Hebrew Word Study – Sense of Doom – Bahal  בהל  Beth Hei Lamed

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Psalms 61:2: “Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.”

We are uncertain as to the exact reason David wrote this Psalm.  However, from the context, it appears David is suffering from some physical and emotional affliction which he is Jobaizing it.  As far as I know, no one else has used the word Jobaizing so maybe I have coined a new word. 

Jobatizing is blaming all your misfortune on sin.  Job suffered the loss of his family, his wealth, and his health.  He had three friends who tried to Jobaize him. They used good old Western Platonic logic. The premise was that all suffering was due to sin and God’s judgment/wrath.  Job was suffering.  The conclusion: Job sinned. That is simple logic that Job dashed to pieces with his one statement: Job 19:25: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” Job had a redeemer who would cleanse every sin he committed. Of course, that redeemer has not come to the earth yet, but Job knew He was alive and well and ready to come one day to bring redemption to the world of sin. So there may be many reasons for his suffering but one was not sin.

It seems even Job had a concept of the relativity of time.  For he knew that God did not live in time and therefore his redemption had already taken place on another timeline, God’s timeline. In a few days, we will celebrate the birth of this Redeemer who came 2,000 years ago and we look back in time for our redemption.  Job just looked forward 2,000 years in time for his redemption.

Thus, if we repent this Redeemer will forgive our sins and not only forget them, but bury them in the deepest sea.  As we used to sing in Sunday School: “Gone, gone, gone, yes my sins are gone. Buried in the deepest sea, yes that is good enough for me. I shall live eternity praise, God, my sins are g-o-n-e gone.”

So, if your sins are gone why should you be punished for something that no longer exists? You don’t if you do what David did and that is an appeal to the mercy of God. Mercy is the word chanan in Hebrew which is a word found throughout the Semitic languages.  It means favor, mercy and receiving forgiveness. You must receive this mercy to obtain it and you must ask for it. James 4:2 tells us we have not because we ask not.  David cried out for mercy in Psalm 61:2 for he was weak.  The word for weak here is ‘amal which means to pine away, fainting.  It is also used for an illness that may lead to death. David feels that God is going to end his life because of his sin so he appeals to the mercy of God who gives His mercy to him.

He calls on the Lord to heal him because his bones are vexed.  The word for bones is ‘atsam which also has the idea of increasing numerically. The word vexed is nabahal from the root word bahal which is to be afflicted or bewildered with a sense of doom. There is also a sense of rapidness in this bewilderment or feelings of doom. What is interesting it that this word is in a Niphal form which means it is reflexive. He is causing this ‘atsam nabahal within himself.  This ever-increasing sense of bewilderment, sense of doom is overtaking him and This is what he wants God to heal in him.  When he calls upon the mercy of God saying he is weak, this is not reflexive, it is only reflexive for what he is seeking healing from.

The point is that God’s mercy upon Him is the assurance of His love. We may still have that weakness but it is ok, so long as he knows this is not the judgment of God.  In relation to this verse, the Talmud teaches in Berachot 60b “Whatever the Merciful one does is for the good. It does not say whatever God does is good.  Since suffering and illness are quite bitter they are rather for the good. They are a bitter pill that ultimately leads to sweetness.”  When David felt the mercy of God everything was ok. So long as he and God were ok, then whatever he was suffering would be ok because it was just a bitter bill that would ultimately lead to sweetness. What He needed was the assurance that he was ok with God.  He also needed healing from his own mind and imagination which kept telling him he was doomed. 

I remember a married student I had who left a good job, took his wife and kids, and on faith went to Bible College. They struggled financially but both he and his wife were committed to their calling from God. The student confided in me that he might have to drop out of school for financial reasons and asked me to pray with him.  We did and the next day he was laid off from his job. He felt like a total failure, he was so discouraged, so fearful of the future, and worried about how his wife would take this. He even imagined that his wife would take his kids and leave him and he could not bear that thought. He was ‘atsam nabahal, feeling doomed, a feeling he was creating in his own mind. He went home after being fired from his job and when his wife greeted him he told him he had lost his job and he just did not know what they were going to do and then he broke down and cried. His wife took him in her arms, hugged him, kissed him, and said two words; “It’s ok!”  

He told me later that when his wife said: “It’s ok!” Suddenly it was all ok. He knew she would never leave him, even if they end up living in a tent (which they eventually did on the mission field for a while). It was ok so long as he was ok with her. As long as everything was good between them he said the next few months he moved from a disaster to an adventure. 

We face many trials and difficulties, financial, health, and even in relationships. Yet, when we appeal to the mercy of God, we will know these difficulties are not the result of sin. That we can still know His presence and love. He may not take the problem away, but when we appeal to his mercy we will know that when He takes us in His arms He will whisper to us. “It’s ok! You and I, we are ok!”  And it will be ok because with that assurance our tragedies become an adventure where the bitter pill leads to sweetness. 

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