Know it. Love it. Live it.

The Word

Definition.

A unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. <Dictionary.com>

A speech sound or series of speech sounds that symbolizes and communicates a meaning usually without being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use. <Merriam-Webster>

In Relation to God

The Bible

1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 “Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.”

Jesus Christ

John 1:1–4 “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”

John 1:14 “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”

John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”

Know the Word

Definition

1. To perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty: I know the situation fully.

2. To understand from experience or attainment (usually followed by how before an infinitive): to know how to make gingerbread.

Love the Word

Hello

Live the Word

Hello 2

Reference

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (848 יָדַע)

848 יָדַע (yādaʿ) know. (RSV, ASV similar.)

Derivatives

848a דֵַּע (dēaʿ) knowledge, opinion.

848b דֵּעָה (dēʿâ) knowledge.

848c דַּעַת (daʿat) knowledge.

848d יִדְּעֹנִי (yiddĕʿōnî) familiar spirit.

848e מוֹדַע (môdaʿ), מֹדַע (mōdaʿ) relative.

848f מֹדַעַת (mōdaʿat) kindred, kinship, only in Ruth 3:2.

848g מַדָּע (maddāʿ) knowledge.

848h מַדּוַּע (maddûaʿ), מַדַֻּע (maddūaʿ) why?

This root, occurring a total of 944 times, is used in every stem and expresses a multitude of shades of knowledge gained by the senses. Its closest synonyms are bîn “to discern” and nākar “to recognize.” The root is found in Akkadian, Ugaritic, and the Qumran materials. In addition to “know,” the KJV uses the archaic forms “wot” and “wist.”

yādaʿ is used of God’s knowledge of man (Gen 18:19; Deut 34:10) and his ways (Isa 48:8; Ps 1:6; 37:18), which knowledge begins even before birth (Jer 1:5). God also knows the fowl (Ps 50:11).

yādaʿ is also used for man’s knowledge and for that of animals (Isa 1:3).

The participle occurs in phrases describing skill in hunting (Gen 25:27), learning (Isa 29:11–13), lamentation (Amos 5:16), sailing the sea (II Chr 8:18), and playing an instrument (I Sam 16:16).

In certain contexts it means “to distinguish.” “To know good and evil” (Gen 3:5, 22) is the result of disobeying God. To distinguish between these is necessary for the king (II Sam 19:36). A child cannot distinguish between the left and right hands (Jon 4:11) nor between good and evil (Deut 1:39; Isa 7:15). The context of the latter passage and the similar statement in Isa 8:4 may indicate that the reference is to a child’s not being able to distinguish what is beneficial and harmful. While ordinarily gained by experience, knowledge is also the contemplative perception possessed by the wise man (Prov 1:4; 2:6; 5:2; Eccl 1:18).

yādaʿ is used to express acquaintance with a person in such statements as “do you know Laban?” (Gen 29:5; Ex 1:8; II Sam 3:25). The Pual participle designates kinfolk (II Kgs 10:11, etc.) and acquaintances (Job 19:14; Ruth 2:1, etc.).

yādaʿ is also used for the most intimate acquaintance. God knows Moses by name and face to face (Ex 33:17; Deut 34:10). He knows the Psalmist’s sitting and arising (Ps 139:2).

yādaʿ is also used for sexual intercourse on the part of both men and women in the well-known euphemism “Adam knew Eve his wife” and its parallels (Gen 4:1; 19:8; Num 31:17, 35; Jud 11:39; 21:11; I Kgs 1:4; I Sam 1:19). It is used to describe sexual perversions such as sodomy (Gen 19:5; Jud 19:22) and rape (Jud 19:25).

