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Colossians

Note Journal Prayer

4

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6

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Let your speech be always in grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how it behooves you to answer each one.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
speech A word, speech, divine utterance, analogy. N-NMS H3056 λόγος logos
[be] always Always, at all times, ever. Adv H3842 πάντοτε pantote
grace, (a) grace, as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ, (b) favor, (c) gratitude, thanks, (d) a favor, kindness. N-DFS H5485 χάριτι chariti
in In, on, among. V-RPM/P-NMS H741 ἠρτυμένος ērtumenos
with salt, Salt. N-DNS H217 ἅλατι alati
how How, in what manner, by what means. Adv H4459 πῶς pōs
it behooves It is necessary, inevitable; less frequently: it is a duty, what is proper. V-PIA-3S H1163 δεῖ dei
to answer To answer, reply, take up the conversation. V-PNM/P H611 ἀποκρίνεσθαι apokrinesthai
each Each (of more than two), every one. Adj-DMS H1538 ἑκάστῳ ekastō
one. One. Adj-DMS H1520 ἑνὶ eni
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

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
Berean Bible Let your speech be always in grace, having been seasoned with salt, to know how it behooves you to answer each one.
King James Bible Let your speech be always in alway with grace, having been seasoned with salt, to that ye may know how it behooves you ye ought to answer each one.every man.
Hebrew Greek English Let your speech be always in be with grace, having been as though seasoned with salt, to so that you will know how it behooves you should respond to answer each one.person.
New American Standard Bible 1995 Let your speech be always in be with grace, having been as though seasoned with salt, to so that you will know how it behooves you should respond to answer each one.person.