aven (aw-ven) [205]

Meaning

a.   From an unused root perhaps meaning probably to pant (hence, to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught)

b. Strictly nothingness.

c.  Also trouble, vanity, wickedness.

d.  Specifically an idiot.

Aven means "iniquity; misfortune".

1. This noun is derived from a root meaning "to be strong".  The first occurrence is in Numbers 23:21; " [God] has not beheld iniquity in Jacob [for he is forgiven], neither has He seen mischief or perverseness in Israel [for the same reason]. The Lord their God is with Israel, and the shout of praise to their King is among the people. "

2.  The meaning of "misfortune" comes to expression in the devices of the wicked against the righteous (like those who curse me shall be cursed?).  The psalmist expected "misfortune" to come upon him; Psalms 41:6, "And when one comes to see me, he speaks falsehood and empty words, while his heart gathers mischievous gossip [against me]; when he goes away, he tells it abroad. "

3.  Aven in this sense is synonymous with ed (343 ), "disaster" (Job 18:12; "The strength [of the wicked] shall be hunger-bitten, and calamity is ready at his side [if he halts]. ").

4.   In a real sense aven is part of human existence, and as such the word is identical with 'amal (5999), toil, as in Psalms 90:10, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten (seventy years)—or even, if by reason of strength, fourscore years (eighty years); yet is their pride [in additional years] only labor and sorrow, for it is soon gone, and we fly away. "

Footnote to Psalms 90:10.
This psalm is credited to Moses, who is interceding with God to remove the curse which made it necessary for every Israelite over twenty years of age (when they rebelled against God at Kadesh-barnea) to die before reaching the promised land (Num. 14:26-35). Moses says most of them are dying at seventy years of age. This number has often been mistaken as a set span of life for all mankind. It was not intended to refer to anyone except those Israelites under the curse during that particular forty years. Seventy years never has been the average span of life for humanity. When Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, had reached 130 years (Gen. 47:9), he complained that he had not attained to the years of his immediate ancestors. In fact, Moses himself lived to be 120 years old, Aaron 123, Miriam several years older, and Joshua 110 years of age. Note as well that in the Millennium a person dying at 100 will still be thought a child (Isaiah 65:20, "There shall no more be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who dies prematurely; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner who dies when only a hundred years old shall be [thought only a child, cut off because he is] accursed.").

5.  Aven in a deeper sense characterizes the way of life of those who are without God; Isaiah 32:6, "For the fool speaks folly and his mind plans iniquity: practicing profane ungodliness and speaking error concerning the Lord, leaving the craving of the hungry unsatisfied and causing the drink of the thirsty to fail. "

Cross reference Psalms 1:1, "Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. "

Footnote to Psalm 1:1
This has been called “The Preface Psalm” because in some respects it may be considered “the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon.” It opens with a benediction, “Blessed,” as does our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3, "Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!").

6.  The being of man is corrupted by "iniquity".

7.  Though all mankind is subject to aven ("toil"), there are those who delight in causing difficulties and "misfortunes" for others by scheming, lying and acting deceptively.  The psalmist puts internalized wickedness this way; Psalms 7:14, "Behold, [the wicked man] conceives iniquity and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. " (cf Job 15:35, "They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their inmost soul hatches deceit. ").

8.  Those who are involved in the ways of darkness are the "workers of iniquity", the doers of evil or the creators of "misfortune" and disasters.

Synonyms for aven with this sense are ra (evil) and rasha (wicked) as opposed to righteousness and justice.

Personal note: So when I have been made righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and justified (Acts 13:38-39), I am no more considered or deemed evil and wicked by God.

They seek the downfall of the just; Psalms 141:9, "Keep me from the trap which they have laid for me, and the snares of evildoers. "

Seek means to do whatever is within all of one's ability to realize the desire (s). Hence the "seek" in Matthew 6:33; "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides." Righteousness [dikaiosuné]  (1343): deemed right by the Lord after His examination. God takes pleasure in giving me His kingdom (Luke 12:32) and He has already made me His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Luke 12:32 Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom! 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [[a]endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. Righteousness [dikaiosuné]  (1343): deemed right by the Lord after His examination.

