Hebrew Word Study – Taking a Bride – Laqach – Lamed Qop Cheth
Job 1:21: “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
I will admit, my study partner had to walk me through this as I could not see how the Hebrew words fit. She will be doing her own study on this at some future time.
I was drawn to this verse when I read something in the Siddur, a Jewish prayer book. It basically said that all we have in this world, including our lives are simply on loan from God. In the Western world we like to say; “The Lord gave me this car, (house, job, family etc.).” The fact is that the Lord did not give it to you He loaned it to you. The sages point out that the word give that is use in this verse (and there are about five other words in Hebrew we could render as give) is the word nathan. Nathan in Hebrew is spelled the same way backward and forward. It shows a cycle of giving and then receiving back. Nathan is sometimes used for the giving of a loan. This is further seen in Job 1:21 Job says: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither:” The word used for return is shuv which is also the word used for the repayment of a debt. So I believe the Jews have it right, all that we have is on loan from God even our very lives, for Job said that he entered the world naked and he would pay it all back leaving him naked again. The idea of returning to the womb seems to follow a motif.
The Lord gives and takes away. The word in Hebrew for “take away” is one of a possible 15 words in the Hebrew that can be rendered as take. In this case it is the word laqach which is the word used when a make declares; “I have taken for myself a bride.” It is also a word used for impregnating. A woman laqach or takes the sperm from a man to create a child. So we are following a motif here of a man and woman and their love and/or intimate relationship.
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We read the “LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away” and picture poor old Job has just resigned himself to the fact that God is all powerful and He can do as He pleases. But if we follow the idea behind the word laqach, which practically every modern English renders as take away, we don’t see this as a declaration of resignation but of hope. The Lord gives and He takes away or laqach to make for Himself a pure bride. In other words Job is saying that the Lord gave him life and now he is preparing to take him as his bride. A bride in ancient times leaves her home and family to live in her bridegroom’s fathers house with his bridegroom’s family. She is giving up everything for a new life with her husband. Job is giving up, returning everything to God to prepare for a new life as His bride.
What did the enemy declare? Job was serving God because God paid Him so well. I believe Job often wondered that same thing. Was he really serving God because he feared losing every thing? He said the thing he feared the most fell upon him. Yet, he still trusted God and blessed His name. He could enter a new depth of intimacy with God knowing he loved God not for reward, not for the praise of man, but simply for the Lord and his love for Him.
If you want to really light my boiler fire I dare you to say what many people say to me when I mention Job. “But remember, God repaid him two fold.” Really? I mean really? Is that what you draw from this story? God may take away but He will repay you. You may lose your job, but God will give you a better job. So God repaid Job with twice of what he had. Did he make him forget the loss of his children, his faithful servants who were like friends to him? How about Mrs. Job, did God take away that hole in her heart for her children? So God gave Job more children, did that take away the pain of the loss of his other children? Is material wealth more important than the lives of one’s family? If you make a big deal about Job’s repayment, then you are putting material things above the lives of your family and friends.
Job knew and understood that all he had, family, children and material wealth was simply on loan by God and sometimes He will choose to recall that loan. Even your very life is on loan by God.
This reference to the womb and the double meaning of laqach, take and impregnate, carries the motif of intimacy. Job recognized that he had the great opportunity to know that he desired intimacy with God over all his worldly possessions and relationships. He knew he would see his children and servants again and as far as his material possessions go, well as they say, “You can’t take it with you.”
The Talmud teaches that Solomon’s temple was called Solomon’s temple because he did not build it for God. Oh, he may have thought he was building it for God but the fact that he used bronze when he should have used gold and gold when he should have used bronze and he used slave labor rather than the labors of people wanting to please God. It shows us that in his heart he was really building a monument to himself.
I’ve seen many pastors who have started a church, built up a large congregation and then built a beautiful church building. Their hope was to turn the church over to their sons. I mean every father likes to give his son the business. Yet, a couple things happen, the sons don’t want it or they take it because it is, after all, a family business but they end up running it into the ground because being a pastor was not their calling. Or the pastor slips and does something and suddenly finds himself voted out of the church and he is forced to leave this ministry that he built. That is leave his ministry, his church, his congregation and his building. He is then forced to learn that God really gave him a wonderful gift by laqach by taking it away for he can see that even though he said it was God’s ministry and church he discovers he really considered it his, a monument to himself. To be fair, many times these pastors have enough wisdom to know in their heart that they really are serving themselves and not God and find a service for God out of love and not because He pays so well.
