Letter I: Torah or Law?

Dear Jake, Ive been pondering your question about the Hebrew word Torah and how to reconcile its meaning with what is generally taught in the Christian community o believers! The word Torah is perhaps the most misunderstood word in the "ible! The reason or this is our #nglish "ibles universally translate Torah as $%aw!& %aw is a terrible translation o the Hebrew word Torah! %et me e'plain! The idea that Torah equals law dates back three hundred years be ore Jesus to a group o Hebrew (abbis! This group took on the di icult task o translating the Hebrew )criptures into the *reek language! The result o their work is the $)eptuagint,& the *reek version o the Hebrew "ible! In the )eptuagint they translated the Hebrew word Torah as the *reek word $+omos!& +omos was a good choice because it e'presses the sense o a living network o traditions and customs o a people associated with the Hebrew word Torah! +omos can mean a pasture or a eeding place, an inheritance, a district or a province, a law or ordinance! Hundreds o years a ter the introduction o the )eptuagint the $%atin -ulgate& translated Torah and +omos as $%e'!& %e' is %atin or pertaining to the law, legal! . couple o hundred years a ter the %atin -ulgate the /ing James "ible ollowed the -ulgates lead and translated Torah and +omos as $%aw!& 0hats wrong with translating Torah as %aw1 The simple answer is that the meaning o the Hebrew word Torah is lost2 0hen 3aul used the *reek word +omos in his letters he meant Torah in the same sense that the word meant to him in his world at that time! 3aul trained in Jerusalem under (abbi *amaliel! He was taught in the school o the 3harisees and understood Torah rom a Hebrew perspective! )o when 3aul wrote the word +omos he was thinking Torah and not law! Torah was 3auls passion and the guide or his way o living rom day to day! Torah, or 3aul, is as vast as *od Himsel ! 3aul, as a trained 3harisee, spent hours and hours studying the "ible! . ter his encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus 3aul elt the calling o *od to share the message o the *ospel with other believers in Jesus! The *ospel o 3aul is the *ospel o the "ible and comes rom 3auls study o )cripture! 3auls letters to the believers in the +ew Testament e'plain how he understood the "ible! The +ew Testament believers who received those letters were ortunate, because i the had a question they could write 3aul and ask him to urther e'plain what he meant!

)ince 3aul is no longer with us and we can not ask him or urther e'planation we must turn to the "ible to understand what 3aul meant! There ore to understand 3auls concept o Torah we must learn the "iblical concept or de inition o Torah! 3aul gives a principle in 4 Corinthians 5647 that allows us to do 8ust that when he says, $0hich things also we speak, not in words which man9s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy )pirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things!& The principle o understanding or de ining the meaning o )cripture by )cripture is e'pressed in the words $comparing spiritual things with spiritual!& It simply means that one part o )cripture is e'plained by another! . simple way to e'ercise the principle o comparing )cripture to )cripture is to use a concordance to ind all the places where the Hebrew word Torah is ound! :oung9s .nalytical Concordance o the "ible lists the Hebrew word Torah 54; times in the <ld Testament! < those 54; times Torah is translated law 54= times, and once as manner!4 :oungs de ines Torah as instruction or direction! :oungs .nalytical Concordance to the "ible also lists the *reek word +omos 4>? times in the +ew Testament! .ll 4>? times +omos is translated law! :oungs de ines +omos as law, ordinance, or custom! %isten to what a ew verses o )cripture say about Torah! Torah is Truth o 3salms 44>64@5 $4@5 :our righteousness is an everlasting righteousness! :our Torah is truth!& Torah is a light A a way to li e o 3roverbs =657 $Bor the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light! (eproo s o instruction are the way o li e,& Torah is a ountain o li e o 3roverbs 4764@ $The Torah o the wise is a spring o li e, to turn rom the snares o death!& Torah is %iberty A Breedom o James 465? $"ut he who looks into the per ect Torah, the Torah o reedom, and continues, not being a hearer who orgets but a doer o the work, this man will be blessed in what he does!& The 0ord o the %ord is Torah o Isaiah 464C $Hear the word o :ahweh, you rulers o )odom2 %isten to the Torah o our *od, you people o *omorrah2& o Isaiah 567 $Dany peoples shall go and say, ECome, let9s go up to the mountain o :ahweh, To the house o the *od o Jacob, .nd he will teach us o his ways, .nd we will walk in his paths!Bor out o Fion the Torah shall go orth, .nd the word o :ahweh rom Jerusalem!& Torah is Holy, (ighteous, and *ood o (omans ;645 $There ore the Torah indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good!&

