WORD STUDY – MANSIONS – (ARAMAIC) אנוא
John 14:2: “In my father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you.”
I once had a friend named George who was a former Greek teacher. In fact he was not only fluent in the Biblical Koine Greek but modern Greek as well. He was 85 years old and has since gone to his “mansion” in heaven. We would spend hours discussing the Bible in the Greek and Hebrew. He was Greek Orthodox and told how in seminary everyone was required to speak only in Greek. In classes, in the halls, anytime they were on campus they had to speak Greek. This old boy really knew his Greek. One day we got to talking about John 14:2 where Jesus said that in his Father’s house were many mansions.
We automatically assumed that when Jesus said “In my Father’s house.” he was referring to heaven. Actually, we discovered He only used that phrase one other time and that was in reference to the temple. George pointed out that the word for house in the Greek, oikia which refers to just an average size house. We looked at the word mansion and I told George that most modern English words do not use the word mansion but rooms or dwelling places. It is really the older translations that doggedly stick to the word mansions, particularly the KJV and the Douay (Catholic) version. So we looked up the word for mansion and found it was the word monai which sounds a little like mansion. Only George explained that its first-century use was for a dwelling place, room, or place of habitation. I said that is exactly the meaning in Aramaic for mansion which is the word anoa’. It could be just a small house or a tent or even used abstractly as a place of habitation in one’s heart.
I asked George if the word oikia which is rendered as a house could mean God’s heart. George said the word oikia itself would not mean a heart unless it is spoken allegorically. This is where I jumped in and explained that rabbis often spoke allegorically to express double meanings. In a way, Jesus was referencing Heaven like His Father’s house that he would take his bride to. In that day when a man and woman were betrothed, they were legally married but they could not consummate that marriage for at least one year. The bride still lived in her father’s house while the bridegroom built an addition to his father’s house where he would take his bride at the end of the one-year betrothal and consummate the marriage.
George looked at me doubtfully and said: “But both our Bibles (KJV and Douay) say mansions. So it must be mansion. I don’t know why but the church must have had their reasons for saying mansions and I will go with the church taught, they know better than we do.”
George added one very important point. The word monai for mansion is in a singular form. That is strange as it is preceded by the word many. It does not make sense to say many places. George felt that if we are looking at this allegorically as a picture of God’s heart, then there are many places in His heart, but each place contains only one person. This would account for the singular use of monai. Then he pondered and said: “That means that we each get our own individual mansion.” But, George, I said; “You yourself just admitted that the word monai could not mean a mansion, just a dwelling place or place of habitation, why do you insist on saying will have a mansion in heaven. For what earthly reason…” “Heavenly reason,” George interrupted. “Heavenly reason,” I continue, “Would we need a mansion anyways in heaven? Do we need a bedroom, we don’t sleep in heaven. Do we need a kitchen? As afar I understand spirits don’t eat. All our foods on earth come from something living that has died and of course, there is no death in heaven. Do we need a basement, attic, closets, or storage rooms? What would we store? How about a bathroom? We wash off dead skin and kill off germs in our bathroom but there will be no germs or dead skin. There will be no need for that other thing we do in the bathroom either. So explain why we would need a mansion?”
George pondered this and finally said: “The church had some reason to translate this as mansion so we must be missing something or misunderstanding something. If the church says there are mansions in heaven then there are mansions. What reason would the church have to say otherwise?” “Reason,” I exclaimed, “How about trying to motivate people to attend church every Sunday and pay their tithes? The more they give and the more faithful they are the bigger the mansion. That would be pretty heady stuff for people who lived in poverty, lived in unheated, unairconditioned homes. Yeah, they wanted to go to heaven rather than hell but many felt they had that pretty well sewed up and were looking for some extra credit like a bigger mansion than their neighbor.”
George still looked doubtful as he pondered this and then he said: “No, the church would not deceive people like that.” That is when I came to the realization that the roosters had come home to chick, or something like that. He was saying it was the church, not the translators. The translators would have translated monai as rooms or dwelling places, but the church insisted it is translated as mansions.
I was listening to the radio today and there was a commercial directed at recruiting people to go into teaching. The big come-on is that teaching has dramatically changed over the past fifty years with technology and methods of teaching. I thought of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. It is still being taught in our Bible Colleges and seminaries the same way it was taught for over a hundred years. Memorizing vocabulary, memorizing verbal forms, memorizing, and memorizing. Yet, with the advances in modern technology and the internet, anyone can learn to study the Word of God in the Greek and Hebrew just as well as George or even better. By better I mean to stop listening to tradition and listen to the Holy Spirit.
So where is the Rosetta Stone version of Biblical Hebrew? I developed that over the last 40 years (not a Rosetta Stone version but something to that effect) and I can teach anyone in just a matter of hours how to study the Word of God in the Hebrew. With the help of some people who believe this as we do at Chaim Bentorah Ministries, next year we are going on the road to bring our classes to churches, Bible Schools and organizations with our mission to get as many people as possible studying the Word of God in the Hebrew. Our website is now being redesigned by our publisher to offer online classes and seminars.
We are living in the last days and there has never been a greater need, nor a greater opportunity to study the Word of God in the original Hebrew and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and not some power structure dictating what the truth is.
I am 67 years old, the official age of retirement but instead of retirement I am determined to reach as many people as possible with the latest innovations in education as it applies to the Biblical Hebrew.
