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.
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. "
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]).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. |
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].
