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Gospel of Matthew, Ch. 5
King James Bible Online ^

Posted on 02/19/2018 2:22:52 PM PST by Faith Presses On

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.


TOPICS: General Discusssion
KEYWORDS: matthew
The first of three chapters in Matthew containing the Sermon on the Mount. I've read different views on whether or not we as Christians have to basically live up to what's in the Sermon on the Mount. How much is it something for Christians to live by, versus the view that Jesus preached this sermon to show the people that they were still not righteous in God's eyes or truly fulfilling the laws as they believed themselves to be. Commands like the one to love our enemies are found or suggested in other places in the New Testament.

Heavenly Father, help us to hear your Word better. Amen.

1 posted on 02/19/2018 2:22:52 PM PST by Faith Presses On
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To: Faith Presses On

Jesus also said: ...and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
If you do this, don’t you also fulfill the Sermon on the Mount?


2 posted on 02/19/2018 2:55:52 PM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll eventually get what you deserve)
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To: Faith Presses On
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

That sets the bar WAAAYYY higher than just obeying the Ten Commandments.

Jesus addresses our very heart.

And while some people do have the strength of will to be outwardly Law keepers, not a one of us can say that about our hearts.

3 posted on 02/19/2018 3:08:32 PM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: philetus

No doubt you will, but who can do that?


4 posted on 02/19/2018 3:09:36 PM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: metmom

No one and I didn’t mean to sound like I thought someone could. I am saved by Faith and everything else I do my best.


5 posted on 02/19/2018 4:08:54 PM PST by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll eventually get what you deserve)
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To: philetus
No one and I didn’t mean to sound like I thought someone could.

I didn't think that you meant that.

6 posted on 02/19/2018 7:24:28 PM PST by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: Faith Presses On; Bellflower
The law of heaven is the law of conscience, the higher law:

Strict observance of the Torah precepts does not necessarily lead to the highest religious fulfillment; for this a higher moral law – din shamayim, the law of conscience – is necessary. According to the Torah, a thief is a thief; but according to din shamayim a clear distinction must be made between a man who steals bread out of hunger and a rich man who steals in order to further enrich himself. This does not mean that the laws of the Torah should be abandoned; a pious man however should try to transcend them and follow a higher spiritual and moral law.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ethical-literature

The Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount (anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: Sermo in monte) is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7).[1][2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount

Mount - mountain, i.e. the higher place.

More allusions to Joseph in this, as adherence to the higher moral law (in the belly of the beast, Egypt no less) is why Joseph the son of Jacob is known as Joseph ha-Tzaddik, Joseph the Righteous.

Joseph the father of Jesus was called a just man, that is, a tzaddik. Furthermore, the specific reason he was willing to put away Mary was for the sake of fornication, as stated in the higher moral law, which is why he was informed via a dream that Mary didn't do that.

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery...

Matthew 1

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

From all appearances, Mary had been up to no good. And even at that, Joseph was not interested in openly shaming her, but only motivated toward quietly divorcing her.

The Din Shamayim, the Law of Heaven, there it is right there at the point in the narrative about the conception, what is conceived and brought forth.

In Jesus is the Din Shamayim, the Law that saves, which is why he has that name in the first place.

Joseph fulfilled the Law of Heaven by his whole attitude (love) toward Mary, even while he thought she was guilty of cheating on him. That same character trait (mercy) can be found in David, and also Rachel, the quintessential mother of Israel, famous in Jewish tradition for her mercy.

Note the birth location: Bethlehem. The same place where Rachel's soul 'went out' David and Jesus were born.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

7 posted on 02/19/2018 8:30:36 PM PST by Ezekiel (All who mourn(ed!) the destruction of America merit the celebration of her rebirth.)
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To: Faith Presses On

Perhaps He was explaining why we needed Him to die for our sins - He lived under the Old Covenant and had to be obedient to it. If we could live up to the Law, why would He have had to die on the Cross?


8 posted on 02/20/2018 2:30:22 AM PST by trebb (I stopped picking on the mentally ill hypocrites who pose as conservatives...mostly ;-})
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To: philetus

I would say so, if we can be that loving towards other people. The Sermon on the Mount explains to us what’s involved in doing that.


9 posted on 02/21/2018 1:37:32 PM PST by Faith Presses On (Above all, politics should serve the Great Commission, "preparing the way for the Lord.")
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To: metmom

Yes, so true. We do now have Christ living is us, but even so our old nature is always at work against Him. The only way we can truly begin, though, to love our enemies and do things like that as we imperfectly do is having Him within Him.


