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A special use of
appears in Eccl. 3:15: “… God requireth [holds men
accountable for] that which is past.” Men should serve God (literally, “fear him”) because
God controls all things. Men should be on His side, since He is totally sovereign. The
intensive stem sometimes means to pursue relentlessly and passionately as a harlot
“pursues” her lovers (Prov. 11:19).
R
RAM
(
, 352), “ram.” This word, which has cognates in Ugaritic, Egyptian, and
Coptic, occurs in biblical Hebrew about 164 times and in all periods.
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represents a male sheep or “ram.” The word first appears in Gen. 15:9, where
God told Abram: “Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old,
and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” These animals were
often used in sacrificing (cf. Gen. 22:13). They were eaten (Gen. 31:38), and the wool
used to make clothing (cf. 2 Kings 3:4). Consequently, as highly valuable animals, such
“rams” were selected by Jacob to be part of a peace present sent to Esau (Gen. 32:14).
Many passages use
as a figure of despots or mighty men: “Then the dukes of
Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them
…” (Exod. 15:15). The king of Babylon deported Judah’s kings, princes, and the “mighty
of the land” (Ezek. 17:13). In the first instance the word represents chiefs in the sense of
head political figures, whereas in the second use it appears to signify lesser figures. An
even more powerful figure is in view in Ezek. 31:11, where
represents a central,
powerful, earthly figure who will ruthlessly destroy Assyria: “I have therefore delivered
him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have
driven him out for his wickedness.”
(
, 3104), “ram; ram’s horn; jubilee year.” Cognates of this word appear in
late Aramaic, Phoenician, and Arabic. The 27 biblical appearances of the noun all occur
before the Book of Judges.
First, this word means “ram’s horn”: “When the ram’s horn [v, “trumpet”] sounds a
long blast, they shall come up to the mountain” (Exod. 19:13—the first occurrence). In
Josh. 6:5 the word is preceded by the Hebrew word for “horn,” which is modified by
, “horn of a ram.”
Second, this word signifies “jubilee year.” The law concerning this institution is
recorded in Lev. 25:8-15; 27:16-25. In the fiftieth year on the Day of Atonement jubilee
was to be declared. All land was to return to the individual or family to whom it had
originally belonged by inheritance, even if he (or she) were in bondservice. When land
was valued in anticipation of selling it or devoting it to God, it was to be valued in terms
of anticipated productivity prior to the year of jubilee. Between jubilees land might be
redeemed for its productivity value. City property, however, must be redeemed within a