In addition to knowledge of secular matters yādaʿ is also used of one’s relation to the divine, whether acquaintance with other gods (Deut 13:3, 7, 14) or with Jehovah (I Sam 2:12; 3:7). The heathen do not know God (Jer 10:25) and neither does Israel, according to the prophets (Jer 4:22). The plagues of Egypt were sent so that the Egyptians might know that Jehovah is God (Ex 10:2, etc.). He will destroy (Ezk 6:7) and restore Israel so that they may know that he is God (Isa 60:16). The prophet Ezekiel, in particular, uses the phrase “that you may know” in his threats (Ezk 6:7, 10, 13, 14; 7:4, 9, 27, etc.).

דֵּעָה (dēʿâ). Knowledge. This feminine noun is translated gnōsis in the LXX, and scientia in the Vulgate. The Lord is a God of all knowledge (Job 36:4; I Sam 2:3). The wicked question his knowledge (Ps 73:11). He is the object of man’s knowledge, and Isaiah envisions an earth full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isa 11:9). The prophet preaches knowledge (Isa 28:9) and the ideal ruler rules by it (Jer 3:15). The noun may be only another form of daʿat (see below). The masculine noun dēaʿ is quite similar.

דַּעַת (daʿat). Knowledge, cunning (ASV and RSV similar). This feminine noun is from the root yādaʿ “to know.” The root expresses knowledge gained in various ways by the senses. The noun occurs ninety-three times in the Old Testament, most frequently in the wisdom literature, with forty-one instances in Prov, ten in Job, and nine in Eccl. It is used forty-two times in the Qumran materials and is also used in Ugaritic and Akkadian.

daʿat is a general term for knowledge, particularly that which is of a personal, experimental nature (Prov 24:5). It is also used for technical knowledge or ability such as that needed for building the tabernacle and temple (Ex 31:3; 35:31; I Kgs 7:14). daʿat is also used for discernment (Ps 119:66). Both deeds committed unintentionally (Deut 4:42; 19:4; Josh 20:3, 5; bĕlîdaʾat) and mistaken opinions are “without knowledge” (lōʾ daʿat, Prov 19:2).

daʿat is possessed by God (Job 10:7; Ps 139:6; Prov 3:20), from whom nothing can be hidden (Ps 139:1–18). He teaches it to man (Ps 94:10; 119:66; Prov 2:6). It appears parallel with wisdom (ḥōkmâ) and understanding (tĕbûnâ), instruction (mûsār), and law (tôrâ). Wisdom is used in series with “science” (maddāʿ, Dan 1:4) and is the opposite of “folly” (ʾiwwelet, Prov 12:23; 13:16; 14:18; 15:2). Hence daʿat is the contemplative perception of the wise man (Prov 1:4; 2:6; 5:2; Eccl 1:18).

daʿat is also used for moral cognition. Thus the tree in the Garden of Eden was a tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:9, 17). By eating its fruit man came to know in a way comparable to the knowledge of God (see above). This important reference may also be taken as the figure of speech known as merism to indicate objective awareness of all things both good and bad. In this sense the sinful pain did become like God (Gen 3:22). Cassuto says, “Before they ate of the tree of knowledge, the man and his wife were like small children who know nought of what exists round them” (U. Cassuto, Genesis, vol. I, p. 112).

Particularly distinctive is the prophetic concept of “knowledge of God” (daʿatʾ ĕlōhîm) which is particularly prominent in Hosea (4:1, 6; 6:6; cf. Prov 2:5). Knowledge of God is derived from those outstanding historical events in which God has evidenced and has revealed himself to chosen individuals such as Abraham and Moses. These revelations are to be taught to others. “Knowledge of God” appears in parallel with “fear of the Lord” (yirʾat YW Isa 11:2: cf. 58:2; Jer 22:16) as a description of true religion. The man who has a right relation with God confesses him and obeys him. To do justice and righteousness and to judge the cause of the poor and the needy is to know God (Jer 22:15–16). On the other hand where there is no knowledge of God there is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, committing adultery and breaking all bonds (Hos 4:1–2). Such will bring destruction upon a people (Hos 4:6; cf. Isa 5:13). Knowledge of God is more pleasing to him than sacrifice (Hos 6:6). The prophetic view of the messianic age is of a time in which the knowledge of God covers the earth as water covers the sea (Hab 2:14; cf. Isa 11:9).

