Tanak Foundations-Concepts in First Samuel-Part 9

In 1 Sam 13.1-4 tells us Saul was 40 years old when he began to reign, and he would reign for 40 years (Acts 13.21). Saul begins to build the nucleus for the first army and this was designed to hold the enemy until the full militia could be called up. Saul would pursue David with the militia.

Jonathan will smite the garrison of the Philistines in Geba (1 Sam 10 says they had a garrison there), also known as Gibeah, and the Philistines heard about it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land for the Israelites to hear what Jonathan was doing, and that the Philistines were gearing up for war again. The people were summoned to Gilgal. 1 Sam 13.5-7 says that the Philistines gathered an army against Israel, and the NASB has 30,000 chariots in verse 5, but this may mean that there were 30,000 men who fought in chariots, or, some sort of carriages, not chariots, were used. Some were used not as chariots but carriages for the baggage of the infantry, and to carry away the spoil of the Israelites after they had defeated them. Even if this was a copy error (“shelosh” or three to “sheloshim” or thirty) it is only 3000, but this is still too many chariots. Pharaoh only had 600, Jabin in Judges 4.3 only had 900. So, this number was including even the carriages it seems. They camped at Michmash (“hidden”), east of Beth-aven (“house of vanity or wealth”). When the people saw that there was a vast number of Philistines gathered against them, the people hid in caves, cliffs, pits and cellars. But Saul was in Gilgal with his army and they were “trembling.”

Saul waited in Gilgal for Samuel to come, but he did not come. The people were deserting the army every hour and Saul was getting a little nervous. So he called for the Korban Olah and the Korban Shelem to be brought to him to offer before the battle. And it came about as soon as he was finished offering the Korban Olah, Samuel came and Saul went out to meet him. Samuel asked him what he was doing, and Saul said he was losing his army by waiting seven days for Samuel to come, so he forced himself to offer the korbanot. We do not know whether Saul or a priest with him offered it.

Samuel said that he was commanded by the Lord to wait for Samuel. This showed Saul’s impatience and his lack of trust in what God told him and his disregard for Samuel. Saul is beginning to reveal his true character. He is acting foolishly. Now, the Lord was going to take the kingdom out of his family (1 Sam 16.7, Acts 13.22) and begin to seek out for himself a “man after his own heart” and this relates to knowledge and understanding, and setting his desire on the things of the Lord as seen in Jer 3.15. So, this would be a good time to look at some concepts that will help explain what this verse means when it says that Yehovah was looking for a “man after his own heart.”

In Hebrew thought, the heart (lev) was the stomach. We are going to see that the kidneys, bowels, spirit, soul, mind will be synonymous terms. They were seen as the seat of the intellect and thought, not the head (Exo 28.3). They were idioms for the person in the Artscroll Yom Kippur Machzor, p. 319; Luke 2.10; 1 Cor 7.34 and James 2.26. There are some who believe that the nature of man is two-fold, not three-fold. We know about the physical body, but what we are talking about is the second aspect.

The Nefesh is the essence of the person or living creature, or the soul. Gen 9.5 talks about the blood of your nefesh (soul). Gen 46.28 refers to the individual person. Exo 21.23 uses nefesh for life. Gen 6.17 uses “ruach” (spirit) as “life.” The word nefesh is used in regards to certain organs as the seat of certain psychological attributes.

The word “lev” means “heart” and it is the center of thought and conscience (1 Sam 24.5); love (Deut 6.5); anger (Deut 19.6); joy (Isa 30.29); hatred (Lev 19.17); lack of courage (Jer 48.41); imagination (Jer 23.16); sense (Prov 15.21); understanding (Prov 15.32). The “kidneys” is the Hebrew word “kilya’ot” and it refers to the emotions and “mind” in Jer 20.12, 17.10; Psa 16.7 and Jer 12.2. Kidneys or “kilya’ot” refers to the heart (lev) in Job 19.27 and “feelings” in Jer 11.20.

The word “me’ahim” refers to the “bowels” and is used in Lam 2.11 for “spirit.” It is the seat of overpowering feelings. Modern Bible versions substitute “heart” for bowels or kidneys in such a context (Lam 1.20, 2.11). Nefesh is the “mind” in 1 Chr 28.9 and “soul” in Deut 4.29. Ruach (spirit) is “mind” in 1 Chr 28.12, Isa 29.24 and Prov 29.11. Lev means “heart” but used for “mind” in 1 Sam 9.19, 10.9. Nefesh (soul) is “heart” in Deut 24.15 and Exo 23.9. Heart, mind, soul, spirit, kidneys, bowels and liver are synonymous terms. The idea is that the thought processes should “filter.” The word “kivod” means the “radiance and glory” of God. It is translated “soul” in Psa 16.9 and Psa 108.1.

Now, having this basic understanding will help interpret verses such as Heb 4.12 correctly where it says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and be able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The word for “division” there is “merismos” and in the Greek translation of the Tanak called the Septuagint (LXX) it means “to expose” so here it means “the exposition of the soul and spirit.” Here we see several Hebrew parallelisms using these concepts of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, thoughts and intentions.

We are discussing the fact that heart, mind, soul, spirit, kidney, bowels and liver are used interchangeably in the Scriptures. The heart and all the terms just listed are seen as the “person” and understanding and reasoning come from the heart. God was going to find a man like that to replace Saul. That is why Yehovah is going to do a “circumcision of the heart” implying mind, soul, spirit, kidneys, bowels and liver, or in other words the thoughts, intentions and desire of the person (Jer 31.33). So let’s look at more.

