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5 $
literally means “boundary” or “border.” This meaning appears in Num. 20:23,
where it signifies the border or boundary of the entire land of Edom. Sometimes such an
imaginary line was marked by a physical barrier: “… Arnon is the border of Moab,
between Moab and the Amorites” (Num. 21:13). Sometimes
$
denoted ethnic
boundaries, such as the borders of the tribes of Israel: “And unto the Reubenites and unto
the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border
even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon …” (Deut.
3:16). In Gen. 23:17,
$
represents the “border” of an individual’s field or piece of
ground: “And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre,
the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were
in all the borders round about, were made sure.” Fields were delineated by “boundary
marks,” whose removal was forbidden by law (Deut. 19:14; cf. Deut. 27:17).
5 $
can suggest the farthest extremity of a thing: “Thou hast set a bound that they
may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth” (Ps. 104:9).
This word sometimes represents the concrete object marking the border of a thing or
area (cf. Ezek. 40:12). The “border” of Ezekiel’s altar is signified by
$
(Ezek. 43:13)
and Jerusalem’s “surrounding wall” is represented by this word (Isa. 54:12).
5 $
represents the territory within certain boundaries: “And the border of the
Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto
Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha” (Gen. 10:19). In
Exod. 34:24, Num. 21:22, 1 Chron. 21:12, and Ps. 105:31-32,
$
is paralleled to the
“territory” surrounding and belonging to a city.
5 $
the feminine form of
$
occurs 9 times.
5 $
means “boundary” in
such passages as Isa. 10:13, and “territory” or “area” in other passages, such as Num.
34:2.
TO BOW, BEND
(
, 3766), “to bow, bow down, bend the knee.” This term is found in both
ancient and modern Hebrew and in Ugaritic. It occurs in the Hebrew Old Testament
approximately 35 times.
appears for the first time in the deathbed blessing of Jacob
as he describes Judah: “… He stooped down, he couched as a lion” (Gen. 49:9).
The implication of
seems to be the bending of one’s legs or knees, since a noun
meaning “leg” is derived from it. To “bow down” to drink was one of the tests for
elimination from Gideon’s army (Judg. 7:5-6). “Kneeling” was a common attitude for the
worship of God (1 Kings 8:54; Ezra 9:5; Isa. 45:23; cf. Phil. 2:10).
“Bowing down” before Haman was required by the Persian king’s command (Esth.
3:2-5). To “bow down upon” a woman was a euphemism for sexual intercourse (Job
31:10). A woman in process of giving birth was said to “bow down” (1 Sam. 4:19).
Tottering or feeble knees are those that “bend” from weakness or old age (Job 4:4).
BREAD
(
, 3899), “bread; meal; food; fruit.” This word has cognates in Ugaritic,
Syriac, Aramaic, Phoenician, and Arabic.
6
occurs about 297 times and at every