 2015 - Plurality of Gods

1. The Hebrew Letter צ (Tsade) makes the "ts" sound we hear in "Nuts". Since there is no English equivalent letter, bible translations appear with "Z's", or "S's". This explains the sometimes different spelling for the word "Zion", which is sometimes rendered "Sion". Pronounced properly would be "Tsion". 
2. Hebrew is a gender language. Words ending with a "im" sound are male plural. Words ending in a "oath" or "oat" sound are feminine plural.

• Cherub-im (Angels, plural); Seraph-im (Burning ones (angels), plural); Eloh-im (Gods, plural; This is NOT the name of Deity as we sometimes suppose, but a title)
• Remember when Solomon went after the false gods of "Baalim" (Male plural) and "Ashtoroth" (Female plural)? (Notice the plural male and female forms of deity, though false gods in this case.

1. Hebrew Conjunctions: In English it is improper to begin sentences with a conjugation (like And, But, Therefore, etc), but it was totally legit in Hebrew. Look at any Book of Mormon or Bible passage and nearly every sentence begins with a conjunction. This is "Bad English, but good Hebrew". AND it came to pass... (And's are represented by the single Hebrew letter, ו Vav). Incidentally, "And it came to pass" looks like this: וַיְהִי (pronounced "Vaihee").