Tag-Archive for » Ruth 2:20 «

Hebrew Anagrams

Friday, August 17th, 2012 | Author:

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not failed in His kindness to the living or to the dead! For,” Naomi explained to her, “the man is related to us; he is one of our redeeming kinsmen.”  Ruth 2:20  JPS

Failed – “Hebrew words suggest each other,” says Eskenazi.[1]  What she implies is not limited to common phrases.  It’s true that we need to pay attention to the connections between similar Hebrew words.  For example, it is no accident that the same word is used to describe both Adam’s unconscious state when Havvah is formed and Abraham’s deep sleep when God establishes the covenant.  The phrase “listened to voice of your wife” in the story of Adam and the story of Abraham is deliberate.  But common occurrences are not the only way Hebrew draws connections.  Some ways are much more subtle.

Tikva Frymer-Kensky points out that the name “Boaz” (b-‘z) is the reverse of the consonants found in the word “abandon” (‘ –z-b).  The author of Ruth loves word games, and this is truly one of the most subtle of them.  Obviously, it can only be seen in Hebrew.  It makes the story about Boaz’ actions even more delightful.

Boaz is the kinsman redeemer.  You might ask yourself why Naomi never bothers to mention this to Ruth prior to Ruth’s encounter with him.  Nevertheless, at this point in the story Naomi confesses that there is in fact a man who can assist them.  The meaning of his name isn’t clear.  It might mean “there is strength in him” or it might refer to one of the two pillars in the Great Hall of the Temple.  But if the character of a man is revealed in his name, then the actions of a man display that character, and in the case of Boaz, we see a man of faith, compassion and strength.  More than anything else in the story of Ruth, we see a man who brings about the blessing of God.  He is the exact opposite of azav (to abandon).  This is the point of the anagram.  Boaz and “abandon” don’t go together.

With this anagram in mind, it might be necessary to re-read the story.  Ask yourself if Boaz doesn’t fulfill each requirement in the chain of hesed while all along crediting YHWH with the actions.  Boaz is the model of a man who does all that he can without thinking he is doing anything more than what is required.  He is the picture of hesed.  And that picture demonstrates what it means to reflect the character of the Most High God in a setting that hardly ever mentions God at all.  The anagram is more than a clever trick.  It is a call to become the living display of hesed in the lives of those around us.  It is turning failure into blessing.

Do you think that God might mix up the letters of your name and produce a demonstration of His character?  There’s only one way to find out.  Do hesed and see what happens.

Topical Index:  abandon, fail, azav, Boaz, hesed, Ruth 2:20


[1] Tamara Eskenazi and Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Ruth: The JPS Bible Commentary, p. 44.

 

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: , , , , ,  | 3 Comments

Ruth and Rebekah

Thursday, August 16th, 2012 | Author:

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not failed in His kindness to the living or to the dead!”  Ruth 2:20  JPS

Has not failed – What does Ruth have to do with Rebekah?  If you read the two stories in Hebrew, you would be struck by the repeated phrase lo-azav hasdo (has not abandoned his hesed).   This phrase is found in the mouth of Abraham’s servant when Rebekah appears at the well (Genesis 24:27).  Eskenazi points out that this phrase occurs only twice in the Tanakh,[1] so it would be hard to miss the connection.  While the pronoun in this verse in Ruth is ambiguous (does it refer to God or to Boaz?), the statement in Genesis is quite clear.  God is the subject of lo-azav hasdo.

This little linguistic link highlights three important points.  First, of course, is the fact that if you read the Tanakh in any other language you will probably miss these exquisite clues.  Just like the name of the Messiah, Yeshua, is only a play on the word “salvation” only in Hebrew (which is why the name “Jesus” conveys nothing about this connection), so we find many, many connections between stories and people only in Hebrew.  The first lesson of lo-azav hesed is that translations fail us.

The second lesson is not so pleasant.  Many scholars argue that Ruth is fiction.  They make this claim because, among other things, they find these Hebrew word connections too contrived to be actual events.  As we study Ruth, we will find many word plays, allusions and clues to other Hebrew verses.  Some scholars consider these indications that the author of Ruth fabricated the story in order to artificially produce these connections.  Ruth becomes a teaching tool, not an actual record of real people.  I don’t agree, but I do notice that even those who challenge the historical authenticity of Ruth recognize these connections.  So how can we who believe the story is real ignore them!  I believe that Ruth reflects a culture saturated with God’s language and God’s history.  It wouldn’t surprise me to find these clues any more than it surprises me to find allusions to American historical events in the cultural idioms of contemporary American English.

The third lesson is a puzzle.  Naomi speaks of God not abandoning His hesed to the dead.  But in what way does God show hesed to the dead?  Even some of the rabbis struggled with this idea.  On this basis, they claimed that the pronoun must refer to Boaz.  But this cannot be the case in Genesis so it seems unlikely in Ruth.  That leaves us with the question, “What is hesed for the dead?”  What does it mean to show benevolence, to take on obligation, to pass on favor to someone who has died?  Perhaps the puzzle of Ruth 2:20 can’t be answered yet.  Perhaps we need to rethink our idea that “dead and gone” is the final act of life.

Topical Index:  has not failed, lo-azav, hesed, Genesis 24:27, Ruth 2:20, dead


[1] Tamara Eskenazi and Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Ruth: The JPS Bible Commentary, p. 43.

Category: Today's Word  | Tags: , , , , ,  | 18 Comments