Hebrew Word Study – My Song – Zamari Zayin Mem Resh Yod
Exodus 15:2: “The LORD [is] my strength and song.”
This song was sung, or as I explained in an earlier study they spoke the song at this time but will sing it at a later date which is yet to come. What does really fascinate me is this idea of the Lord being their song. There used to be a little song we have sung during a worship service where we quoted this verse and every time I sang that song, I often wondered what it means that the Lord is my song. I understand that the Lord is my strength and my salvation but a song?
Let me share with you something I found interesting. This song was spoken right after the crossing of the Red where the Egyptian army perished in the sea. After many miracles where God demonstrated, not only His love but His power over all the Egyptian gods, the Hebrew people were now free of their captivity from the Egyptians. These were people forced to live in an idolatrous land where they were very familiar with the gods of Egypt and the pagan worship, more familiar than we are today. I believe this song spoke of something much more significant to the Hebrew people than we pick up today.
First, let me explain what a song was in ancient times. There were a number of words for singing and songs but the word used in this verse for song is zamar which is a word for a pruning hook or pruning a tree. When used as a song it represents a song of deliverance, a song of victory over having “pruned” your enemies from you. This is why the NIV does not render this as a song at all but as a defense. But there is a history here that a simple English translation cannot give. You see songs in ancient times were really stories.
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One of the most popular, important, and celebrated gods or goddesses in Ancient Egypt was the goddess Hathor. She appeared in many different incarnations and was the consort of Ra and Horus. She was the goddess of joy, dancing, and music. In the Book of the Celestial Bovine, the story goes that when Ra was ruling the earth, the humans in the land of Mesopotamia began to plot against him. So Ra sent Hathor in an incarnated form of the goddess Sekhmet, a warrior goddess to destroy them. Her breath was said to have created the desert and she got so into the fight that she became bloodthirsty and she could not stop killing. Ra was so aghast at the slaughter that he poured large quantities of alcohol colored like blood on the ground. Thinking it was blood she began to drink it and became so drunk that she returned to her former gentle self. However, when she realized what she had done she was so ashamed that she did not return to Egypt. But many pleaded with her to return, so she did. Throughout much of the history of Egypt, her priestess would travel from town to town singing and dancing and encouraging everyone to join in the celebration of Hathor, the protector of Egypt who could perform great wonders.
You see they were singing songs about the accomplishments of Hathor, their goddess protector. The Egyptians claimed the stories of Hathor were their songs. Our modern Christian music tends to shorten lyrics such that they do not tell stories like our old hymns and Gospel songs use to do, so many in our younger generation may find it difficult to understand what it means that God is our song. But the children of Egypt now had a new song, a new story to tell. This story declared Egypt’s goddess Hathor returned but they would not for they had a different god one more powerful than Hator.
Maybe someday we will return to telling stories or testimonies about our God, but no matter what, God’s story or song, is our song, our story of deliverance and defense.
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WOW theme of the day, I went to Church [1st time in 2 months]
Hymn they sung as I took my seat, grabbed me for the first time:
it was the lyrics that reminded me of all the passages
I was studying for the week
Behold Our GOD #126
This is how you know it’s of GOD:
I randomly crack open the hymnal & guess what it was
exactly on hymn #126!! Yes exactly my thoughts, then
when I left after lunch at the Church, I have to drive
across 4 lanes into my neighbourhood, but there is
no lights only a crosswalk, guess WHO sent a couple
to hit the crosswalk just as I arrive at the ‘intersection’?
GOD! Two for two!
Anyways Hymn #126 goes like this:
WHO has held the oceans in HIS Hands?
WHO has #’d every grain of sand?
Kings & Nations tremble!!! at HIS Voice,
all creation rises to rejoice.
Behold our GOD seated on HIS Throne,
come let us adore HIM, behold our KING!
Nothing can compare,
come let us adore HIM! HIM!
[Men: You will reign forever]
FYI I randomly clicked on an old post by SpokenWord
an overview of the Book of Job.. cue LINE #2,
WHO has given counsel to the LORD?
WHO can question any of HIS Words?
WHO can fathom all HIS wondrous deeds…
Another FYI, GOD instructed me to give stuff away &
I kid you not, I was getting testy about it a day before,
not one minute later, I crack open a random book by
Charles Stanley & the page is literally was entitled:
HE Does All Things Well.
I laugh, yes HE does. But I was later looking at all
the things going to need some splaining, so I had
this horrible thought, O man, I have questions.
So the next day, I bargain with GOD, what is the point
of going to Church, they don’t get me, they have cushy
lives, they don’t have angst or hard instructions
Like a house of cards, boom, like one after another
BTW, I’m really spoiled by GOD, later while at dinner:
“I haven’t heard from GOD!” Like a phantom limb, you
know what I mean, HE is showering me with all these
good things non-stop & I’m whining about how I was
left somewhat orphaned for 6 weeks, but not even
obviously I don’t recall all the things GOD is doing in
a single day, unless I’m jotting it down for others to
hear about. WHICH reminds me of this concept of
the song & my problem with not being able to sing!!!
All my favourite meals & now this Hebrew devotional!
Oh and S3E8 The Chosen Psalm 77 for weeks I was
like—I can’t sing these songs why can’t we just focus
on the power of the words & read, not sing?
The most impactful rendering of a Psalm, please you
have to watch. GOD is so so incredible & I’m a moron
[please delete my other comment]
thanks beloved ones , interesting & spiritually growing posts. YAH bless U.
I cannot get any meaning out of a couple sentences near the end of this article. Starting with the words : but the children of Egypt had a new song, a new story to tell….
What does that next sentence mean? Or perhaps there is a mistake?
Amen.
Our God is the only One worthy of my song.
Can’t think how other songs used to made sense to me.
Issue crystallized.
Thanks
The first thing that comes to mind is the Song of Moses, which as far as I understand, is referred to in Revelation as the song which we will sing in the world to come. Is that derived from the same root word that you describe here? Anyway, there are so many Hebrew words that I am just learning of and the context in which they are spoken that are so vastly different than the typical transliterations. Can’t wait to read your book on the Aramaic that Yeshua and His disciples spoke to each other. My wife just shared a passage of Scripture this morning about the Greek speaking Jews complaining against those who spoke Hebrew, that their widows were being overlooked…Acts 6:1. Two languages were bad enough, so now we’re going to throw in Aramaic as well. Should be fun!
I like you I love the old hymns we grew up with You didn’t have to know how to read or be literate to know the saving grace and power of the blood you just had to sing the songs you learned in church services they were filled with the Word
Very interesting and sheds light on the “first nations” peoples of the world telling their history in songlines.
This was very educating. Thank you.
Loved this teaching. I thought about the Song of Moses, and how I have wanted to study it!!! I pray I can very soon!!!
Thanks for todays cermon!
Thank you for being an inspiration for my devotion time.