10 posted on 02/21/2018 1:58:33 PM PST by Faith Presses On (Above all, politics should serve the Great Commission, "preparing the way for the Lord.")
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To: Ezekiel

Interesting. I’ve never heard of Joseph ha-Tzaddik or din shamayim, either. That’s so interesting about the mountain and the higher law, too. And I didn’t recall that, that that was where Rachel died (that’s funny, 3 thats in a row). Thank you for the background.


11 posted on 02/21/2018 2:13:04 PM PST by Faith Presses On (Above all, politics should serve the Great Commission, "preparing the way for the Lord.")
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To: trebb

Yes, I do believe He was explaining that. Like today, many people feel that they’re “good people” who deserve Heaven if they don’t murder anyone or steal, and “do their best.”


12 posted on 02/21/2018 2:17:30 PM PST by Faith Presses On (Above all, politics should serve the Great Commission, "preparing the way for the Lord.")
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To: Faith Presses On
I am happy you found my post useful. These are simple concepts, really - the higher law being the law of conscience, how we think and not just do. Also that Joseph is known as Joseph "the righteous" for that reason. Same as appears in the NT, with all the allusions to the Torah narrative.

What I mean is, Joseph the carpenter (builder, craftsman) was called the same, the just man. He also mysteriously drops out of sight after Jesus was tracked down in the Temple at age 12, when Jesus said that he was about his father's business. As if, where else would you find me? The kid was a total buff. Like father (Father), like son. It stands to reason that he was big into all the details, because the teachers in the Temple were quite impressed with his understanding and answers. You have to figure that his questions were way more in depth than, "What's that over there?"

In any case, Joseph vanishes from the storyline completely and what happened, everyone "studying" the Scriptures assumed that he must have died.

Fast forward to the Crucifixion. Suddenly a "new guy" appears on the scene, appealing to Pilate for the body: Joseph of Arimathaea ("heights"). He was also described as a just man. He was also very wealthy.

Matthew 27

57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea ["heights"], named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Luke 23

50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just [tzaddik]:
51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.
52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

Joseph the righteous craftsman disappeared from the story when Jesus was 12. Then 21 or 22 years later, when Jesus was around 33 or 34, a wealthy Joseph claimed the body and placed it in his own new tomb. Now I am not saying this was the same physical man (but who knows), but that the parallels to the original Joseph are quite striking. Nobody recognized Joseph, who had become not only a wealthy man, but ruler over all of Egypt.

Joseph was 17 when he was sold into Egypt. He appeared in front of Pharaoh at age 30, at which time he explained the run of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph was reunited with his father when there were yet five years left of the famine, so this was two years into it. 30 + 7 + 2 = age 39, meaning 22 years' separation. We don't have exact months/dates so there is some room here such that these timelines should connect.

This is simply information that is in the plain text. It barely scratches the surface. Noone would ever run out of material in a million lifetimes, so a person should stop to consider what's with all the same repetitive babble (Babel) sold year after year in the religious marketplace? Let the dead bury their own dead.

13 posted on 02/22/2018 7:58:33 AM PST by Ezekiel (All who mourn(ed!) the destruction of America merit the celebration of her rebirth.)
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To: Faith Presses On; Bellflower
I should have described the religious marketplace as an emporium, a house of merchandize.

Joseph had a price tag put on him as well. He was snatched up and then brought down to Egypt, like how birds gobble up seeds and then deposit them far from the original plant.

Hear the parable of the sower. It explains why "Joseph is yet alive..", in spite of appearances.

14 posted on 02/22/2018 8:09:44 AM PST by Ezekiel (All who mourn(ed!) the destruction of America merit the celebration of her rebirth.)
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To: Faith Presses On

The Sermon on the Mount. 1* When he saw the crowds,* he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2He began to teach them, saying:

The Beatitudes*3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,*
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.a
4* Blessed are they who mourn,b
for they will be comforted.

5* Blessed are the meek,c
for they will inherit the land.

6Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,*
for they will be satisfied.

7Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.d
8* Blessed are the clean of heart,e
for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,*
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.f
11Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.g 12* Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.h Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Similes of Salt and Light.* 13i
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.* 14You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.j 15Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.k 16Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.l

Teaching About the Law. 17*
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.m 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.* 20I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Teaching About Anger.*
21“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,n ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’* 22* But I say to you, whoever is angry* with his brother will be liable to judgment,o and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. 23Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,p 24leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.q Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

Teaching About Adultery.
27* “You have heard that it was said,r ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29* If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.s It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

Teaching About Divorce.
31* “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’t 32But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.u

Teaching About Oaths.
33* v “Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’ 34w But I say to you, do not swear at all;* not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37* Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.