Between Psalm 5:5 and Psalms 141:9, there are as many as 16 references to the workers of evil (cf. "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity" [Psalms 5:5]).

9.  The qualitative aspect of the word comes to the best expression in the verbs with aven.  The wicked work, speak, beget, think, devise, gather, reap and plow aven and it is revealed ("comes forth") by the misfortune that come upon the righteousness.

10.  Ultimately, when Israel's religious festivals (Isaiah 1:13) and legislation (Isaiah 10:1) were affected by their apostate way of life, they had reduced themselves to the Gentile practices and way of life.

Isaiah 1:13
Bring no more offerings of vanity (emptiness, falsity, vainglory, and futility); [your hollow offering of] incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure—[it is] iniquity and profanation, even the solemn meeting.

Question Does it mean that in today's context, those who attend church buy yet live like a Gentile fall into this category?

Isaiah 10:1
Woe to those [judges] who issue unrighteous decrees, and to the magistrates who keep causing unjust and oppressive decisions to be recorded

Personal note: To fashion after the world (Romans 12:2) and love the world (1 John 2:15-16, James 4:4) is to reduce oneself to Gentile practices and way of life. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. 1 John 2:15-16 15 Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. James 4:4 You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

The prophetic hope lay in the period after the purification of Israel, when the messianic king would introduce a period of justice and righteousness (Isaiah 32) and the evil men would be shown up for their folly and ungodliness.

Syn: 2398 (khaw-taw' ), 5771(aw-vone', aw-vone')   , 7451 (rah, raw-aw' )   , 7561 (raw-shah') 

A New Heart
Light exposes darkness.

When God renews my heart with the light of His love for me, He reveals to me the condition or state of my heart. The light of His great love shows up the corruption in the heart; just how wicked and terrible it is.

I get a glimpse of this from James 4:8-10:


8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].
9 [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].
10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

uwlay (oo-lah'ee) [194]

Meaning

a.  From 176; ;if not hence; perhaps.

Ulay means "peradventure, perhaps, suppose, if, less".

1.  This word meaning "peradventure or perhaps" usually expresses a hope; "Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go into my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her" (Genesis 16:2, first occurrence).

2.  Elsewhere ulay expresses fear or doubt; "Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land; must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?" (Genesis 24:50).

3. If followed by another clause the word almost functions to introduce a protasis; "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city:wilt thou also destroy..." (Genesis 18:24).

4.  In Numbers 22:33 the word has a different force; "And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive."

ahabah (a-hab-aw) [160]

Meaning

a.  Feminine form of 158 and mean the same - love.

NB: ahab (158) means affection and also armours (in plural). Brings to mind Ephesians 6:11, "Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil."

Hence, being conscious of God's love for me is putting on the armour of God which will enable me to successfully stand up against all the strategies and deceits of the devil!

1.  Ahabah means "love".  This word represents several kinds of "love"

2.  The first biblical occurrence of ahabah is in Genesis 29:20, "And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love [ahabah] he had to her. "

Here, the word deals with the "love" between man and wife as a general concept.

3.  In Hosea 3:1, "Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love [aheb; 157] a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love [ahabah; 158] of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love [aheb; 157] flagons of wine." , the word is used of "love" as a sexual activity.

4.  Ahabah means "love" between friends in 1 Samuel 18:3, "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. " 

5.  The word refers to:

Solomon's "love" in 1 Kings 11:2, "Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love [aheb; 157]. "

God's "love" in Deuteronomy 7:8, "But because the Lord loved [ahabah; 160] you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

Syn: 158 (ahab)

aheb (aw-habe) [157]

Meaning

a.  To have affection for (sexually or otherwise).

b.  A primary root.

1.  Ahab or aheb means "to love; like."  Basically this verb is equivalent to the English "to love" in the sense of having a strong emotional attachment to and desire either to possess or to be in the presence of the object.

