New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

Deuteronomy

Note Journal Prayer

19

:

5

“

as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies-- he may flee to one of these cities and live;

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
as when who, which, that Particle H834 וַאֲשֶׁר֩ va·'a·sher
[a man] goes to come in, come, go in, go Verb H935 יָבֹ֨א ya·vo
into the forest wood, forest, thicket Noun H3293 בַיַּעַר֮ vai·ya·'ar
with his friend friend, companion, fellow Noun H7453 רֵעֵ֥הוּ re·'e·hu
to cut to cut or gather wood Verb H2404 לַחְטֹ֣ב lach·tov
wood, tree, trees, wood Noun H6086 עֵצִים֒ e·tzim
and his hand hand Noun H3027 יָדֹ֤ו ya·dov
swings to impel, thrust, banish Verb H5080 וְנִדְּחָ֨ה ve·nid·de·chah
the axe an axe Noun H1631 בַגַּרְזֶן֙ vag·gar·zen
to cut down to cut off, cut down Verb H3772 לִכְרֹ֣ת lich·rot
the tree, tree, trees, wood Noun H6086 הָעֵ֔ץ ha·'etz,
and the iron iron Noun H1270 הַבַּרְזֶל֙ hab·bar·zel
[head] slips off to slip or drop off, draw off, clear away Verb H5394 וְנָשַׁ֤ל ve·na·shal
the handle tree, trees, wood Noun H6086 הָעֵ֔ץ ha·'etz,
and strikes to attain to, find Verb H4672 וּמָצָ֥א u·ma·tza
his friend friend, companion, fellow Noun H7453 רֵעֵ֖הוּ re·'e·hu
so that he dies-- to die Verb H4191 וָמֵ֑ת va·met;
he may flee to flee, escape Verb H5127 יָנ֛וּס ya·nus
to one one Adjective H259 אַחַ֥ת a·chat
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
of these these Pronoun H428 הָאֵ֖לֶּה ha·'el·leh
cities city, town Noun H5892 הֶעָרִים־ he·'a·rim-
and live; to live H2421    

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies-- he may flee to one of these cities and live;
King James Bible as As when a man goes goeth into the forest wood with his friend neighbour to cut hew wood, and his hand swings fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off slippeth from the handle helve, and strikes lighteth upon his friend so neighbour, that he dies-- die; he may shall flee to unto one of these cities those cities, and live;live:
Hebrew Greek English as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies-- he may flee to one of these cities and live;