Message #2439

[cizz]

www.ancient-hebrew.org/emagazine/027.doc

By: Jeff A. Benner


The Hebrew verb חכם (hhakham) is usually translated as wise. But, the word wise is an abstract (Greek thought) and we will need to take a closer look at this word to find its original concrete (Hebrew thought) meaning. In order to do this we will begin by looking at the parent root חם (hham) or    as it would appear in its original pictographic script. The first letter,  , is a picture of a tent wall and represents the idea of separating. The second letter,  , is a picture of water. Combined these mean "separate water." The picture represented by these two words is the process of making ch eese (curds) from milk by separating out the water (called whey). The noun חמאה (hhemah) is derived from this parent root and means "curds."

By placing the consonant כ (kh) in the middle of the parent root the adopted root חכם (hhakham) is formed. While translated as wise the more appropriate meaning is the ability to separate out or distinguish between good and bad. The noun חכמה (hhakhmah) is derived from this adopted root and is usually translated as wisdom but in the sense of craftsmanship such as seen in Exodus 28:3; "(KJV) And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom (translated as ability in the RSV), and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship." A craftsman is one who is able to distinguish between good work and bad work or, one who is "wise."

As we have seen the connection between "curds" and "wisdom" is the separating out of something but interestingly there is another connection between these as found in Isaiah 7:15; "He will eat curds and honey (or possibly dates) to know to refuse evil and to choose good." There appears to be a physical connection between curds (hhemah) and wisdom (hhakhmah) as this passage indicates that eating curds can bring about wisdom.