HEBREW WORD STUDY – LAMED  KAP  לככ

Psalms 63:4:  “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”

I think we all have been in worship services where a worship leader will exhort, although to me it seems more like a scold, the congregation to lift their hands when they worship.  Most people will lift their hands in worship if they are told to do it. Some do it out of guilt, some do it because they are concerned people will notice they are not doing it and will think them unsaintly.  

I recall one service where there was a guest preacher who said something that caused everyone to applaud. The preacher immediately admonished them with: “No, don’t clap, lift your hands, lifting your hands is the highest form of worship.”  Of course, everyone lifted their hands believing they were entering a higher form of worship.  

I have examined the over 30 verses in the Bible which reference the lifting of hands and I noticed four things.  One there is absolutely no indication that it represents a higher form of worship.  In fact worship according to Jesus is done in spirit and truth John 4:24.  That would suggest the highest form of worship is worship in spirit and truth not lifting your hands. 

The second thing I noticed is that God never commands us to lift our hands in worship.  The only time I see it as a command is when it is coming from David or Solomon or the writer and then it is not really a command in the Hebrew but more of an exhortation.

Thirdly, the phrase to lift up your hands always uses the words ‘esa’  kapay.  “Esa’ is from the root word nasa’ which means to lift up, carry away, take.   The word for hand is not yad as you would expect, but it is the word kap with a personal pronoun ending.  Kap is not only the name of a Hebrew letter but also the word for palm, sole, flat of the hand, palm of the hand, hollow part of the hand.  So really it may not be lifting your arms in the air, it might be just lifting the palms of your hand toward’s God or just stretching out your hands,  palms up as if asking to receive something.

I remember years ago going the Vineyard Church in Toronto and sitting in a class conducted by the Pastor, Pastor Arnott who was the pastor when the church experienced the Toronto Blessing. This was a class for those visiting from around the world who heard of the Toronto Blessing and were curious as to what it was all about.  Rather than talk about it Pastor Arnott demonstrated.  He told us all to stand and hold out hands with palms facing up and just say; “Come Holy Spirit.”  We all said it one time and suddenly and suddenly I felt something like an impact.  Something just fell upon us all.  Many broke out into worship, some fell to the floor.  The woman next to me was from England, very prim and proper, collapsed in her chair and then her whole body started to shake.  She looked over at me with the most surprised and helpless look I have ever seen anyone gives.  Myself, I was just as crazy as everyone else.  After a while of this Pastor Arnott calmly said: “You see!”

The letter Lamed comes just after the letter Kap.  The Lamed means learning, gaining knowledge of God.  It is pictured like a hand reaching up to the sky with a little flat jot at the top, like a Kap – palm.  The word prayer is spelled Pei Lamed Lamed.  The letter Pei means to speak and the two Lamed’s are like two uplifted hands with palms facing up. There is a little bump in the middle of the Lamed which the sages teach is your heart.  When you pray with uplifted palms you are sharing your heart with God and he is sharing His heart with you. The ancients used to believe your heart was in the palm of your hand.  So it is not so much lifting your praise to God as it is lifting your heart to God and He sharing His heart with you.  The word for praise is halal which is spelled with a Hei and two Lameds.  The Hei represents the presence of God and the two Lameds picture two palms raised to God to receive His presence.  

There is no magic in lifting your hands to heaven.  Some do it to show they are surrendering to God,  some do it to show they want a hug from God.  In studying the various passages of Scripture which speak of lifting your hands I see no explanation as to the reason.  It just says that the people did it.  I don’t believe the Bible gives a reason because there can be many reasons for lifting your hands to God.  One thing is certain, lifting your hands to God is not worship or praise, that originates in your heart.  Lifting your hands is just a way to express the love and praise you have in your heart for God in some overt fashion.