Hebrew Word Study – Rip Off – Paraq  פרק Pei Resh Qop

Watch Out For Momma Bear

Exodus 35:22: ”And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.”

I read this verse in preparation for our weekly Torah study and my spirit was quickened.  I wondered why Scripture said men and women and not just the people or the children of Israel as they are usually addressed when referencing men and women. Something else quickened my spirit and that was that they willingly gave their gold bracelets, earring, and rings to be offered to build the tabernacle of God.  

When we read the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32:2 we learn something a little different when it came to obtaining the gold for the golden calf. “And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.”  

The words “break off” is the word paraq in Hebrew and it is in a Piel intensive form. The word itself means to forcibly remove and in a Piel form it literally means rip them off from the ears of your wives and children – ouch!  The husband went to their wives and children and ripped off their earrings. They did not have clip-on earrings in those days. They followed the pattern of the Egyptians and had their ears pierced and the earrings inserted. Thus they were ripped off violently (remember we dealing with the Piel intensive form here) from the ears of the women and children. The men also wore earrings but nothing is said about a paraq in a Piel form with the removal from their ears.  It doesn’t even say the men took their own earrings off, I would at least hope they would have in solidarity with their families.

Now imagine these women and loving mothers not only having their ears painfully torn but also having to watch their children have the ear lops torn crying in pain just to feed some pagan god.  If these earrings had to be removed by a paraq in the Piel form then it is fairly obvious, that they were not willing participants. They knew God Jehovah was a real God, they saw the plagues in Egypt and the firstborn slain. They watch the Egyptians slay their own firstborn in the name of their pagan gods and saw their God Jehovah spare their own firstborn when they stood in obedience to Him. Then they were forced to submit to an offering for a pagan god because Moses was a few hours late in returning from the mountain.  I doubt very much these wives and mothers were sympathetic to this new government that was arising. 

As the politicians of West Virginia learn in trying to push their governmental agenda, you don’t want to mess with momma bear. Their vengeance can be swift and painful. 

So now just a few weeks after this golden calf event and things have settled down.  The traitors have been properly dealt with and the people have repented of their sin, Moses is now calling an assembly to instruct them to build not an idol but a tabernacle, a dwelling place for the true God Jehovah. Every translation tells us that both men and women came and brought their earrings and gold jewelry.  In fact, Moses instructed that only those with a willing heart were to give. They were not forced to give their earrings paraq in a Piel form. They gave only if they wished to give. An removed their earrings themselves, carefully.  The word willing is nadib which means to be voluntary, free will, not forced, threaten or coerce.

But there is something else very important in this verse that is easily overlooked.  Almost in lockstep most, all our English translations say; “both men and women came.”  The literal translations still balk at the very literal translation and say men with women.  Yet the Hebrew uses the word ‘al which means “along with”.   This is very important.

When Moses called for the offerings to be given to the building of the tabernacle and the men came along with the women. The women led the way. The women gave of their jewelry voluntarily, willingly this time. The men also gave gold but it does not specify what gold. Gold coins, gold objects, or even figurines.  The women gave their personal items, items used to adorn themselves and they willingly gave these up to give God a dwelling place on earth. 

What do we learn from this?  Well, you tell me. What I see is that women many times lead the way for men to follow after God.  There is an old Norman Rockwell painting of a mother dressed in her Sunday best, carrying her Bible and walking out of the house with her children all dressed up with their Bibles following her out the door of the house and the husband and father dressed in housecoat and slippers sitting in his easy chair reading the paper. A very iconic picture of the role of the women when it comes to spiritual things. 

In fact, the Jewish Talmud and other Jewish literature teach that God has given women a special spiritual awareness.  They were the ones to bear children and raise their children to love God. God knew that would take time and they would not have time to study the Holy Scriptures like men and pray as often as men could so they were given a little extra spiritual awareness and understanding.  Perhaps that is why more women attend church. Why do we often hear people say that because of their “mother’s prayers” they found the Lord?  The Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago has a little sign over the door to its chapel that says: “Your mother’s prayers brought you here.”  Not your father’s prayers but mothers. Is it just stereotyping or is there some divine design being indicated? 

Women were created to be an ‘ezer a helpmeet.  She was not created to be a helpmate, but a helpmeet.  An ‘ezer in Hebrew is one who helps you meet someone, someone who introduces you to another. Maybe men do have a leadership role in the home, but God has no problem with women taking on leadership roles when men fail in their roles.  When they do, watch out for momma bear.

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