05/31/2025
Fresh path, fresh Light on this page. Thanks for sticking around to walk thru the garden with the Beloved.
Love this from Brian Simmons..
May we pause and ponder the power of life union of our heart to heart marriage with The Beloved 🔥
BE A SCHOLAR OF HIS HEART, NOT JUST LETTERS ON A PAGE—Lessons from the Seminary of the Burning Heart
When we think about context, we usually think about historical, cultural, and/or grammatical context. But what about emotional context?
God, the Creator of our emotions, has tucked inside of His inspired words an emotional context as well.
For example, the Hebrew word libabthini, found in Song of Songs 4:9, carries such a powerful almost untranslatable emotion. If you look at 10 different translations you'll likely find 10 different ways to translate it.
Here are some "options."
You have ravished my heart,
stolen my heart,
conquered,
overcome,
made my heart beat faster,
held me hostage,
taken hold,
wounded,
emboldened,
charmed,
and captivated.
Which is correct?
Probably all of them! They are all possible ways of translating libabthini. Each is similar but each highlights an aspect of the emotional context.
The Lord is saying to His "Shulamite," that you do "something" to His heart with just one glance of your eyes (in worship and adoration). You ravish Him, you conquer Him, you hold Him hostage, etc. etc.
Actually, the Hebrew word libabthini is taken from a Semitic root word that means "to tear bark off of a tree." Perhaps that is why the Douay version renders it, "You have wounded my heart with one glance of your eyes." Your loving eyes of worship have uncovered His heart and laid it bare, (torn off bark) making Him vulnerable to you.
Can you see why we insist on bringing an emotional context to the Word of God, not just academic and scholarly, but the fiery context of God's heart as He expresses Himself through His Word.
I want to be a scholar of His heart, not just letters on a page. His Word is a masterpiece of art, not just a combination of technical linguistic aspects. We must find His heart "bleeding through" the artwork of His Word.
Let's start by reading the Bible as Poetry, with the nuance and passion of God's heart....it's more than a historical narrative.
Love you friend!
Brian Simmons
Candice Simmons
