QUICK WORD STUDY – CONSIDER ADVERSITY – RA’AH RA’AH רעה ראה

Ecclesiastes 7:14: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.”

You will not see this in any English translation of the Bible and you will likely not read about it in your major commentaries. Only in the Hebrew can you see this subtle little wordplay but the implications of this wordplay teach a very important lesson.

This was written by the wisest and possibly the smartest man who lived, King Solomon, so it is not surprising we have such a clever play on words. It is believed in Rabbinic literature that Solomon wrote this in his old age. So he not only had the wisdom of God but the wisdom of years of experience. What he is saying in Ecclesiastes 7:14 is that during the day of prosperity, enjoy it, soak it up for all it’s worth but you will have your down days and when the bad days come – consider. What do you consider? Consider that God also sends the days of adversity, they work word hand in hand with the days of prosperity. The reason for God sending adversity is that you will realize that God is in complete control and you need to live your life the way your Creator meant for you to live it.

Good lesson, but Solomon in his wisdom buried something even more in this verse. The word prosperity is tovah. That is the word tov with a feminine ending. Although this is grammatically correct to use a feminine ending, why did Solomon write this to grammatical demand a feminine ending? For one thing the word good, tov means to be in harmony with God. With a feminine ending it would mean to be in harmony with the feminine nature of God, his loving, caring, compassionate merciful and nurturing nature. The word for joyful is also the word tov, batov to be exact or in harmony. Why does he repeat the word tov. Why not use ‘avar, simka, or barauk, all words for joyful. Why the word for good.Well, let’s translate it that way: “In times of good, be in good.” Or, “When there is harmony with God’s loving, caring compassionate and nurturing nature, then live in a loving, caring, and compassionate way.”

Now we find even another wordplay. “In the day of adversity consider…” The word for adversity is ra’ah and the word for considering is ra’ah. However the first ra’ah is spelled Resh Ayin Hei and the second ra’ah is spelled Resh, Aleph Hei. Both sound exactly alike. Only someone whose native language is Hebrew would be able to detect the slight, subtle difference in sound. Again why use two words that are so similar. There are many other words in Hebrew that could express the idea of adversity. The only reason I can see to us such similar words is to make a play on these words.

The word for adversity is an odd one. It can mean evil and trouble but it also can mean a shepherd or friend. The word ra’ah with the Aleph is your standard word for seeing, looking, observing, studying, examining, and considering. Hence I believe the wordplay here is that Solomon is saying that in times of trouble, examine and study that trouble or adversity. The ra’ah with the Ayin is your word for adversity. The Ayin is even telling you to have some insight. For you see ra’ah with the Ayin can mean evil or adversity but it could also mean a friend. You may find your adversity is really a friend.

Thus, when you are in harmony with God treat others and live a life like one who is in harmony with God, show the feminine characteristics God, His love, compassion, caring, and nurturing. When God brings you into ra’ah with the Ayin, adversity and it is from God, then stop, consider ra’ah, and the fact that this adversity when it comes from God can also mean it is a friend.

For those who never heard the story of David Roever, you can find his story and his picture on the internet. Briefly, during the Viet Nam war David Roever was a member of the swift boats, a very elite group trained by Navy Seals. They also suffered a very high casualty rate. At one point during a battle David Roever attempted to through a phosphorous grenade when a bullet pierce his hand and ignited the grenade setting him on fire. He suffered massive burns over his body and face. He miraculously survived but he was permanently disfigured. This happened over forty-five years ago and he has spent his life facing the stares and comments of people. He prayed intensively that God would remove his scars, he had many people pray for him and he honestly, truly believed God would remove his scars so he would have a great testimony and ministry of healing.

Instead, God had chosen to let him live with his scars. As David Roever said: “God didn’t do this do me, but God is an opportunist. Be that as it may, God did use the opportunity to open doors for David Roever where doors would never have opened had he been healed He has spent the last forty-five years speaking about God and leading people to a saving knowledge of Jesus in places other evangelists could never hope to enter, this includes public schools, athletic events, veteran meetings, hospitals, and government organizations.

However, David Roever said that is was not until he was well into his 30’s, many years after his injury before he could actually thank God for his scars. Once he fully realized the gift God gave him, realized the countless lives of teenagers and adults that have been changed because of his scars was he truly grateful for the privilege to serve God is such a special capacity.

I cannot think of a better illustration of Solomon’s wordplay on ra’ah ra’ah. Consider your adversity for it may very well by your friend.