A Little Linguistic Bomb

SCRIPTURE:  Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. Genesis 6:11 ESV

THOUGHT: Did you know that in Hebrew the word for violence in Genesis 6:11 is ḥāmās? It means violence, cruelty, or bearing false witness.

It’s Strong’s Hebrew word 2555 (transliteration “chamas”), and it occurs 39 times in Scripture, including its first usage (Genesis 6:11, above) and its fourth, Exodus 23:1 ESV where it is translated malicious witness: “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.”

Now who would name their organization that? A group of terrorists who hate Israel perhaps and find no reason for their existence? Their organization started with an acronym, HMS, which stood for “Islamic Resistance Movement.” But it morphed into a very handy Arabic word that sounded a lot like the acronym: ḥamās.

Contrary to its Hebrew definition, that handy word in Arabic means zeal, strength, or bravery and isn’t that a little linguistic bomb? I think the irony is not lost on God, who says through the prophet Isaiah, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20 ESV)!”

Watching people across the U.S. and cities worldwide championing the cause of the violent, cruel, and false has been just one more wake up call. I remember that Jesus said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man (Luke 17:26).”

That would be an earth filled with ḥāmās, God help us.

PRAYER: Oh Jesus, you once said, “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! (Matthew 18:7) I pray for those who would do violence and practice deceit – and I pray for those who cling to you and your definitions of right and wrong. Deliver us from evil.