QUICK WORD STUDY – I ALSO – AF ANI אפ אני
Leviticus 26:28: “Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.” KJV
Leviticus 26:28: “I will act with furious rage against you, and I Myself will punish you sevenfold for your sins.” Berean Study Bible
I am extremely fortunate to live in Chicago where I can hop on the Stevenson Expressway and be at the University of Chicago library in fifteen minutes. The University of Chicago houses one of the best libraries on Semitic culture and languages in this country. This library allows me access to books, lexicons, and research papers that are out of print or would cost a fortune to own, even if it they were still in print, many of which are not. I saw a 300-page dissertation just on the word Chased – lovingkindness. You ask how anyone could write so much about one word. As the old saying goes, “If you love it enough, it will reveal its secrets. So when I do a short study on a word, you can be sure I have not exhausted all there is to say about that word.
With that in mind, I am revisiting the word contrary as it is rendered in the KJV or furious rage as it is rendered in the Berean Study Bible. It is translations like this that given by the Berean Study Bible that gives the Old Testament such a bad reputation. I specifically went to the University of Chicago to research this word chamah which is rendered as fury. I discovered from the Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago 140a.2 that the origin of this word in the Sumerian and Akkadian is imtu which is poisonous foam or venom which flows from the mouth of a snake. There is an ancient Sumerian story of seven vessels and the seventh being filled with viper’s venom. The word contrary qari has the idea of a misfortunate encounter or meeting. Chamah qari would have the idea of a meeting which leaves God foaming at the mouth as if He had taken poison. Thus if we disobey God, then walking with God in an association would be like poison in His mouth. We can sin and God will endure and forgive but that seven times, not literally seven but metaphorically the seventh, the straw breaking the camel’s back is the one that finally causes God to foam as if He has been poisoned.
This would make more sense to the literal rendering of af ani. Normally translators render af ani as “even I” to emphasize that God is saying that He and He alone. In other words: “Even I will chastise or punish you seven times for your sins.” The word chastise yachar means to either punish or instruct. Yet in this context as a reference to sin, we can only say punish as God will not really instruct us in our sins. The context clearly has the idea of a chastisement. Yet the Medieval Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer translates this literally as “I too” or “I also.” Rabbi Eliezer explains that the syntax really implies: “I too will be punished for your sins.” This poisonous foam coming from God’s mouth is not anger or rage over our sins; it is sin that is metaphorically poisoning God.
When we sin there is a natural consequence of our sins and we end up suffering for our sins. We are punished for our sins naturally and like a good parent, God will allow us to suffer the consequences of our sin and like a good loving parent the parent, He will also suffer, many times even more than the wayward child. That is why, when we sin, it is like we have poisoned God.
If we truly love God we will not sin, not only because we do not want to suffer the consequences of our sins but also because we know it is like feeding poison or causing suffering to the God we love.
God is a good good parent and he is teaching me how to be one. It’s so hard to watch your adult children keep making the same mistakes and hurting because of it. But if I go behinnd them and clean up their mess maybe one day one of those mistake may kill them or someone else. I chose to trust my Father to help them and clean them and me up from the inside out. There are people that ask me why I don’t do more for my children but I am doing what God told me to do and my heart crys constantly for them and others but my pain is nothing compared to Gods. Thank you Chaim and I will be watching for that Dalaeth book. :-) Peace to you and yours.
Good morning,
Thank you for the light you bring. That’s very interesting.
However, I would not say that “as a good parent, God will allow us to suffer the consequences of our sin”, no. For it is not He who allows us to suffer, it is ourselves. For God is love and also He is faithful to His word. Now He has warned us many times that sin kills (“The wages of sin is death…” =This is what will happen to you if you take this path!)
Also, God is just and He will never contradict His Word either.
While He always draws us to His Life, He never violates our will and our freedom of choice.
If we repent with all our heart (=change our minds), He forgives us because of Jesus’ sacrifice who became sin, and took away all the sins AND the consequences of sin in Himself, He overcame death, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and received an inheritance that He shares with those who believe in Him (“…but God’s free gift is eternal Life in Jesus Christ our Lord”).
Have a good day in God’s hands.
Hi Esther,
re:
However, I would not say that “as a good parent, God will allow us to suffer the consequences of our sin”, no.
What I got from it was that we can’t micromanage our children, especially as they grow into adult years but regardless of their age, as a parent, we suffer by when seeing consequences of poor choices.
This is interesting to me because I see a Messianic tone to your study as I have been digging into the price paid for our sins (all mankind from creation til the return ) and His suffering was as you know so very much more then being beaten and crucified especially in light of the fact that HE can not look upon sin . some tell me I see Jesus is in every scripture ..maybe so but I feel that is a blessing not a fault also I am greatly moved to understand the” Leaness of soul ” sent by God after He answered their freshly cravings in the wilderness what would you think ? another translation other than disease or. Sickness .. When I read it doesn’t feel right in my spirit i want more clarity I am not satisfied with surface understanding of this is it then ok but it’s that spirit thing as I have limited access and knowledge thought maybe you have light to share
Thank you Achi Chaim, Truly Thankyou….I am really in need of a mentor in The Hebrew Language and ancient paleo hebrew..
I would REALLY LOVE to know more (even see) the dissertation on chased!