Hebrew Word Study – Rise Up – Qumi  קומי Qop Vav Mem Yod

Isaiah 60:1: “Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.”

What probably runs through most people’s minds when they hear this verse is “Wake up, time to rise and shine.” I guess metaphorically this verse is a slap across the head telling us to “Wake up, stop feeling so sorry for yourself, and be enlightened, your light has come.“ This verse is addressed to Jerusalem, Israel, the church, you, and me and it is telling us more than to just wake up. 

The word arise is qumi which has a very broad range of meanings. Generally, the word has the idea of arising and being restored. When Jesus healed the lame man at the pool He most likely used the Aramaic equivalent qumi John 5:8: “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” to indicate that a healing was taking place.
  To Jerusalem which was in ruin, to the Jews who were in captivity, to us as we walk through the dark valleys we all receive the same command, qumi. Arise and be restored. If you have been beaten down, under oppression, or just plain worn out, the command is to arise and be restored. 

Not only are we to arise and be restored, but we are to shine. The word shine is not the word halal which I thought it would be but it is the word ‘or which is the word for light. Grammatically, if the word is ‘or we should really and more accurately rendered it as enlightened.    

What are we enlightened about that will cause us to arise and be restored? It is the fact that the ‘or – light has come. Many rabbis see this light as the Messiah. When the Messiah comes all will be restored. 

Since we believe the Messiah has already come in Jesus, then the final question is: “At what point is our restoration come?” It comes when the light of the Messiah comes which means that our restoration is already here. In other words, if you are wandering around in that dark valley, then you need to be enlightened to the fact that the Messiah is here, Jesus has come to bring light to your dark valley. That dark valley is dark only because you will not open your eyes to see Jesus. True you may still be in the valley but He will lighten your way through the valley and He will restore your strength to pass through that valley. 

I recall when I was about six or seven years of age our family went to the Sportsman Show at the International Amphitheater, now torn down but was once one of the largest exhibition halls in the Midwest. On display were hundreds of booths hawking everything from hunting and fishing gear to motorboats and camping trailers and equipment. As I recall it was very crowded and I got separated from my parents. I looked around and here I was in my valley of the shadows.  I was alone, lost, and terrified. I remember telling myself: “Come, we shan’t be afraid, we are almost seven years old fully capable of taking care of ourselves.” Like any child, I used to think in the plural having imaginary friends. But I was afraid, I was terrified. After what seemed to be many hours but was probably on about a half-hour at the most, I saw my father in the distance. I ran to him as he put his arms around me and told me how they were looking for me. All my fears left, I was no longer lost. 

There are many times I face a journey through the valley of the shadows and I am fearful.  Will I lose my job, if I do, how I will live, will I become homeless? How will I pay for my medications? But then I qumi, I arise and ‘or shine or I am enlightened for in the distance I see my Jesus looking for me and as I run to Him all my fears and loneliness dissolve as I rest in His arms. 

That final phrase in this verse is: “The glory of the Lord has risen on you” uses the word  zarach which also means to arise and it is commonly used with the rising of the sun.,  The word glory as indicated in an earlier devotional expresses God’s lovingkindness and compassion. As you walk through your dark valley just look off to the West, the Son is rising. God’s lovingkindness and compassion are rising to bring the warmth and comfort you need for your journey.

So, as we pass through our dark valleys and feel abandoned, lost, and/or hopeless we are reminded by the prophet that the coming of the Messiah, the coming of Jesus brings us enlightenment that he will say: “Arise and be restored.” He will bring us the strength we need, He will light our way and walk through that valley with us covering us with His lovingkindness and compassion.

As David said in Psalms 23: Surely goodness (walking in harmony with God) and lovingkindness shall follow me all the days of my life.” The Light has come, the Messiah is here and we do not have to cross Jordan alone, we do not have to pass through the valley in darkness for He, the light, will walk with us. We can qumi, arise and be healed for as the old hymn goes; “When nothing else could help, love lifted me.” 

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