HEBREW WORD STUDY – YIELD – TEBO’AH תבואה Taw Beth Vav Aleph Hei
Proverbs 8:19: “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, and my yield than choicest silver.
God is telling us that His fruit is better than gold and his yield better than silver. I heard an economist on the radio the other day say the best thing we can invest in today is gold and silver. Yet, what I am reading in God’s Word is that there is something better than that. That is encouraging news since there seems little chance that I can get a hold of any gold or silver.
My next question is: “What is better than gold and silver? And do I stand a better chance of obtaining that than I do of obtaining gold and silver?
In answer to my first question, it appears God’s fruit is better than gold or even pure gold. Gold is gold, right? Perhaps not. The first gold mentioned here is charaz which literally means to cut or sharpen, decide or determine. This type of gold could be one of two things, gold dust or power i.e., gold that has been beaten down or, which is more likely, is gold that has just been chiseled from the ground. Gold in the rough, unrefined.
This gold represents wealth and savings.
The second gold mentioned is pure gold or as some translations say fine gold. In the Hebrew this is pazaz. This is gold which has been refined and shaped into something artistic such as jewelry, vessels, or certain type of decoration. Not only does this gold have its inherent value but now has some artistic value as well. This gold represents extravagance or materialism. In other words, you need a cup to drink water. Any old cup coming down the pike will do but to drink from a golden cup, now that is luxury or extravagance or materialism. Water is water matter what cup you use.
God’s fruit is better than wealth or material possessions beyond the necessities. So what is God’s fruit? The word for fruit in Hebrew is pireyiy. It is from the root word parah. It comes from a Semitic root meaning to form, it is results, rewards or product. That is why fruit is often referred to as produce, it is the product of the tree or vine. So what is the product of God? If you look at this word parah you will see that is it spelled with a Pei that represents a voice, Resh, God’s divine power and Hei God’s presence. This fruit is being able to hear God’s voice, receive His divine power and to be in His presence.
He is a God who offers his voice, his Word, and/or Promises. Are not his Scriptural promises better than an IRA? He offers his divine power. Can money purchase everything that His divine power can bring into existence? You may have heard on the news lately of a billionaire who has cancer. I recently read a biography of Steve Jobs who died of cancer at the very prime of his life. He was a billionaire who could afford a mansion filled with expensive gold plated décor. Me I can barely afford a small efficiency apartment. Ah, but given my choice of a mansion filled with gold or a small drafty apartment in Chicago filled with the presence of God…well if you don’t know the answer to that then you just as well give up reading my blog.
Note the passage is not saying either/or it is telling us which is better. Solomon who wrote this passage had both and he is able to tell us, “Don’t sweat it, possession of gold is not all it’s cracked up to be. God is the genuine article and He is much easier to obtain than gold.”
Finally, God’s yield is better than silver. The word yield is bo’ which basically means to enter. I can see how some translators get the idea of income from this, but really, I think Solomon has something else in mind. The word tebo’ah from the Semitic root bo’. This is the same word used for intercourse or a connection with a woman. This word is a relationship word, a word describing an intimacy between a man and a woman. I don’t have to tell you that Solomon had first-hand knowledge of this. Solomon is here to tell you that intimacy with God is much better than the choices tebo’ah of silver. The word for silver is kesef which is also the same word for sexual desire. Hebrew does not use adjectives as much as we do, but there is an adjective here, bachar which is the finest, best, and choicest. Solomon knew intimacy with the most beautiful women in the world and yet he found intimacy with God to be far better.
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