There are two Hebrew words that commonly get translated into English as “word”. These two words are:
דבר (“dabar” or also pronounced “davar”) – Definition: “word” with focus on the meaning behind the word; the essence of the communication; reason; similar to the Greek word λόγος (logos)
אמר (“emmer” or also pronounced “ammar”) – Definition: utterance; spoken word; “saying” with focus on the literal specific spoken word; the sayings; said; says; the sayings of; similar to the Greek word ῥῆμα (rayma).
There are over 1,000 occurrences of each of these two Hebrew words in the Old Testament (if you include all forms of the declensions of these words in both the masculine and feminine).
Sometimes we see the Hebrew emphasizing the meaning behind the communication, and in that case, most likely the word דבר (“dabar”) will be used.
And sometimes we see the Hebrew focusing the specific spoken word—the specific chosen word with the underlying idea of both the sound of the word and the way it is said being important.
One can easily think of paraphrasing or explaining the meaning of a דבר (“dabar”). In contrast, one might focus on the phonetics, or tone, or specific single word choice of an אמר (“ammar”).
There are at least a few places in the Hebrew Scripture where this distinction is of paramount importance. One of these places is in Psalm 138:2. The last part of Psalm 138:2 says in a precise (not necessarily very readable) English translation, “You [YHWH] have magnified (exalted; or caused to become great) above all (or beyond all, or more than all) your name (your identity) your specific spoken words/sayings.” In other words, “You have made the specific spoken words you have uttered to be of even greater importance than your very identity.”
This is an astounding and profound declaration which has enormous implications for probably every philosophical, psychological, theological, and scientific endeavor of mankind.
I want to ask the question: What is most powerful thing in the universe? In answering this question, some might immediately think of things like nuclear power (it lights the sun and can provide us with incredible benefits as well as mind-boggling destruction), or death (it seems to sooner or later overtake everything), or love (it can seem to be more important than death), or Truth, or trust, or faith, or … the list goes on. But ultimately, we must get to the realization that nothing is more powerful than God Himself who created and sustains all there is. EXCEPT, that in this verse, God Himself claims that His spoken utterances are even more powerful than His very identity. If that doesn’t blow your mind, you are not really hearing what God is saying here.
An example of this power is a theme the Lord starts off with right in the beginning of His testimony to us in the Bible. In Genesis 1:3, it uses the word אמר (“ammar”) when it says that “God uttered (“ammar”) ‘let there be light’ and there was light.” This same word אמר (“ammar”) is used again in this first chapter of Genesis every time God creates something out of nothing for the first time (in verses 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 22, 24, and 26; and then importantly also in verses 28 and 29). The point being that the utterances of God are SO powerful that they are the means for bringing the entire physical universe into being. This is just one, but an important one, example of why the utterances of God are the greatest power there is.
To overlook this power, the power of using the specific words of God, as we partner with God in the work He has given us to do is really to fail to be on board with God to use the means He has chosen as His most important means.
To explain the essence of the meaning of God’s דבר (“dabar”) is a good and profitable endeavor, and one we see Jesus doing in a variety of ways such as in His parables, or in John 7:22-24. But, to overlook the power of using the specific words of God, as we partner with God in the work He has given us to do, is really to fail to be on board with God’s intent to use the means He has chosen as His most important, and can we say efficacious, means.
Note of interest: In Ephesians 6:17, when Paul writes “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” he could have used the word “logos” for the word “word” in this verse—and that might have made sense to some of us. But the Holy Spirit chose instead to use the word “rayma”, making the specific utterance (the actual specific words written in Scripture) to be where the power of this weapon comes from.
Surely we do not want to impoverish our work and rob from it the very heart of God by hiding what He says is most important, do we? Can you hear the heart of God crying out to us here?
This is a post from the blog at https://beholdthechrist.com
written by Dr. Richard Routh
March 31, 2020