2.  First, the word refers to the love a man has for a woman and a woman for a man.  Such love is rooted in sexual desire, although as a rule it is desire within the bounds of lawful relationships: "And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved [aheb] her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." [Genesis 24:67].

3.  This word may refer to an erotic but legal love outside marriage.  Such an emotion may be a desire to marry and care for the object of that love, as in the case of Shechem's love for Dinah; Genesis 34:3, "And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved [aheb] the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel."

4.  In a very few instances ahab (or aheb) may signify no more than pure lust - an inordinate desire to have sexual relations with its object; 2 Samuel 13:1, "And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved [aheb] her."

5.  Marriage may be consummated without the presence of love for one's marriage partner; Genesis 29:30, "And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved [aheb] also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years."

6.  Ahab (or aheb) seldom refers to making love [usually this is represented yada (3045), "to know", or by shakab (7901), "to lie with"].

7.  The word does seem to have this added meaning, however, in 1 Kings 11:1, "But king Solomon loved [aheb] many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:"cf. Jeremiah 2:25, "Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved [aheb] strangers, and after them will I go."

Hosea appears to use this nuance when he writes that God told him to "go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteres.."; Hosea 3:1, "Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love [aheb] a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love [ahabah] of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love [aheb] flagons of wine."

This is the predominant meaning of the verb when it appears in the causative stem (as a participle).

Example of causative in English: Rise ---> raise.

Participle: adjective (describes noun); formed by inflexion from verb.

Inflexion: inflecting.

Inflect: modify word to express grammatical relation or change or vary in pitch of.

8.  In every instance except one (Zechariah 13:6, "And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends (aheb).") ahab (or aheb) signifies those with whom one has made or intends to make love: "Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers [aheb] are destroyed." [Jeremiah 22:20]. cf. Ezekiel 16:33, "They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers [aheb], and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom."

9. Ahab (or aheb) is alo used of the love between parents and their children.  In its first biblical apperance, the word represents Abraham's special attachment to his son Isaac, "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest [aheb], and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. " [Genesis 22:2]

10.  Ahab (or aheb) may refer to the family love experienced by a daughter-in-law toward her mother-in-law; Ruth 4:15, "And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth [aheb] thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. "

This kind of love is also represented by the word racham (7356).

11.  Ahab (or aheb) sometimes depicts a special strong attachment a servant may have toward a master under whose dominance he wishes to remain, "And if the servant shall plainly say, I love [aheb] my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: " [Exodus 21:5].

12.  Perhaps there is an overtone here of family love; he "loves" his master as a son "loves" his father; cf. Deuteronomy 15:16, "And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth [aheb] thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; "

This emphasis may be in 1 Samuel 16:21. where we read that Saul "loved [David] greatly."  Israel came "to love" and deeply admire David so that they watched his every move with admiration; 1 Samuel 18:16, "But all Israel and Judah loved [aheb] David, because he went out and came in before them. "

13.  A special use of this word relates to an especially close attachment of friends: "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved [aheb] him as his own soul." [1 Samuel 18:1].

In Leviticus 19:18; "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love [aheb] thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.", ahab (or aheb) signifies this brotherly love or friendly kind of love. cf Leviticus 19:34 ; "But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love [aheb] him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. "and Deuteronomy 10:19 ;"Love [aheb] ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."

14.  The word suggests furthermore that one seek to relate to his brother and all men according to what is specified in the law structure God gave to Israel.  This was to be the normal state of affairs between men.

15.  This verb is used politically to describe the loyalty of a vassal or a subordinate to his lord - so Hiram of Tyre "loved" David in the sense that he was completely loyal; 1 Kings 5:1, "And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover [aheb] of David."

16.  The strong emotional attachment and desire suggested by ahab (or aheb) may also be fixed on objects, circumstances, actions and relationships.

Syn: 1730 (loved one, beloved); 7453 (friend, intimate)

adam (aw-dawm) [120]

Meaning
a.  From 119; ruddy. That is, a human being (an individual or species, mankind, etc).