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
The Holy Spirit spoke a word so distinctly personal to me about a week ago, He said out of the blue… “take a year off and marry me” wow! I thought how do I do that?? My job pays my bills, then I realized, a Husband takes care of His bride. He wants me to completely trust him. This word you just gave resonates in me deeply. Thank you for your teaching!!
Whoa! I’m on my 2nd year Kathy, HE is worthy :D
Ben [son] torah [OT]: Taking [sins] of the Bride
Job 1:21 | Job said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and
naked shall I return thither: YHWH gave [every blessing], & YHWH
hath taken away [our transgressions]; blessed be the Name of the
LORD”
Job knew & understood all he had: family, children and material
wealth was simply on loan by GOD; & sometimes HE will choose
to recall that loan. Even your very life is on loan by GOD.
He is then forced to learn GOD really gave him a wonderful gift
by taking it away: HE must increase, I must decrease [Jn 3:30-35]
Ephesians 1:3 Give praise to the GOD & FATHER of our LORD
JESUSCHRIST. HE has blessed us with every spiritual blessing..
Isaiah 53:5 HE was pierced for our transgressions,& was crushed
for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on
HIM, & by HIS wounds we are healed.
Thank you once again for pointing out the real risk of serving self in the name of religious activity.
I never questioned why the temple was labeled of Solomon and not God.
The penny drops and I think of ministries called after a person.
Trembling before Him after reading.
Agreed. Fear & Trembling [Philippians 2:12]
Philippians 2:12 | Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always
obeyed, not only in my presence, but even more in my absence,
continue to work out your salvation with fear & trembling.
Agreed David, for me GOD was showing me how ppl’s anger is roused
from name dropping, though it had to do with pointing ppl to sermon
source.. it’s King Saul’s thousands against David’s ongoing conquests..
Was reading Matthew 22 yesterday, & again uncanny how it fits what
you are devoting to GOD: How in v.23-33 Sadducees challenge JESUS
regarding the validity of Resurrection [afterlife]
• Matthew 22:29-30 [Berean] ²⁹ JESUS answered, “You are mistaken
because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of GOD. ³⁰
In the resurrection, ppl will neither marry nor given in marriage.
Instead, they will be like the Angels in Heaven.
[Bride doesn’t belong to any of 7men who tried to carry line of brother]
But it freaks me out because the CH begins with Parable of the Wedding
Banquet & now you have here entitled Taking a Bride [Laqach, Job 1:21]
Agreed Chaim, they say: Double for your Trouble.
Quote: Luke 12:20 “Fool this night your soul is required of you”
Never gave much thought to these famous phrases, thanks for shining
a spotlight on the practical application & biblical example in Solomon!
Scary thought, all the things you have pointed out as sign posts to the
“skull kingdom” we are building in our heads, when in actuality it has
always belonged to GOD. Kind of like the parable of talents & GOD is
going to review the ROI on what HE has given us.
Luke 16:10 he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much [eternity]
But heard that the little is this life versus eternity with GOD, where HE
will reward people for their faithfulness with even more responsibility.
Luke 19:17 [NASB] you are to be in authority over ten cities.
And an hour ago, read Galatians 6 restore the fallen brother, then just
now this: “We can’t do it alone, that is why the enemy always attacks
unity, we have to guard unity all the time because we need each other.
Galatians 6:1-3 [Berean] ¹ Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass,
but you 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.
But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s
burdens, & in this way you will fulfill the Law of CHRIST. ³ If anyone
𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.
Maybe poor Solomon wasn’t restored because he was surrounded by
a bunch of ‘yes-men’ who didn’t have the SPIRIT of truth to challenge
him with the state of his soul. I mean in your assessment of Job 12:3,
our hearts are joined to GOD & when we are with others we strive to
come together in agreement..isn’t that the recipe for prayer: When
two or more are gathered & are in agreement: GOD will bless it..?
P.S. was wondering who your study partner was, GOD/Laura :D
me, Laura and of course God is with us.
Thank you so much. You’re right on about what this all means.
A Rabbi once said that we Christians don’t know what taking the Lord’s name in vain really means. Job’s so called friends took God’s name in vain when they assumed to think they knew what God was doing.I never say that God can’t do something because to me that’s taking the Lord’s Name in vain. Telling God what He can and can’t do is not our place to do.
Many people don’t really know what the father’s house really means. The actual dwelling place belongs to the mother according to the Jews. The father’s house means so much more. It means his beliefs and his rules. His way of life. A bride must follow her husband in all the family’s beliefs.
Thanks, so very good!
Wonderful and mind blowing.
In fact we are His bad debtors and we fail to understand His mission for our lives. THANKS for Unfolding secrets of Holy words.