5nd )amuel ;64>

Torah is a shadow o good things to come o Hebrews 4C64 $Bor the Torah, having a shadow o the good to come, not the very image o the things, can never with the same sacri ices year by year, which they o er continually, make per ect those who draw near!& Torah is sound instruction o 3roverbs @65 $Bor I give you sound learning GinstructionH! Don9t orsake my Torah!& To walk in Torah is to 0alk in The )pirit o #Iekiel 7=65; $I will put my )pirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them!& Torah is a delight, a provision or merci ul kindness o 3salms 44>6;?J;; $:ahweh, I know that :our 8udgments are righteous, that in aith ulness you have a licted me! ;= 3lease let your loving kindness be or my com ort, according to :our word to your servant! ;; %et your tender mercies come to me, that I may live, Bor :our Torah is my delight!& Torah is His ways, His statutes, His Commandments, His Judgments, His testimony o 4 /ings 567 $and keep the charge o :ahweh your *od, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the Torah o Doses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn yoursel !& John 4@64? $I you love me, keep my commandments!& 4 John 567J= $This is how we know that we know him6 i we keep his commandments! @ <ne who says, EI know him,E and doesn9t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn9t in him! ? "ut whoever keeps his word GTorahH, *od9s love has most assuredly been per ected in him! This is how we know that we are in him6 = he who says he remains in him ought himsel also to walk 8ust like he walked!& John 4?64C $I you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Bather9s commandments, and remain in his love!& Torah is understanding, good doctrine, teaching, His 0ords, His Commands, wisdom, instruction, and li e o 3roverbs @64J47 $%isten, sons, to a ather9s instruction! 3ay attention and know understanding, 5 Bor I give you sound learning! Don9t orsake my Torah! 7 Bor I was a son to my ather, Tender and an only child in the sight o my mother! @ He taught me, and said to me6 E%et your heart retain my words! /eep my commandments, and live! ? *et wisdom! *et understanding! Don9t orget, neither swerve rom the words o my mouth! = Don9t orsake her, and she will preserve you! %ove her, and she will keep you! ; 0isdom is supreme! *et wisdom! :es, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding! K #steem her, and she will e'alt you! )he will bring you to honor, when you embrace her! > )he will give to your head a garland o grace! )he will deliver a crown o splendor to you!E 4C %isten, my son, and receive my sayings! The years o your li e will be many! 44 I have taught you in the way o wisdom! I have led you in straight paths! 45 0hen you go, your steps will not be hampered! 0hen

you run, you will not stumble! 47 Take irm hold o instruction! Don9t let her go! /eep her, or she is your li e!& Torah is a tree o li e o 3roverbs 764J5 $Dy son, don9t orget my Torah, but let your heart keep my commandments6 5 Bor length o days, and years o li e, and peace, will they add to you!& o 3roverbs 7647J4K $Happy is the man who inds wisdom GTorahH, the man who gets understanding GTorahH! 4@ Bor her good pro it is better than getting silver, and her return is better than ine gold! 4? )he is more precious than rubies! +one o the things you can desire are to be compared to her! 4= %ength o days is in her right hand! In her le t hand are riches and honor! 4; Her ways are ways o pleasantness! .ll her paths are peace! 4K )he is a tree o li e to those who lay hold o her! Happy is everyone who retains her!& o 3roverbs 7647J4K $"lessed is the man who inds wisdom GTorahH, .nd the man who gains understanding GTorahH, 4@ Bor her proceeds are better than the pro its o silver, .nd her gain than ine gold! 4? )he is more precious than rubies, .nd all the things you may desire cannot compare with her! 4= %ength o days is in her right hand, In her le t hand riches and honor! 4; Her ways are ways o pleasantness, .nd all her paths are peace! 4K )he is a tree o li e to those who take hold o her, and happy are all who retain her!& 4> The %ord by wisdom GTorahH ounded the earth, "y understanding GTorahH He established the heavens, 5C "y His knowledge GTorahH the depths were broken up, .nd clouds drop down the dew! o 3roverbs 7654J5@ $Dy son, let them G0isdom, Lnderstanding A TorahH not depart rom your eyes! /eep sound wisdom and discretion6 55 )o they will be li e to your soul, .nd grace or your neck! 57 Then you shall walk in your way securely! :our oot won9t stumble! 5@ 0hen you lie down, you will not be a raid! :es, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet!&