1.  Adam means "man; mankind; people; someone (indefinite); Adam (the first man); or a city in the Jordan Valley, " Joshua 3:16, "That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho."

2. This noun is related to the verb adom, "to be red" and therefore probably relates to the original ruddiness of human skin.

3.  The noun connotes "man" as the creature created in God's image, the crown of all creation.  In its first appearance adam is used for mankind or generic man; Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

In Genesis 2:7 the word refers to the first "man", Adam; "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

CREATION
4.  Throughout Genesis 2:5 - 5:5, there is a constant shifting and interrelationship between the generic and the individual uses:

4a.  "Man" is distinguished from the rest of the creation insofar as he was created by a special and immediate act of God; Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

4b.  He consisted of two elements, the material and the non-material; Genesis 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

4c.  From the outset he occupied an exalted position over the rest of the earthly creation and was promised an even higher position (eternal life) if he obeyed God;  Genesis 1:28, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. "; cf Genesis 2:16-17; "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

4d.  In Genesis 1, "man" is depicted as the goal and crown of creation, while in Genesis 2 the world is shown to have been created as the scene of human activity.

4e.  "Man" was in God's image with reference to his soul and/or spirit. (He is essentially spiritual; he has an invisible and immortal aspect which is simple or indivisible.)  Other elements of this image are his  mind and will, intellectual and moral integrity (he was created with true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness), his body (this was seen as a fit organ to share immortality by which dominion over the creation was exercised), and dominion over the rest of the creation.

The Fall

5.  The Fall greatly affected the nature of "man", but he did not cease to be in God's image; Genesis 9:6, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

5a.  Fallen "man" occupies a new and lower position before God; Genesis 6:5, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." cf Genesis 8:21, "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done."

5b.  No longer does "man have perfect communion with the Creator; he is now under the curse of sin and death.

5c.  Original knowledge, righteousness and holiness are destroyed.

5d.  Restoration to his proper place in the creation and relationship to the Creator comes only through spiritual union with the Christ, the second Adam; Romans 5:12-21:


12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.


6.  In some later passages of Scripture adam is difficult to distinguish from ish (376) - man as the counterpart of woman and/or as distinguished in his maleness.

7.  Sometimes adam identifies a limited and particular "group of men"; Jeremiah 47:2, "Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl."

8.  When used of a particular group of individual "men", the noun appears in the phrase "sons of men:; Genesis 11:5, "And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded."

9.  The phrase "son of man" usually connotes a particular individual; Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man [ish], that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?", cf Ezekiel 2:1, "And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee."

The one notable exception is the use of this term in Daniel 7:13-14, "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man [enos (582)] came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

Here, the phrase represents a divine being.

10.  Adam is also used in reference to any given man, or to anyone male or female; Leviticus 13:2, "When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:"

Syn: Man is represented by four apparently inconsistent aspects:

a.  As adam, he is of the earth, earthly; as Ish (376 - used 967x), he is endued with immaterial and personal existence.

b. As bachur (970) he is fully developed, vigorous, unmarried man in his prime.

c.  As Enosh (582 - used 32x) he is weak or incurable.

d.  As Gibbor (1397 - used 54x) he is mighty and noble.

Adam
It connotes man as the creature created in God's image, the crown of all creation.

Ish (376)
It is used for man as counterpart of woman and/or as distinguished in his maleness.

Geber (1397)
It denotes a male as an antonym of a woman, many times suggesting strength, strong man.

Enosh (582)
It sets forth a collective idea man suggesting the frailty, vulnerability and finitude of man as contrasted to God.

adon (aw-done) [113]

Meaning
a.  From an unused root meaning to rule; sovereign, that is, controller (human or divine).

1.  Adon (113) or Adonay (136), "lord; master; Lord." The form adon appears 335 times while the form adonay (used exclusively as a divine name) appears 439 times.

2.  Basically, adon means "lord" or "master".  It is distinguished from the Hebrew word ba'al, which signifies "possessor" or "owner".  Adon basically describes the one who occupies the position of a "master" or "lord" over a slave or servant; Genesis 24:9, "And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter."  It is used of kings and their most powerful aides.  Joseph told his brothers: "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and He hath made me a father [i.e an advisor] to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt" [Genesis 45:8; cf Genesis 42:30].