Teaching About Retaliation.
38* “You have heard that it was said,x ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39y But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 40If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 41Should anyone press you into service for one mile,* go with him for two miles.z 42Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.a

Love of Enemies.*

43
b “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’c

44
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

45
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

46
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors* do the same?

47
And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?*

48
So be perfect,* just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

http://usccb.org/bible/matthew/5d


15 posted on 02/22/2018 8:41:48 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Faith Presses On; All
Some Basics on the Beatitudes
Blessed are the Pure of Heart – A Reflection on an Often Misunderstood Beatitude and Virtue
Becoming the Beatitudes – A Lenten Meditation on the Gift of the Life Jesus Died to Give Us
Pope at Mass: Christian consolation and the law of the truly free

Happiness: Blessed are Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness (Part 3)
Happiness: The first three Beatitudes (Part 2)
Happiness: Ancient and Modern Concepts of Happines (Part 1)
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake
Learning the beatitudes during Lent -- use your Rosary to learn the Beatitutdes [Catholic Caucus]
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are the Peacemakers [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are the Merciful
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
The Beatitudes: Blessed are the Meek

The Beatitudes: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
The Beatitudes: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
The Beatitudes
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 8 Beatitudes
The Beatitudes: Generosity and Happiness
Beatitudes by Bishop Fulton Sheen
Happiness of Sacrifice
The Danger of Spiritual Sloth [Reflection on The Beatitudes]
Satan's version of the sermon on the mount [Difficult read]
The Eight Beatitudes

16 posted on 02/22/2018 8:42:48 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Ezekiel
The name Rachel does have to do with ewes (the female sheep, also a figure of the wife, being female). Ewes travel about. The name Rachel is from an unused root meaning to journey. Everything about Rachel, Joseph, and their descendants is about traveling into far away places (Rachel was even buried by a highway signifying travel, Leah being buried with Jacob), gentile places, being planted, and growing into great numbers.

I believe that we are Rachel's namesake. We are the lost, even forgotten Israelites, who were scattered and planted into different lands. The LORD according to His promises gathers us back to Himself in various ways, into His Church (the bribe), and into His Kingdom after the tribulation. Leah, Judah, represents the groom, Jesus Christ. Rachel, the Northern Kingdoms, the Church, Christ's bride. Also, I believe that when Noah received his prophesy about his sons being that Japheth would dwell in Shems tents, and Ham would be their servant, to signify that Japheth would dwell in Shems tents, not being his servant, but the only other way, as his wife.

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend) רָחֵל râchêl, raw-kale'; from an unused root meaning to journey; a ewe [the females being the predominant element of a flock] (as a good traveller):—ewe, sheep

Genesis 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

17 posted on 02/22/2018 6:20:53 PM PST by Bellflower (Who dares believe Jesus. He says absolutely amazing things, which few dare consider.)
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To: Bellflower
While a literal etymology "dead ends" on that note, having the same meaning across the spectrum of related languages, the journeying concept follows through when Rachel's soul "went out":

Gen 35

18. And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died, that she called his name Benoni; but his father called him Benjamin:
19. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath [fruitfulness], which [she] is Beth-Lehem:

Ben-oni, "son of my strength".

The soul is spiritual. It goes out and up. I've already got much posted around here about the whole bakery (house of bread) concept of the sense of smell and reyach (scent) - ruach (spirit).

On the way to fruitfulness:

John 12

23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Rachel Imenu, the quintessential mother of Israel

Isa 54

1 Sing, O barren, you who did not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not labor with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the Lord:
2. Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations; spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes:
3. For you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left; and your seed shall possess nations, and make desolate cities to be inhabited:
4. Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded; for you shall not be put to shame; for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more:
5. For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and your redeemer the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the earth:
6. For the Lord has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, but a wife of youth, Can she be rejected? says your God:
7. For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercy will I gather you:
8. In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says the Lord your redeemer:

Joseph himself was 'trans'planted in Egypt

Genesis 45

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

People tend to think of Biblical seed as descendants and that's about it. But the direct analogy for women doesn't biologically hold, kind of a mixed metaphor. I find value in contemplating garden seeds, e.g. forget-me-nots, "zichrini" in Hebrew, which is positive: "remember me":

Genesis 30

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

Forget-me-nots are known for their velcro-like seed pods:

Their seeds are found in small, tulip-shaped pods along the stem to the flower. The pods attach to clothing when brushed against and eventually fall off, leaving the small seed within the pod to germinate elsewhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myosotis

18 posted on 02/22/2018 7:44:17 PM PST by Ezekiel (All who mourn(ed!) the destruction of America merit the celebration of her rebirth.)
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