I’ve had dreams about heaven before. They were getting things ready one time. I was stuck there for a while because the gateway was c!osed. One time I opened a door, and the tables for the wedding supper were laid out. Long white tables as far as the eye could see. I went through another door and they told me to get some rest. My room increased in size when I needed it, and got smaller when I left.
I’m not concerned!
In the older translations(KJV, etc.) I believe the word mansion was used to signify a well-built dwelling place. We are his workmanship and He uses gold, silver and precious stones.
Thank you for this. I have just recently started to get your daily emails, but I am really enjoying them! …This understanding is what the Lord showed me recently in a dream. That we each have an intimate place in our Father’s House. Where we meet with Him privately. I understood from the dream that we would still have a private meeting place with Father in Heaven. Where we will worship Him privately, and where there is a memorial (on the walls) of the earthly battles that we have been part of with the Lord (through our prayers). All glory to Him.
Go Chaim Go. Stick with it. continue the development of your insights so as we can grab hold of, meditate(better use a biblical word here:-)) but ponder is great, and act on what we find out.
Thanks heaps Chaim from a bloke older than you who believes that od want me to continue to learn until I graduate
Very good teaching, I understand it means resting place. To always be in His presence.
Thank you for this reflection on ‘mansions’ very interesting that George continued to insist it came from the churche’s interpretation – I look forward to the online teaching. I have been studying Hebrew with a colleague at work and have progressed immensely since reading your daily word forwarded to me via my email. With the lockdown here in Australia gradually lifting I am determined to add Hebrew to my new ‘norm’. Thank you once again.
Kindest regards
Marilyne
I am honestly so excited that you are so passionate and motivated to teach this! I have been completely enthralled with your books and emails for years. You have transformed my Bible study and opened my heart. Thank you!
Truly you have the Rosetta Stone of Biblical understanding. Looking forward to hearing more about your travels in the future.
I have tried to encourage a few about Biblical Translation and hit a brick wall. These are some of the verses that were brought to the conversation in my experience.
Have you ever been confronted with this in your encouragement to others to understand the heart of God?
2 Timothy 3:16, John 10:35, 2 Peter 1:20, Daniel 10:21, Deuteronomy 4:2, 2 Samuel 22:31, Psalm 18:30, Proverbs 30:5, IsaIsh 40:8
I understand these verses from a totally different prism after following your ministry and being a student of All Access.
Robert, I have hit many of the same brick walls, which I say are those who choose doctrine over relation. Many of those have been or are in the ministry, and all we can do is leave the information to stir in their spirit. It is not for us to convert people to the way we have learned to study and hear the voice of God, or receive direction from the Holy Spirit. Just as we cannot make a Jew a Christian. I admit, it can be frustrating at times, as I think “wouldn’t you not want to know these things? especially in your “position?!”
I am learning to be happy with my job, whether it is turning the sailor pruning the vine. I cannot give you more insight on the scriptures, I am not Chaim, but I hope that this helps you in some way.
can you guide me a little more..in depth about this verse as Im a lil bit confused as to what exactly the verse should be read as..should the word mansion from your view be removed and dwelling place be added or what shoud be added.I m a lttle bit stuck as to what it actually means..please assist at your convenience.
Hello
Have you ever taken a Biblical (not Modern) or Aramaic class before? If not I think you enjoy and benefit from learning about the nature of the language and how it works regarding scripture and it would and it would explain the answer to your question. Chaim teaches both on our learning channel at https://www.chaimbentorah.com/all-access/ (HebrewWordStudy.com) This link can also be found at the home page of this website at chaimbentorah.com
Blessings,
Laura
I feel the way you do a little confused about the meaning
This is amazing. I was thinking this very scripture yesterday and wanted to look up the original Greek. I love your revelation here and thank you so so much beyond words for continuing this wonderful ministry. You’re marching forward and onward in His Name
God bless ✝️👑
Thanks so much. As a first hand witness of this “church pimping” I know that man, preachers some will pimp the Word for money and their own gain. I know you are right and I have learned more from and thru The Great teacher The Mighty Holy Spirit and what He has taught me is truth and is no lie and even as He teaches me I abide in Him. Let me know how to get this class please.
Amen!
I fully agree. Real time to dive deeper. We don’t know when someone is going to point a gun at me or my love ones and tell us to deny Christ or else…
Please let us know when you start the online courses. Do you have any
Idea of the cost?
This is actually one of Chaim’s older studies. We have an online teaching channel that you can check out at https://www.chaimbentorah.com/all-access/ The first month to check it out is only .99 . This link can also be found at our home page of our website. Blessings, Laura
This was really wonderful to read! Thank you for this post and the encouragement to stop listening to tradition and instead listen to the Holy Spirit!
Looking forward to the online classes and on the road seminars! I know many will be incredibly blessed and come into the kingdom!
Hi Liz
This is actually one of Chaim’s older Word Studies and we actually have on on-line learning channel running and here’s the link to learn more (this link can also be found on the home page of our website, chaimbentorah.com) https://www.chaimbentorah.com/all-access/
Blessings,
Laura
Thank you for that teaching and confirmation. May you be filled with overflowing joy by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Good morning,
That was a very great comment in the end of this teaching, How many churches have used scripture to motivate people into giving by claiming they’ll get a mansion in this life or the next never looking back into the languages it was translated from to get the true meaning.