Genesis 45:8, "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

Genesis 42:30, "The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country."

Only once is this word used in the sense of "owner" or "possessor"; 1 Kings 16:24, "And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria."

1 Kings 16:21-28

21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.

22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

23 In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.

24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.

26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

3.  Adon is often used as a term of polite address.  In some cases, the one so named really occupies a position of authority. In Genesis 18:12 (first occurrence), Sarah called Abraham her "lord".

Genesis 18:12, "Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

On the other hand, this may be a purely honorary title by which the speaker intends to indicate his submission to the one so addressed.  Jacob instructed his slaves to speak to "my lord Esau", Genesis 32:18.  In other words, Jacob called his brother Esau "lord".

Genesis 32:18
Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

In places where the speaker is addressing someone calling him "lord", the word virtually means "you".

4.  When applied to God, adon is used in several senses:

It signifies His position as the One Who has authority (like a master) over His people to reward the obedient and punish the disobedient; Hosea 12:14, "Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him." In such contexts God is conceived as a Being Who is sovereign ruler and almighty master.
The word is often a title of respect, a term of direct address usually assuming a specific concrete lord-vassal or master-servant relationship; Psalm 8:1, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens."
In some cases the word appears to be a title suggesting God's relationship to and position over Israel; Exodus 23:17, "Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God."  In such contexts adon is a formal divine name and should probably be transliterated if the proper emphasis is to be retained.

Syn: YHWH (3068) sets forth His essential and unswerving principles of mercy and judgment, and presents Him as Father, a Friend and a Moral Governor. Yahh (3050), the shortened form of YHWH, is usually used when Yah is stressed as the One accomplishing a deed in contrast to no other.

Ebyown (eb-yone) [34]

Meaning ebyown
1.  In the sense of want (especially in feeling)
2. Destitute.
3.  From 14 ( 'âbâh   ).

NB: Refer to Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Parts of speech: Adjective masculine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition [ebyoen 34] in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person subject to oppression and abuse needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God general reference to lowest class Greek Equivalent Words Strong #: 102 ‑ ἀδύνατος (ad‑oo'‑nat‑os);  120 ‑ ἀθυμέω (ath‑oo‑meh'‑o);  318 ‑ ἀνάγκη (an‑ang‑kay');   435 ‑ ἀνήρ (an'‑ayr);  560 ‑ ἀπελπίζω (ap‑el‑pid'‑zo);  772 ‑ ἀσθενής (as‑then‑ace');  1729 ‑ ἐνδεής (en‑deh‑ace');   3993 ‑ πένης (pen'‑ace);  4434 ‑ πτωχός (pto‑khos');   5011 ‑ ταπεινός (tap‑i‑nos');

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition [ 'âbâh 14] to be willing, consent (Qal) to be willing to consent, yield to, accept to desire

1. This noun refers to someone who is poor in a material sense.  Such a one may have lost the land of his inheritance: "But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard." [Exodus 23:11].

He has come into difficult financial straits. [Job 30:25], "Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?"

Perhaps lack clothing [Job 31:19] or food [Psalm 132:15].

Job 31:19,  "If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;"

Psalm 132:15, "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread."

Messianic Verses

Psalm 132:13-18

13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

2.  Secondly, ebyown may refer to the lack of social standing which causes a need for protection.  The first biblical occurrence bears this emphasis.  God guarantees protection for such a one, "Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause." [Exodus 23:6].

The godly man defends the needy and the defenseless, "I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out." [Job 29:16] (cf Proverbs 31:9; Romans 3:14-15).

Proverbs 31:9, "Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

Romans 3:9-31

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Divine provisions are encased in the Mosaic stipulations such as the:

1. Seventh year reversion of ancestral hereditary lands. [Exodus 23:11].
2. Cancellation of loans [Deuteronomy 15:4].
3. Special extension of loans [Deuteronomy 15:7, 9, 11].