יִדְּעֹנִי (yiddĕʿōnî). Wizard (KJV and some modern translations): fortune-teller (Berkeley Version, NAB); familiar spirit (JPS, NEB); spirit (NEB, NAB); magician (JB); and sorcerer (JB). Since the root of yiddĕʿōnî is the verb yādaʿ “to know,” implied in the title, therefore, is esoteric knowledge not available to the ordinary person.

yiddĕʿōnî always occurs parallel to ʾôb (witch, q.v.). It may be a description of an ʾôb or it may be the masculine counterpart. (Similarly, “witch” and “wizard” are a feminine and masculine pair in English.) As the Hebrew word yiddĕʿōnî is related to knowledge, so the English word “wizard” is related to wisdom.

God forbad his people to consult the yiddĕʿōnî (Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deut 18:11) as well as other diviners. Despite the fact that Saul outlawed them, he still consulted an ʾôb “spirit” according to I Sam 28. How the Israelite kings dealt with these spiritists was a significant factor in characterizing the king as good or evil (II Kgs 21:6; 23:24; II Chr 33:6). Isaiah spoke of them with utter scorn (8:19; 19:3).

מֹדַע (mōdaʿ). Kinsman. The LXX follows the Kethib, rendering this feminine noun as gnōrismos “acquaintance,” from a Piel participial form. The Vulgate and English versions follow, the context where Boaz is a kinsman (Ruth 2:1; cf. 2:20; 3:2, 12; 4:3).

mōdaʿ is used figuratively in Prov 7;4, paralleling sister, to describe wisdom.

מֹדַעַת (mōdaʿat). Kindred, kinsman. The LXX renders this feminine noun as gnorismos “acquaintance,” but the Vulgate translates propinquus “kindred.” The English versions follow the Vulgate and context (Ruth 3:2; cf. 2:20; 4:3). For the Levirate marriage custom, see Gen 38; Deut 25;5; Mt 22:23, and cf. yābam.

מַדַּע (maddaʿ). Knowledge, science, thought. This masculine noun is used in contexts with wisdom (ḥokmâ). Solomon’s request was for wisdom and knowledge (II Chr 1:10–12). The Hebrew children surpassed others in knowledge (Dan 1:4, 7; KJV and ASV, “science”; RSV, “learning”). It is paralleled with that done in secret, hence “thought” (Eccl 10:20). It also occurs in Sir 3:13; 13:8.

J.P.L.

מַדּוַּע (maddûaʿ). Why? wherefore? on what account? (ASV and RSV are similar.) BDB and KB suggest that it is a contraction of mâ yadûaʿ “what being known,” i.e. “from what motive.” It is variously translated in the LXX by tı́s, dia tı́, hı́na tı́, hı́na tı́ toûto, tı́ hotı́, hôs tı́. Hence, this interrogative adverb is used to inquire about a motive (cf. Gen 26:27), as an indirect question (cf. Ex 3:3), or as a rhetorical device, as in Isa 5:4f., “When I looked for good grapes, why did it only yield bad?” (NIV).

Bibliography: Baumann, E., “yadaʿ und seine Derivate,” ZAW 28:25–41, 110–41. Davies, T. W., Magic, Divination and Demonology, reprint, KTAV, 1969. Dentan, Robert C., The Knowledge of God in Ancient Israel, Seabury, 1968. McKenzie John L., “Knowledge of God in Hosea,” JBL 74:23ff. Piper, O. A., “Knowledge,” in IDB, pp. 42–44. Richardson, TWB, pp. 121–22. Thomas, D.W., “Additional Notes on the Root ydʿ in Hebrew,” JTS 15:54–57. TDOT, I, pp. 696–703. THAT, I, pp. 682–700.