No One In Particular?
The steps of a man are ordered from YHWH, and He will delight in his way. Though he falls, he will not be cast down, for YHWH upholds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24
Man – It is certainly a shame that some English translations use the word “man” for the Hebrew geber in this verse. The KJV offers some help with its parenthetical expression “good” and the NLT provides “godly,” but in general most English translations ignore the fact that this is not the Hebrew word ish or adam. We have seen these distinctions before (April 12 and May 16). In this verse, we really need to know the difference between these three Hebrew words. Geber is particularly important in David’s use. These are the mighty men, the warriors, the ones of spiritual strength. Job uses the word fifteen times to distinguish the character of the geber from ordinary men. Most importantly, Zechariah 13:7 describes God as geber (a statement we will need to look at more carefully). The lesson is clear. Not every man has steps ordered by the Lord.
What kind of man is a geber? Let’s see what Job suggests. A geber is:
A man child, born perhaps for tests and trials (3:3)
A man whose way may be hidden by God (3:23)
A man who is just and pure (4:17)
A man who is aware of his mortality (10:5)
A man who knows he will certainly die (14:10)
A man who pleads with God (16:21)
A man who intercedes for a neighbor (16:21)
A man who is vigorous in usefulness to God (22:2)
A man who is wise and useful to himself (22:2)
A man who keeps from pride and turns aside from bad conduct (33:17)
A man who desires to be redeemed (33:28-29)
A man who may suffer in this life (34:7)
A man who understands there may be no profit when he is pleased with God (34:9)
A man of true understanding (34:34)
A man who is ready to take action (38:3)
A man who will answer to God (40:7)
Clearly not every man may have his steps ordered by YHWH.
Are these your characteristics? Do you see yourself in each of these descriptions from Job? Better yet, do others see you described by Job’s words? If you find a few vacancies when you apply Job’s definition of geber to yourself, perhaps you need to reconsider what being a man really is. There are lots of men who are nothing more than male homo sapiens (ish). And all men (and women) are adam. But only a few are geber.
Topical Index: geber, man, Psalm 37:23, ish, adam
Good morning Skip, hope you find yourself in Shalom! Just a quick correction, there is no Job 33:39. The actual reference to redemption can found in the same chapter in verses 28 and 29.
Shalom to all!
“there is no Job 33:39”
Hi Brian,
Your comment caught my eye this morning, because my brother’s name is Brian.
And, because I’m planning to start work on Monday, “there is no job” would be bad news.
For me 🙂
But when I read Job 28:1-4, I felt much better for some reason.
Probably because it is one of my favorites:
Silver has its mines,
and gold a place for refining.
Iron is extracted from the earth,
the smelted rocks yield copper.
Man makes an end of darkness
when he pierces to the uttermost depths
the black and lightless rock.
Mines the lamp-folk dig
in places where there is no foothold,
and hang suspended far from mankind.
Job 28:1-4 coincidentally makes me think of my interview at Aruba Networks.
The Chinese American test engineer at Aruba and I were discussing engineering problems.
And laughing about how the Chinese and Irish dug most of the tunnels for the railroads.
And glad that our engineering problems would not involve nitroglycerin and granite boulders.
Congratulations on your job, Michael. This ends a long drought of unemployment, right? May this be the provision from the LORD that you have been patiently awaiting. Wait time is not wasted time–but it’s difficult in the meantime! All your springs of joy are in Him.
Thank you CYndee.
Yes it has been a long drought of unemployment, over one year and one quarter.
Apparently God’s plan did not correspond to my plan 🙂
It took me over a year to begin to accept his plan for not working; to be okay with it.
Getting into Hombre mode is easier said than done.
Looking back, I now like to think of the time off as a learning opportunity.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about and adapting to what we discuss here each day.
And am very grateful to Skip and the group for the provision and pleasure I receive.
But now I am very excited about going back to work at a great company.
Many things I’d like to do for my kids have been put “on hold” for a long time.
And thinking about work gives me lots of energy I don’t have otherwise 🙂
Thanks for the correction. Job 33:22-29
“…Though he falls, he will not be cast down, for YHWH upholds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
The verse above reminds me of Proverbs 24:16, “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” Thus, ‘geber’ to me means, “get up!”
“Perseverance is the action of hope. To persevere is to pursue the anticipated result until it becomes a reality.” (future quote from Skip)
Hi CYndee,
That’s a good point and I love the translation of Psalm 37:23-24 in The Jerusalem Bible:
37:23 “Mem” Yahweh guides a man’s steps,
37:23 they are sure, and he takes pleasure in his progress;
37:24 he may fall, but never fatally,
37:24 since Yahweh supports him by the hand.
Note that this passage starts with the Hebrew letter “M.”
As I understand it, each “couplet” of passages in Psalm 37 corresponds to a letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
That is to say that this Psalm is designed as a kind of “acrostic.”
An acrostic is a “word square,” like the following example:
C R A B
R A R E
A R T S
B E S T
Because each letter in Hebrew has a set of meanings.
It would seem to me that the acrostic format could add an infinite number of meanings.
And give the Psalm a “magical” quality of infinite complexity.
I’ve been known to make some obtuse connections, but you are ahead of me in the pattern department. Thanks for the great acrostic!
Hi CYndee,
I’m glad you like it!
I’m sure my approach is too Greek for its own good.
But I’m a bit “anal” as they say, and like to put things in boxes.
My middle name is alan.