Deuteronomy 15:4
Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

Deuteronomy 15:7, 9, 11
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

3. Thirdly, this noun sometimes describes one's spiritual condition before God, "Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;" [Amos 2:6].

In this verse, ebyown is in synonymous parallelism to "righteous", which means that it describes a moral quality.

Lesson Learnt

Jesus came to free me from the burden of guilt and condemnation. This is so that I can carry His burden to help the poor and needy and to defend the cause of the fatherless.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I am blessed to be a blessing.

Abad (ab-ad') Aramaic [7]

Meaning abad 

Basically abad represents the disappearance of someone or something.

Parts of speech: Verb

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition [abad 7] to perish, vanish (P'al) shall perish (Aphel) destroy (Hophal) be destroyed

1.  In its strongest sense the word means "to die or to cease to exist". The LORD warned Israel that disobedience and godlessness would be punished by their removal from the Promised Land and death in a foreign land.

Leviticus 26:38 - "And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up."

This sense may be further heightened by the use of the intensive stem (note) so that the verb comes to mean "utterly destroy."  The stem also changes the force of the verb from intransitive to transitive.

Numbers 33:52 - "Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and [utterly] destroy all their pictures, and [utterly] destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:"  (Utterly destroy as to "bring to non-existence").

The force of this command was further heightened when He said: "Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods.. and destroy the names of them out of that place" [Deuteronomy 12:2-3].

This intensified sense is used of the destruction of peoples (armies) too; as for Pharaoh's army, "the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day" [Deuteronomy 11:4].

2.  A somewhat different emphasis of abad is "to go to ruin" or "to be ruined".  After the second plague Pharaoh's counsellors told him to grant Israel's request to leave because the nation was in ruins: "...knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed [ruined]?" [Exodus 10:7 - 1st mention].

In a similar sense Moab is said "to be ruined" or laid waste: "Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.  We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba." [Numbers 21:29-30].

3.  Closely related to the immediately preceding emphasis is that of "to succumb."  This use of abad focuses on the process rather than the conclusion.  The sons of Israel spoke to Moses about the disastrous effects of everyone drawing near to God. They needed some mediators (priests) who could focus on keeping ritualistically prepared so they would not die when they approached God.  They used the verb, therefore, in the sense of the nation gradually perishing, or "succumbing" to death: "And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?" [Numbers 17:12-13].

God responds by establishing the priesthood so "that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel" [Numbers 18:5].

4.  Abad can also speak of being carried off to death or destruction by some means.  The leaders of the rebellion against the Aaronic priesthood (Korah, Dathan and Abiram) and their families were swallowed up by the ground: ".... and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation" [Numbers 16:33].


This same nuance appears when God says the people will "perish" from off the land if they do not keep the covenant: "...Ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed" [Deuteronomy 4:26].

As a nation they will be destroyed as far as the land is concerned.

5.  The verb may mean to disappear but not be destroyed, in other words "to be lost".  God instructs Israel concerning lost possessions: "In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself" [Deuteronomy 22:3].

Israel is called "lost sheep" whose "shepherds have caused them to go astray" [Jeremiah 50:6].

Jeremiah 50:6
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

NB: The term "lost sheep" applies to Israel only? What about Gentiles? Lost child?


6. Another nuance of the verb is "to go astray" in the sense of wandering.  At the dedication of the first fruits Israel is to recognize God's rights to the land, that He is the land-owner and that they are the temporary tenants, by confessing "a Syrian ready to perish was my father" [Deuteronomy 26:5].

NB: Refer to the parable of the tenant. Mark 12:1-12. 

7. Finally, abad can be applied to human qualities which are lessening or have lessened: "For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them" [Deuteronomy 32:28].

The word can also be used of the failure of human wisdom as in Psalm 146:4: as for men "his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish."

Ab (awb) [1]

Meaning Ab 
Ab means "father; grandfather; forefather; ancestor."