In Josh 23.14 heart (lev) and soul (nefesh) are used in a parallelism. Prov 17.22 says a joyful heart (lev) is good, but a broken spirit (ruach) is not. In Lam 2.11 it says, “My spirit (me’ay” or “bowels”) is greatly troubled; my heart (“kivedi” meaning “liver”) is poured out.” Matt 10.28 says that we are not to fear those that can kill the body, but not the soul (nefesh). This is an example of the two-fold nature of man. Eph 4.4 is another example where it says that there is “one body and one Spirit.”

Prov 2.10 says that wisdom will enter your heart (lev) and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul (nefesh), another parallelism. Exo 7.3 says that Yehovah hardened the heart (lev) of Pharaoh. In Deut 2.30 it says he hardened the spirit (ruach) of Sihon, which is the same thing. In Judges 10.16 “he” is used for “soul” (nefesh). In Judges 16.19 “strength” is used for “spirit” (ruach) and Deut 24.15 translates “heart” (lev) in English (KJV, NASB) for the Hebrew “soul” (nefesh). In Judges 16.16-17 it says that Samson’s “soul” (nefesh) was annoyed and he told all that was in his “heart” (lev).

In Jer 17.9-10 the heart (lev) is deceitful; the Lord searches the heart (lev) and will test the “mind” (“kilya’ot” meaning “kidneys”). 1 Cor 5.5 says that a person’s spirit (ruach) may be saved and it says the same thing as Heb 10.39 where it talks about the preservation of the soul (nefesh). Josh 5.1 says “their hearts (lev) melted and there was no spirit (ruach) in them.” Psa 51.10 says that God can create a clean heart (lev) and renew a right spirit (ruach). In Psa 51.17 it says that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit (ruach); a broken and contrite heart (lev) he will not despise, another parallelism.

In Ecc 12.7 it says that the spirit (ruach) returns to God, and the soul (nefesh) returns to life in Job 33.30, which basically says the same thing. Psa 31.5 says, “into your hands I commit my spirit” (ruach), and that his soul (nefesh) will not be abandoned in Psa 16.10. Ezek 18.4 says that the soul (nefesh) that sins will die, but in Matt 10.28 it says that you cannot kill the soul (nefesh). In Judges 16.25, heart (lev) is translated as “spirit” (ruach). Job 7.11 says, “I will speak in the anguish of my spirit (ruach), I will complain in the bitterness of my soul (nefesh).” This is another parallelism.

In Job 15.35 the Hebrew word for “belly” (bitanam) is translated as “mind.” Psa 16.7 says, “My mind (kilya’ot meaning kidneys) instructs me.” Why is kidneys used? Because the kidneys filter impurities. Luke 1.17 says, “In the spirit (ruach) of Elijah.” 2 Chr 6.37 says, “Take thought ” meaning “return to their heart (lev).” Ezra 1.1 says the Lord stirred up the spirit (ruach) of Cyrus. Neh 2.12 translates heart (lev) as “spirit” (ruach). 1 Sam 2.35 says, “But I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in my heart (lev) and in my soul (nefesh).” This is similar to what the Lord is looking for in our verse in 1 Sam 13.14.

1 Sam 30.6 has “embittered” as “bitter in soul” (nefesh) in Hebrew, then in v 12 it says his “spirit (ruach) revived.” In 1 Kings 21.5 it says a spirit (ruach) is sullen, but then in v 7 it says to let the heart (lev) be joyful. Psa 143.4 says, “My spirit (ruach) is overwhelmed within me and my heart (lev) is appalled within me.” Ezek 36.26 says God will put a new heart (lev) and a new spirit (ruach) within a believer. This is a parallelism.

Rev 2.23 says the Lord searches the minds (could be nefesh, ruach, kilya’ot or lev in Hebrew because they have all been translated as “mind”) and the hearts (lev) and it could be nefesh (soul), kilya’ot (kidneys) or meahim (bowels) in Hebrew. Prov 16.9 has “the mind (but in Hebrew it is “heart”=lev) of man plans his way.” Jer 4.19 has “my soul, my soul (“meah” meaning bowels)! I am in anguish in my heart (lev).” Jer 15.1 is translated, “My heart (“nefesh” or soul in Hebrew) would not be with this people.” Jer 20.12 says that God sees the mind (kilya’ot meaning kidneys) and the heart (lev), another parallelism.

Jer 32.41 says, “With all my heart (lev) and all my soul (nefesh)” in another parallelism. Ecc 12.7 says that the dust (the body) will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit (ruach) will return to God who gave it. This verse shows the two natures of man. Lam 3.20-21 says that “Surely my soul (nefesh) remembers; this I will recall to my mind (“lev” meaning heart in Hebrew).” This is another parallelism. Ezek 18.31 says, “to make yourselves a new heart (lev) and a new spirit (ruach)” in another parallelism. Phil 1.27 says, “I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit (ruach) with one mind” (could be translated with any of the other words we have shown because they are all synonymous) in a Hebrew parallelism.

This is just a small sample of this concept alluded to in 1 Sam 13.14. God was going to find a man after his own heart, mind, soul, spirit, kidneys, bowels or liver. This concept teaches that the “heart” was the “stomach” and understanding and reasoning comes from the heart, not the head. The circumcision of the heart is used to describe this, but it relates to the mind, soul, spirit, kidneys, bowels and liver because all of these were seen as synonymous terms in Hebrew thought.

1 Sam 13.15-23 has several concepts to pick up on. Again, the Philistines were harassing Israel, but Israel had no real weapons. No blacksmiths could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines feared they would make weapons, so they were disarmed. This was like ancient “gun control.” So Israel had to go to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, axes or hoes. On the day of battle coming up, there were no swords found in the hands of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but they were the only ones with swords or spears. The people will use slings and other things, but there were only two swords in the whole army (13.22).

In Part 10 we will pick up here.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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