Hebrew Word Study – Clouded – ‘Ashan – עשן Ayin Shin Nun

Psalms 80:4: “O Lord God of host, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of the people?”

The word used here for anger is ’ashan.  There are seven different words for anger in the Hebrew.  None of them are ashan.  Actually, the word ashan means smoky, clouded, and foggy.  Somehow the translators came up with the word angry. I am not sure how, but the church seems to love to portray an angry God and will latch onto any word that even hints at anger. Well, I mean how else is a preacher going to get you to show up and listen to him pontificate for an hour and get you to throw your hard-earned shekels into the basket if not to portray an angry God who will potty train you with lightning bolts.  But to be fair, saying “How long will you smoke out prayers” doesn’t really make much sense either.  Actually, the whole syntax here is up for grabs.  So when the smoke settles (the pun is intended by the way), you do have a couple of different ways to look at this.  

You have a very difficult grammatical construction for “how long wilt thou.”  It is simply ’id  meti,  This is in a construct form.  You can make ‘id meti say a lot of different things.  In its very basic form the “id” means to repeat, do again and again.  The meti is a hard one.  The root word could be mathah or moth  mathah has the idea of extending, numbering, hence the interrogative when.  Moth has the idea of death, destruction, making silent. 

We could easily render this as,  “O Lord, God of host you have repeatedly clouded the prayers of your people.”  But soft, there is a Beth in front of the word cloud.  Hopefully, my Hebrew students will not need to pull out their cheat sheets to find that the Beth is a preposition. So you have an option here.  It does not have to be against his people’s prayers, it could easily be rendered as he is in, upon, on, or by their prayers.

So why would God put a cloud or a smoke screen by the prayers of the people?  Check the previous verse.  Asaph is asking God to cause His face to shine.  This is an old Hebraic expression for experiencing or feeling the presence of God.  Some sages even say the words Ha’er panika which is interpreted means, “Cause the Light of Your presence to shine” as mystical and that they actually have the power to bring the presence of God. Ok, I will admit that that is a little too dramatic.  But is it interesting that Asaph is using the word ha’or for shine  which is really the word for the light.  In the very next verse, he then says prayers are clouded.  A cloud blocks out the sunlight, does it not?

This could be a very depressing Psalm. The people are in deep trouble and it seems as if God is just not there. Asaph is asking God to again bring back His presence. Without His presence, the prayer of His people are clouded.  A cloud that is blocking out the light or presence of God. 

Do you ever find yourself trying to pray and it is like there is a cloud between you and God?  Ok, maybe you don’t, maybe I am the only one who experiences this, but I am not alone, it appears Asaph and the people of Israel also had this experience.  What did Asaph do about it, well God inspired him to write a Psalm so some old boy living in 2021 might read it and realize he is not the only one who experiences this problem when it seems no one else has that problem or at least admits that they do.  Under the inspiration of God old Asaph pours his heart out to God. He talks of God’s power, His control, and His love.  But he also spoke some powerful words. Words that the Father likes to hear and Asaph kept repeating the words until he came into a new Psalm, Psalm 81 with the words?  Ha’er panika  “Cause the light of your presence to shine.” For whatever reason translators put this in an imperfect form, an incompleted action when in reality it is in a perfect form or a completed action, You have caused the light of your presence to shine. Asaph sought and searched for God with all his heart and what does the Bible say will happen when you do this?  He will be found by you.  Asaph found the presence of God.

So many Christians doggedly go to church, pay their tithe, serve God in various ministries, sacrifice for God hoping to win God’s favor, and yet never hear God’s lament that He loved them just as much even if they never went to church, paid their tithe or served Him in various ministries. There is a cloud of doctrine, reason, and self-serving sermons creating a smoke screen or cloud preventing them from hearing God’s lament.

Tommy Dorsey a blues singer from the early 1920’s became a Christian and began to write music that he called Gospel music, he was the one who coined that word.  As a young husband, his wife died in childbirth. He was in such grief that he sat down at his piano in deep sorrow and distress and just began to wail: “O Lord, O, Lord, O’Lord.”   Did you ever have those “O’Lord” sessions?  You are in such distress, it is like a cloud between you and God and all you can say is “O, Lord.”   A friend sitting next to Tommy Dorsey said: “Don’t call Him Lord, call Him ‘Precious Lord.”   Tommy Dorsey then looked up and said: “Precious Lord.” The cloud slowly began to evaporate as he called Him, “Precious Lord.”  With the cloud lifting, he was then able to pray and the words flowed out of him.

Precious Lord, take my hand,

Lead me on, help me stand,

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn

Through the storms. through the night,

Lead me on, to the light,

Take my hand, Precious Lord, lead me home.

If you ever find a cloud between you and God, maybe you can do like Asaph or Tommy Dorsey, and start speaking words that the Father likes to hear. Maybe like Asaph, you can affirm, “You have caused the light of your presence to shine.”  Or like Tommy Dorsey, simply “Precious Lord.”  Or ask the Holy Spirit for words that the Father likes to hear. Then speak those words like Asaph and Tommy Dorsey – with all your heart.  You may watch that ashan (cloud) roll away.

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