​

Hebrew Word Study – According to the Mouth – Pehah  פהה  Pei, Hei Hei

Deuteronomy 34:5: “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.”

Moses died according to the word of the Lord?  That is curious.  Moses did not die from old age or some disease. In fact just two verses later we learn in Exodus 34:7:“Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.” The day Moses died he stood before all the people and preached a long sermon, then he packed it in, climbed a mountain and died. To preach a long heart felt sermon and then climb a mountain does not sound like a man who is going to die. I mean God had or outright kill the old boy. 

I remember when a famous evangelist was trying to raise money for a project he felt God called him to carry out. He was taking a lot of heat from the media who loved to mock this guy.  At one point he went on his television program and said that the Lord told him that if he did not complete this project that God would take him home. The next day the media had a field day with that statement saying the God said He would “kill” this man if he did finish the project. Well, that is not what this evangelist said; then again, it is what he said.  Isn’t God taking you home and killing you the same thing?  In colloquial English, by that I mean what is informal and familiar to the mind of the average individual, it is not the same thing. Killing suggest something horrible and terrible that someone does to another person.  This evangelist was saying that God was not going to do something horrible or terrible to him. The media was suggesting that a loving, compassionate God was going to do something terrible.  The evangelist was saying that God was simply going to declare his mission on earth to be completed and “call” him home. 

To those who have no faith in God, death is horrible and terrible. Death is not horrible or terrible. The process leading up to death could be.  There could be torture and suffering leading up to the point of death. Transitioning from this physical realm to a realm of fire and brimstone is horrible and terrible. But transitioning from the physical realm to the realm of God is anything but terrible and horrible.

So, let’s be clear, God did not kill Moses, He simply transitioned Moses, gave him a promotion. So, when Scripture says that Moses died according to the word of the Lord, there is nothing tragic or terrible about it. However, that is a strange way to express this transition – according to the word of the Lord. 

I recently received a copy of the new commentary by Dennis Prager who is an orthodox Jew and talk show host. He is a torah scholar and is writing a commentary on the Torah which I highly recommend.   In his latest commentary on Deuteronomy he translates the words “according to the word of the Lord” as “according to the command of the Lord.”  That is very interesting, God commanded Moses to die. It sounds like Moses had a choice, he could disobey the command and live and obey take his own life. Sort of like Rommel was commanded by Hitler to poison himself.  He could have refused but then his death would have been a bit more messy. 

That is where this word for command or according to the word of the Lord starts to make more sense. The word used is pei from the root word pahah which means the mouth. Well God does not have a mouth, it is really a metaphor.  A mouth speaks words hence the translators will render this as the word of God.  Yet, why not use the word ‘amar or davar which both mean word. Pahah is an unusual word to use in the context of speaking or even giving a command. This is where the Jews get the idea of the Divine Kiss. You not only use your mouth to speak but you use your mouth to give a kiss. Now a kiss must be accepted to really be a kiss.  Moses did have a choice as to whether or not to accept a kiss from God.  It just goes without question if your creator is going to give you a kiss as an invitation to join him for eternity, that would be pretty hard to turn down. In a way, a kiss is an interesting why to issue a command. 

I remember seeing a movie which had a comedic scene where a veterinarian had to take care of an injured dog. The veterinarian and the dog had a history of not getting along and as this wounded dog laid on the examination table the veterinarian said: “Now I got you, you are at my mercy now, it’s payback time.” The dog leaned forward and gave the veterinarian a kiss and the veterinarian said; “Ok, we’ll declare a truce for now.”  Who can refuse a kiss?  There is a line from the movie the God Father where the god father explained how he got someone to agree to his desires. The god father said: “I gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”  That is the Divine Kiss, an offer you just can’t refuse. 

The point is God does not force the believer to die and go to heaven when he declares their work is done here on earth, He simply gives us an offer we can’t refuse. Who can refuse a kiss from God who then whispers, “Why don’t you come to my place to live.”  We call that the Divine Kiss. To the non -believer, God just brings their life to an end. To the believer, God gives you a choice and among the billions who have been given that choice, I doubt there is one that ever received a kiss from God and an invitation to live with Him ever said; “No, I think I would rather hang around this old earth with all it troubles and disappointments.” 

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!