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another some act or behavior: “Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him,
What hast thou done unto us?” (Gen. 20:9). With the particle
the word may mean “to
show,” or “to practice” something toward someone. The emphasis here is on an ongoing
mutual relationship between two parties obligating them to a reciprocal act: “O Lord God
of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness
unto my master Abraham” (Gen. 24:12). In Gen. 26:29
appears twice in the sense
“to practice toward”: “That thou wilt do us no harm, as we have not touched thee, and as
we have done unto thee nothing but good.…”
Used absolutely this verb sometimes means “to take action”: “Let Pharaoh do this,
and let him appoint officers over the land …” (Gen. 41:34). In the Hebrew
has no
object in this passage—it is used absolutely. Used in this manner it may also signify “to
be active”: “She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands” (Prov.
31:13). In 1 Chron. 28:10 the verb (used absolutely) means “to go to work,” to go about
doing a task: “Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build a house for the
sanctuary: be strong, and do it.”
This verb used of plants signifies “bringing forth.” In Gen. 1:11 it means “to bear”
fruit: “… And the fruit tree [bearing] fruit after his kind.…” In another nuance this verb
represents what a plant does in producing grain: “… It hath no stalk: the bud shall yield
no meal …” (Hos. 8:7). The word signifies the production of branches, too: “It was
planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might
bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine” (Ezek. 17:8).
*
is used theologically of man’s response to divine commands. God
commanded Noah: “Make thee an ark of gopher wood …” (Gen. 6:14). Similarly Israel
was commanded “to construct” a sanctuary for God (Exod. 25:8). The manipulation of
the blood of the sacrifice is what the priest is to do (Lev. 4:20). The entire cultic activity
is described by
&
“As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do …”
(Lev. 8:34). Thus in his acts a man demonstrates his inward commitment and, therefore,
his relationship to God (Deut. 4:13). Doing God’s commands brings life upon a man
(Lev. 18:5).
This verb is also applied specifically to all aspects of divine acts and actions. In the
general sense of His actions toward His people Israel, the word first occurs in Gen. 12:2,
where God promises “to make” Abram a great nation.
*
is also the most general
Old Testament expression for divine creating. Every aspect of this activity is described by
this word: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth …” (Exod. 20:11). This is its
meaning in its first biblical occurrence: “And God made the firmament, and divided the
waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament
…” (Gen. 1:7). This word is used of God’s acts effecting the entire created world and
individual men (Exod. 20:6). God’s acts and words perfectly correspond, so that what He
says He does, and what He does is what He has said (Gen. 21:1; Ps. 115:3).
B. Noun.
(
*
, 4639), “work; deed; labor; behavior.” This noun is used 235 times
in biblical Hebrew. Lamech, Noah’s father, in expressing his hope for a new world, used
the noun for the first time in the Old Testament: “And he called his name Noah, saying,