Jake, this short list o verses alone illustrates that Torah is not equal to %aw! It is light, li e, reedom, truth, instruction, wisdom, knowledge and on and on! It is my hope that you may begin to see what I meant earlier when I said, $Torah, or 3aul, is as vast as *od Himsel !& "ut lets not stop here, please allow me to introduce you to another principle that ound in 3roverbs 5?65! $It is the glory o *od to conceal a thing, "ut the glory o kings is to search out a matter!& The Hebrew word or a concealed thing in this verse is debar! Debar means a matter or thing that is spoken! *od has concealed things, spoken matters, words, in the )cripture, and it should be our delight or honor, as /ings and 3riests in the kingdom o *od to search them out! Deuteronomy 5>65> adds6

$The secret things belong to :ahweh our *od, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children orever, that we may do all the words o this Torah!& The principle revealed in this passage is that the hidden or secret things, that is the words or spoken things, belong to *od! Those things are revealed to His children, those in Christ, that they may obey the Torah! How are they revealed1 *od reveals the hidden things to us as we search the )criptures! Lsing this principle lets dig a little deeper and look at the Hebrew word Torah! Hebrew is a unique language! Lnlike #nglish where the letters are merely symbols, in Hebrew the letters are pictures with de initions and meanings! The Hebrew word Torah is spelled in Hebrew A Tav, -av, (esh, Hey! o o o o Tav is the symbol o a cross and means sign, mark, or covenant! -av means nail! (esh means head or man! Hey means to reveal, see, or what comes rom!

Dr! Brank )eekins in his delight ul book entitled $Hebrew 0ord 3ictures& assembles the meanings o the Hebrew letters or Torah as A $0hat comes rom the Dan nailed to the cross!& Torah, there ore, according to the literal Hebrew points to our Dessiah, Jesus being nailed to the cross! The Hebrew word Torah comes rom the word yara and is spelled in Hebrew A :od, (esh, Hey! o o o :od is the picture o a hand that is shaped to work, thus means hand or work! (esh means head or man! Hey means to reveal, see, or what comes rom!

"y assembling the meanings o the letters or yara and we see A $0hat the head or man must do to see!& Deaning6 Torah is gaining wisdom, insight, light, instruction, and direction! "ased upon this short study we have ound that Torah is6 Truth %ight . 0ay to %i e . Bountain o %i e %iberty Breedom The 0ord o the %ord Holy Just *ood . )hadow o *ood Things to Come *ood Doctrine . Delight . 3rovision or Derci ul /indness His 0ays His )tatutes His Commandments His Judgments His Testimony . Tree o %i e 0isdom Lnderstanding /nowledge Teaching His 0ords Instruction %i e

To walk in Torah, there ore is to walk in the )pirit!5 )o, Jake, I hope you can see that the word Torah means much more than the %atin translation $le'& or the #nglish translation $law&, and understand why I said, $%aw is a terrible translation o the Hebrew word Torah!& Day the %ord give you the spirit o wisdom and revelation in the knowledge o Him, and may the eyes o your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope o His calling, what are the riches o the glory o His inheritance in the saints, and what is the e'ceeding greatness o His power toward us who believe, according to the working o His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him rom the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ar above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come!7 "lessings, #li

#Iekiel 7=65; #ph 464?J54