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition [Ab] father of an individual of God as father of his people head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan ancestor grandfather, forefathers -- of person of people originator or patron of a class, profession, or art of producer, generator (fig.) of benevolence and protection (fig.) term of respect and honour ruler or chief (spec.)

Greek Equivalent Words Strong #: 2730 ‑ κατοικέω (kat‑oy‑keh'‑o);  3390 ‑ μητρόπολις (may‑trop'‑ol‑is);  3507 ‑ νεφέλη (nef‑el'‑ay);   3509 ‑ νέφος (nef'‑os);  3962 ‑ πατήρ (pat‑ayr');   3965 ‑ πατριά (pat‑ree‑ah');  3966 ‑ πατριάρχης (pat‑ree‑arkh'‑ace);  3967 ‑ πατρικός (pat‑ree‑kos');  3971 ‑ πατρῷος (pat‑ro'‑os);   1118 ‑ γονεύς (gon‑yooce');

Parts of speech: Masculine Noun

1. Basically, ab refers to the familial relationship represented by the word "father." This is the word's significance in its first biblical appearance.

First mention

Genesis 2:24 - "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.."

2. In poetical passages, the word is sometimes paralleled to em, "mother."

Job 17:14 - "I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister"

The word is also used in conjunction with "mother" to represent one's parents.

Leviticus 19:3 - "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God."

But unlike the word em, ab is never used of animals.

3.  Ab also means "grandfather" and/or "greatgrandfather", as in Genesis 28:13 - "And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;"

Such progenitors on one's mother's side were called "thy mother's father".

Genesis 28:2 - " Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother."

4.  This noun may be used of any one of the entire line of men from whom a given individual is descended.

1 Kings 19:4 - "But he [Elijah] himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."

In such use, the word may refer to the first man, a "forefather." or:

4a.  A clan.  Jeremiah 35:6 - "ut they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:"

4b.  A tribe.  Joshua 19:47 - "And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father."

4c.  A group with a special calling. 1 Chronicles 24:19 - "These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the Lord, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him."

4d.  A dynasty. 1 Kings 15:3 - "And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father."

4e.  A nation. Joshua 24:3 - "And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac."

5.  Thus "father" does not necessarily mean the man who directly sired a given individual.

6.  This noun sometimes describes the adoptive relationship, especially when it is used of the "founder of a class or station," such as trade:

Genesis 4:20 - "And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle."

7.  Ab can be a title of respect, usually applied to an older person, as when David said to Saul: "Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it." [1 Samuel 24:11].

8.  The word is also applied to teachers.

2 Kings 2:12 - "And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces."

9.  The word is applied to the prophet Elisha.

2 Kings 6:21 - "And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?"

10.  It is applied to a priest.

Judges 17:10 - "And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in."

11.  This word is also a title of respect when used of "one's husband": 

Jeremiah 3:4 - "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?"

12.  The noun is used of an "advisor".
Genesis 45:8 - "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

13.  In each case, the one described as "father" occupied a position or status and received the honour due to a "father".

14.  In conjunction with bayit [1004 - "house"], the word may mean "family".
Exodus 12:3 - "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:"

15.  Sometimes the plural of the word used by itself can represent "family".
Exodus 6:25 - "And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families."

16.  God is described as the "father" of Israel.
Deuteronomy 32:6 - "Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?"

16a.  He is the One Who begot and protected them, the One they should revere and obey.

16b.  God is the "father" of all people.
Malachi 2:10 - "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?"

16c.  He is especially the "protector" or "father" of the fatherless.
Psalm 68:5 - "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."

17.  As the "father" of a king, God especially aligns Himself to that man and his kingdom.
2 Samuel 7:14 - "I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:"

17a.  Not every king was a son of God - only those whom He adopted.

17b.  In a sense, the perfect King was God's adopted Son.
Psalm 2:7 - "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."

The extent, power and duration of His kingdom are guaranteed by the Father's Sovereignty.
Psalm 2:8-9 - "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

18.  On the other hand, one of the Messiah's enthronement names is "Eternal Father".
Isaiah 9:6 - "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."