Lexical Mistakes

Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped.  Job 1:20  NASB

Worshiped – Perhaps you’re used to checking the vocabulary of the Hebrew text with lexical aids.  If you are, you’ll find something strange about this translation.  It’s the wrong Hebrew word!  Oh, what I mean is the electronic edition of TWOT found in Logos shows that this word is derived from 618 חָוָה (ḥāwâ) II, show, tell, make known.^[1]  But this is incorrect.  Further digging shows that the real verb is 2360 שָׁחָה (šāḥâ) bow down.^[2]  That’s why the translation reads “worshiped,” rather than what should be according to Logos a word for “declare.”  These things happen, of course.  It’s simply a matter of incorrectly tagging the verb.  But this kind of mistake tells us something important.  Sometimes you can’t even trust the sources.  So, the real verb typically occurs in the “form hištaḥăwâ a ‘to prostrate oneself’ or ‘to worship,’ which was analyzed as a Hithpael of šāḥâ, is now regarded on the basis of Ugaritic evidence as an Eshtaphal stem (the only example) of ḥāwâ II (q.v.).”^[3]  The translators got it right.  The programmers didn’t.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, we should ask, “What does the correct verb, šāḥâ, really tell us?”  After Job gets the terrible news in an onslaught of death and destruction, how does he react?  He performs three acts.  Each is important.

He tore his clothes.  This is grief, loss, broken heartedness—on public display.  “In the Bible, people tore their clothes to mourn the loss of a loved one, such as Jacob when he thought his son Joseph was dead, or David when he heard of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.  Tearing one’s clothes symbolized a broken heart and separation from a loved one.”  You could refer to this CLICK.[4]

He shaved his head.  “Shaving the head is a symbol of spiritual surrender, a letting go of the physical ego.  By releasing attachment to our appearance, we free ourselves from the distractions of the material world. With a shaved head, we embody the spirit of simplicity, humility, and inner focus.”

He fell to the ground.  We might not realize the spiritual implications of this act.  “The Old and New Testaments tell of those who fell to the ground when they encountered the strong presence of God. Genesis 17:3 records that Abram collapsed when God spoke to him. Joshua 5:14,15 tells us that Joshua collapsed when he experienced the presence of the Lord.”  Job does not take these messages of disaster as if they are reporting the news.  He understands them as a portend of divine presence.

And finally, we encounter our word, šāḥâ.  He “worshiped.”  Well, not in the way that we would have used the English word.  In fact, šāḥâ is really the summary word of all the previous actions.  It’s not that Job tore clothes, shaved his head, fell to the ground and then worshiped.  Those actions are worshiping.  Each one represents an important element of reverence and adoration for God.  Each one is ego-deflating.  Each one is ritually conditioned.  Worship is not something in addition to public display of heartbrokenness, stripping of ego, and the exhibition of subservience.  Worship is these things.

Perhaps we need to reflect on our reactions to disastrous news.  Perhaps we should ask, “Do we respond with acts of worship?”  I don’t mean prayerful solitude or reading Scripture.  I mean, “Do we recognize that deep emotional grief, abject humility, and the public display of submission are worshipful acts?”  I hope so.

Topical Index: worship, šāḥâ, submission, ego-deflation, broken heartedness, Job 1:20

^[1] Yamauchi, E. (1999). 618 חָוָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 267). Moody Press.

^[2] Yamauchi, E. (1999). 2360 שָׁחָה. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament(electronic ed., p. 914). Moody Press.

^[3] Ibid.

[4] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-basics-of-kriah-or-tearing-a-piece-of-clothing/#:~:text=Pronounced:%20KREE%2Dyuh%2C%20Origin,custom%20of%20tearing%20one’s%20garment.&text=is%20a%20Hebrew%20word%20meaning,(Job%201:20)