word gems.
Hebrew is a unique language that requires a bit of effort to really understand. First, it is a pictographic language - not unlike the ancient pictographs we see in Egyptian writing (remember where Israel spent 400 years in their infancy). Second, the words convey action and feeling, very different than our English language. We are are more "Greek & logical" in our language.
Example: in English mother is defined as "a woman in relation to her child or children" but in Hebrew, mother, although it is a noun, is descriptive of action that a one liner definition cannot accurately convey; but if you were to try, it might sound something like this: mother, אם (em) "the one that binds the family together" or "the one that gives strength to the family."
But look at HOW this definition is developed. Let examine "mother" first. The word contains 2 pictographic characters, an ox and water. To the ancient world, the ox represented sheer strength & the position of leadership, as it looks after the herd and leads them to food, water & safety (This is why it also represents Father God to the Hebrews). The second character, water, can represent life-giving water or destructive, chaotic water. In this instance, it's pretty easy to determine which one (well hypothetically anyway! We certainly hope it's not the destructive, chaotic water - however we've all probably known a few...). Think about how these words represent a mother. Strong. Leader. Life-giving waters (think womb). Those two characters together can be translated "strong water." This is so cool though: the ancients made glue by boiling animal skins in water, which formed a sticky thick liquid (glue). This was used as a binding agent called "strong water." This is where the definition "the one who binds the family together" comes from - she is the "binding agent" of the family. In other places, you'll find the definition focus more on the ox, such as "one who gives strength to the family." See how both are accurate, yet neither are the complete picture of the ox & water? EVERY word in Hebrew is like this... which is why translations can vary so - and none be completely accurate or inaccurate!
Graphic from: http://livingwordin3d.com
