Hebrew Word Study – Long Life – Ha’araketh Yamim – הַאֲרַכְתָּ֖ יָמִֽים Hei Aleph Resh Kap Taw : Yod Mem Yod Mem
Scripture gives us an enigmatic command in Deuteronomy 22:2-6: ““If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; (7) But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.
The command seems so simple, do not take the mother bird from her young or one even sitting on her eggs. It is a command that doesn’t cost us anything. That is a very simple command to fulfill, in fact, it seems so minor. There are literally billions of birds why it is so wrong to disturb one nest? Well, for one thing, the mother bird would grieve if her young were taken from her and the young would suffer and God cares for the feelings of even a mother bird and her chicks. But also note that if you obey this command you “may prolong your days.” In Hebrew, this is ha’araketh yamim. These are the same words used in Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
There are only two commands that promise to lengthen your days. Honoring your parents and protecting the feelings of a mother bird. Actually, what the command is saying is to protect the heart of a parent and/or a mother. In the Hebrew, this does not necessarily mean you will live a longer life, but that every day of your life will be fulfilling and joyful. Thus, this minor command to protect the feelings of a mother bird, even if it is a small insignificant bird like a hummingbird, bears extreme importance. This verse not only tells us that a mother bird has feelings, a heart that can be broken but that we have an obligation to protect that heart.
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Our nation is in the midst of a political campaign for the election of our next president. We recently had a political convention where many speeches were made by many politicians pontificating about the needs of the country and how they would fulfill those needs. But the most moving speeches, the speeches that expressed the greatest sincerity such that left the audience as well as a nation listening to these speeches in tears. These were the speeches of a mother who lost her son to fentanyl or a parent who lost a child on the battlefield. Nothing touches a nation, or a people more than the cry of a mother who has lost a child. It doesn’t matter the color of the skin, the status of that person, or their rank in life. That cry of grief can break the hard shell of almost any human heart.
I remember seeing a small fawn lying beside a road out in the country that had been killed by a passing car. The mother deer was standing over that little fawn. When I drove past that same site a few hours later that mother deer was still standing over her child. It was what we call heart-wrenching. I recently read that Walt Disney ordered the removal of the scene in Bambi where Bambi’s mother was killed by hunters because the scene was felt to be too traumatic for children. Even the scene that was left that did not show the mother deer actually being killed but showed Bambi’s grief was considered too traumatic.
But, if the mother’s grief over losing the life that was created within her is too much for us to bear, how much so must the grief of the Creator of that life suffer? Do we ever consider the heartache of the Creator over a life that is wantonly snuffed out whether in the womb or out? Yes, God even mourns the loss of a life He created for the smallest creature as a little mother bird.
FOR THE COMPLETE STUDY ON THIS TOPIC WHICH INCLUDES LEARNING THE LANGAUGE OF BIRDS AND ANIMALS JOIN OUR ALL-ACCESS SITE AND SEE OUR IN-DEPTH STUDY ENTITLED: “COMMUNICATION WITH ANIMALS” AND ALSO OUR SECTION ON “YIREDU” www.hebrewwordstudy.com
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Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!
It sounds like v7 says we cld take the eggs or young as long as we let the mother go. Wldnt that cause her grief? I used to raise black swans. I had to take the signets right after hatching because the parents didn’t take very good care of the young. It was heartbreaking. The parents walked around calling for the babies for a couple days.
Thank you for this beautiful lesson!
I as a mother can fully understand how a mother would feel about losing her children. Remember however fathers also grieve over the loss of their children. King David wept bitterly over the death of his son Absalom and God wept after the death of Jesus. Jews tear their garments when a close relative dies and since people couldn’t see God to see Him tear His robe He tore the Vail that was in front of the Holy of Holies where He was said to reside.
I’m not sure that this passage has anything to do with the feelings of the mother bird. Won’t she be just as hurt upon returning to her nest and finding her children are gone.
When I was very young I heard a prophesy that said in these the later days animals will become smarter I believe that they are. There was a man that was filming a video when a mother moose came to his car and looked in at him. Now from her actions he felt she wanted him to follow her which he did. She led him to a muddy river bank where a baby moose was stuck in the mud. He thereby rescued the baby moose. The mother moose had two other calves as well,but this one meant just as much to her as the other two. So mother moose and her three little calves went on their way. I’m sure there is a lesson about Jesus in that story. We need more stories about Jesus!!
Until starting to read Chaim’s books, it never dawned on me that God’s emotions were moved according with my emotions. How could I egnore this considering we have a soul-tie. Our emotions are inseparable. Any parent who loves their children can testify to this. I also reflect on how terrible son I was, knowing now of the emotional grief I caused my parents. Sadly, they are in eternity and I am unable to make amends. This has caused me to examine my lifestyle in order not to inflict emotional pain to my Creator. I am so thankful for those servants who have made a choice to proclaim God’s heart for such a time as this. Chaim, Thank you for this word.
Have you written anything on the Lord’s Prayer? Do you have a substack?
I might be missing something, but doesn’t verse 7 say it is appropriate to take the young, but not the mother with them? It seems like this is more about maintaining a population by not removing the breeding portion. Help! Confused!
Question: Do you have any past word studies on the word “joy”? Specifically, “simha”.
I would so appreciate your forwarding the link if you do.
Thank you,
Ginger Allard
Check the search button on the home page where there are thousands of studies. Blessings, Laura
Doesn’t this verse go on to say that you may take the young unto you but leave the dam? This would rather say to me that she may go on to have more young thus preserving the genetic line.
I love to learn His heart. Thank you for writing this. Because I am a mother and great grandmother… I know He understands my heart and tears for them.