Hebrew Word Study – Skin – ‘Or  עור  Ayin Vav Resh

Job 2:4 “And the accuser answered the Lord and said Skin for skin, yea all a man has will he give for his life.”  

Recently I was watching a Jet Jackson video.  As I watched our hero apply the skin of his fist to the skin of the bad guy, I hit the pause button.  I suddenly remembered something my study partner said and that was that the word skin in Hebrew is ‘or which also means light. I immediately thought of a curious phrase in Job 2:4, skin for skin. You know, every once in a while when reading Scripture we need to hit the pause button and think about what we read.  Skin for skin? Now what the deuce does that mean? Flesh for flesh would make more sense. Are not skin and flesh the same thing. In the very next verse the enemy then talks of afflicting Job’s flesh. Why did he use the word skin?

Could the enemy have said: Light for light or skin for light? In other words would Job deny the revelation or light of God to save his own skin or life? However, my study partner did confess that the word skin was spelled Ayin, Vav, Resh and the word for light was spelled Aleph, Vav, Resh, although both sound the same and the last two letters are the same, one word starts with an Ayin and the other with an Aleph, technically two different words.  However, words were spoken long before they were written and when spoken you could not tell the difference between the two. With the ambiguous nature of the Hebrew language and the way ancient the sages played around with the esoteric nature of the language, I will not discount that there is the possibility that the enemy was making a play on the two words to make a subtle insult to God, that even His light is not enough for a man to sacrifice his own skin (life). When his own skin or life is on the line he will resort to his own insight (Ayin) rather than the light or revelation of God’s (Aleph).   

We learn in the Book of John that Jesus is the light and if indeed the enemy was making a play on words, what a great insult to say that the light of God, Jesus Christ, is not enough for a man to be willing to lay down his life. Well, Old Job was the first in a long line of saints throughout history who has proven the enemy to be woefully wrong.  History is filled with stories of Christian martyrs who have willing given up their flesh or skin rather than deny their love for Jesus and His light.  

This does, however, warrants a closer look. Most commentators call the phrase Skin for skin an idiom, but they are at a loss as to its origin. Yet, it is generally agreed among these commentators that the enemy was saying that Job would give up the skin of his servants, his livestock and even his own children so long as it doesn’t cost him his own skin or life. Come on, really? Is the enemy that stupid?  I mean even as a six year old child I knew that Jet Jackson would have gladly taken a bullet for America, apple pie, motherhood and of course his faith (I always believed Jet Jackson was a Christian). If that were Jet Jackson being tested rather than Job, the enemy would not even think of making such an accusation. It is obvious that there are people; plenty of people in this world who would sacrifice themselves for others and it is proven every day. I mean look at those secret service agents who guard the President, it is their job to become a human shield if someone starts to shoot at the President and these commentators are trying to tell me that the enemy cannot see something what we obviously see and have proven over and over throughout history, I think not. 

By the way, let me digress. The word for Satan is hasatan; the article in front of the word indicates that it is not a proper name. It is only our translators who simply transliterate the word hasatan, leaving off the article ha and dignifying him with a proper name. The writer sure did not give him a proper name. The word satan means adversary or accuser. In other words we would more correctly translate this not as a proper name but as The accuser or The adversary. I don’t know about you but, like the writer, I personally would not give the old buzzard the dignity of a proper name.

Now back to our topic. Jewish tradition teaches something a little different about this skin for skin business. You see the word for skin which in the Hebrew is ’or, not only means skin, but the word is also used for blindness, watching and could also mean a limb like your arm. The expression then has the idea of putting up your arm up to protect your face and eyes. It is built into our nature to give priority to our sight over one of our limbs and by instinct we would be willing to sacrifice one of our limbs to protect ourselves from blindness. The accusation of the enemy is not only will Job deny God to protect his life, but to protect himself for any permanent physical harm or disability. 

It is interesting in the Aramaic, a sister language of Hebrew, the word ’or is also used to express the idea of chaff.  Perhaps there is the suggestion in this skin for skin idiom that the enemy is implying skin for chaff in other words, if you really want to separate the wheat from the chaff or to know his true motives, just beat him up and put him in a hospital bed and watch how he will start cursing. It is very easy to shout praisealleluia when you are in good health, have a secure job and everything is going fine, but the enemy is convinced that if he can upset your apple cart, he will have you shaking your fist at God. 

The crazy thing is he is still playing the same game today as he did with Job, and sad to say he is sometimes right. History is littered with the dry, sun baked bones of Christians who faithfully served God until they ran up against some real trials and then turned against God and it wasn’t even skin for skin. Well, I for one certainly do not intent to be one of those tenderfoot Christians. That is something Jet Jackson would never do.

History is also littered with the dry, sun baked bones of those who were and are today ready to take one for the Kingdom of God.  We tend to honor those who have parleyed their Christian faith into wealth, fame, and honor. But these are just Christian wimps whom God could not trust to take one for the Kingdom. I for one will put my money on those unknowns who have sacrificed all for the Kingdom and got nothing but poor health, poverty, and shame for the Kingdom.  These are the ones who are not skin for skin. These are God’s secret service agents, God’s Jet Jacksons who are willing to take one for the Kingdom and come up in the midst of their loss, pain and suffering and shout Hallelujah.

Hi there! Thank you for reading this Daily Word Study. Can I ask a favor? Share this Daily Word Study with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking one of the icons below.

Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!