Template:Altars of stone
Altars of stone
- “And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.” Exodus 20:25-26
The Hebrew word rigmah [המגר][1] is translated into council in Psalms 68[2], but actually means literally a “heap of stones”, or “gathering of stones”.[1]
It is from the Hebrew word Regem [םגר] which means friend[3] and is the same three letters of ragam [םגר] defined stone.[4]
Both words have as a common origin [בגר] regeb which means a clod (of earth).[5]
Why would the same letters and word for stone also mean friend?
And why would a council of men be represented by the word for a gathering of stones?
The idea that the term for stone might represent a man or that a gathering of stones might compose a living altar of men or a living stone temple should be a readily acceptable metaphor.
- “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
Were the altars of clay and stone always meant as metaphors for men who gather for a particular purpose?
Of we read these words in context what are these altars really about and what purpose do they serve?
Was Abraham able to raise an army over night to defeat invaders because the people burned up sheep on altars?
How does that bind people together?
Have we been deceived through Sophistry?
There are several chapters in the book Thy Kingdom Comes that deal with the sacrifices on stone and earth altars. An altar of earth was simply a metaphor for each family being a living altar of earth. The word earth here is from adamah which is also translated “husbandman”. This adamah is the red earth from which Adam was made. The sons of Adam are to be the husbandmen of the earth and commanded to “dress it and keep it”.
In our modern language we may express someone's character as rock solid, or ask what metal a man is made of. No one imagines that someone is actually made of stone or metal. These are simply metaphors.
In Hebrew the four letter word for naked, aruwm(םורע)[6] is also seen as aruwm(םורע)[7] but translated prudent, crafty, subtle.
So what does the word aruwm mean, naked or prudent?
It is from the word ‘aram [עָרַם][8] which is translated subtilty, crafty, prudent, beware, very, and craftiness, but also is translated gathered together and heap.
How do we determine what these words mean if they may have so many different meanings?
Is there a key to understanding the meaning of these words?
Who can tell us?
How can we know?
Have we been left clues to assist us in unraveling the mysteries of language and words written thousands of years ago?
Who will reveal the truth in the written text?
We know the Pharisees did not understand the scriptures correctly, though they were fluent in Hebrew.
Who wrote their dictionaries and defined the terms of their text?
The Hebrew language is full of symbols, metaphors and conceptual imagery. All languages are ways to represent ideas with symbols.
Is there a clue in the symbols that form the words?
Unlike the languages of the West, Hebrew letters have meaning, and those meanings are used to produce the words themselves. This is not possible with any language based upon a phonetic alphabet. Most alphabets, unlike Hebrew, are designed to represent sounds not ideas.
If a clod of clay can be a man and a stone can be a friend and gathering of stones can be a council of men then what does it mean to build an Altar of stones not hewn?
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 07277 רִגְמָה rigmah [rig-maw’] ReishGimelMemHey from the same as 07276 רֶגֶם Regem meaning "friend"; n f; [BDB-920b] [{See TWOT on 2114 @@ "2114a" }] AV-council 1; 1
- 1) heap (of stones)
- 1a) of crowd (fig)
- 1) heap (of stones)
- ↑ Psalms 68:27 "There [is] little Benjamin [with] their ruler, the princes of Judah [and] their council <07277>, the princes of Zebulun, [and] the princes of Naphtali."
- ↑ 07276 רֶגֶם Regem [reh’-gem] from 07275 רָגַם ragam stone or even certainly; n pr m; [BDB-920b] [{See TWOT on 2114 }] AV-Regem 1; 1
- Regem= "friend"
- 1) son of Jahdai and descendant of Caleb
- ↑ 07275 רָגַם ragam [raw-gam’] a primitive root [compare 07263 (רֶגֶב regeb clod of clay), 07321(^עור^ ruwa‘ to shout, raise a sound, cry out,), 07551(רָקַם raqam mix color) and 07276 ( רֶגֶם Regem meaning "friend")?]; v; [BDB-920b] [{See TWOT on 2114 }] AV-stone 15, certainly 1; 16
- 1) to stone, slay or kill by stoning
- 1a) (Qal) to stone
- See 7277 rigmah council;
- 1) to stone, slay or kill by stoning
- ↑ 07263 רֶגֶב regeb [reh’-gheb] from an unused root meaning to pile together; n m; [BDB-918b] [{See TWOT on 2111 @@ "2111a" }] AV-clod 2; 2
- 1) clod (of earth)
- ↑ 06174 עָרוֹם ‘arowm [aw-rome’] orערם ‘arom [aw-rome’]from 06191 subtle, crafty (in its original sense); adj; [BDB-736a] [{See TWOT on 1588 @@ "1588c" }] AV-naked 16; 16
- 1) naked, bare
- ↑ 06175 AyinReishVavMem עָרוּם ‘aruwm [aw-room’] pass. part. of 06191 עָרַם v be shrewd, be crafty; adj; [BDB-791a] [{See TWOT on 1698 @@ "1698c" }] AV-prudent 8, crafty 2, subtil 1; 11
- 1) subtle, shrewd, crafty, sly, sensible
- 1a) crafty
- 1b) shrewd, sensible, prudent
- ע Ayin also U. Divine Providence "eye" or "fountain" of five states of kindness or severity. AlefYodNun or nothingness as opposed to AlefShin something [eye, watch] (Numeric value: 70)
- ר Reish Process of Clarification The "head" or "beginning". Life's revelation. [Head... Person head highest] (Numeric value: 200)
- ו Vav Connection, Connecting realms and worlds or the dividing veil between them. [nail... And, Add, secure, hook] (Numeric value: 6)
- מ ם Mem Fountain of water, a flow, a fountain of the Divine Wisdom [massive, overpower chaos] (Numeric value: 40)
- 1) subtle, shrewd, crafty, sly, sensible
- ↑ 06191 עָרַם ‘aram [aw-ram’] a primitive root; v; [BDB-791a] [{See TWOT on 1698 }] AV-subtilty 1, crafty 1, prudent 1, beware 1, very 1; 5
- 1) to be subtle, be shrewd, be crafty, beware, take crafty counsel, be prudent
- 1a) (Qal) to be crafty, be subtle
- 1b) (Hiphil) to be crafty, be or become shrewd
- 1) to be subtle, be shrewd, be crafty, beware, take crafty counsel, be prudent