“Another reason we regularly thank God is that when you heard the Word of God from us, you received it not merely as a human word, but as it truly is, God’s Word, which is at work in you believers. For, brothers, you came to be imitators of God’s congregations in Y’hudah that are united with the Messiah Yeshua ….”
In Hebrew the word ‘thank’ is todah and means ‘giving thanks.’ Hoda’ah is another word that means ‘thanks or thanksgiving.’ The word Yehudi for Jew also has its root in ‘thanks.’
The Hebrew word for ‘heard’ is shema and means ‘to hear or listen with the intent of obeying.’ Deuteronomy 6:4 is known as The Shema, the foundation of Jewish life and faith, and begins with “Hear, O Isra’el.”
The Hebrew word for ‘receive’ is kaval and means ‘to accept and undertake.’
In Hebrew ‘word’ is devar and means ‘saying or commandment.’ Word of God is Devar Elohim.
The word devarim, the plural of devar, is the Hebrew word for Deuteronomy. In this book, Moshe reiterates all of the commandments God gave when the Israelites first entered the wilderness to the second generation entering the Promised Land.
Yeshua is called the Devar Elohim, the Word of God that became flesh (John 1:14). The Devar Elohim at that time included the Torah, Prophets and Writings or Tenak.
The Devar Elohim is “at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The Amplified Version, expands ‘at work in you’ to “brings forth superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it [Devar Elohim].”
In Hebrew, the word for ‘imitator’ is chakyan and means ‘to mimic.’ In Greek, the word ‘imitator’ is mimetes and means “a mentor, setting a proper example.”
‘Judah’ in Hebrew is y’hudah. Sha’ul (Paul) says that Greek followers of Yeshua are imitating God’s congregation of Messianic Jews because they are worthy of emulating.
“Another reason we regularly confess thanks to God is that when you heard and listened to the Devar Elohim from us, you accepted and undertook obeying it not merely as a human word, but as it truly is, the Devar Elohim which brings forth superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it. For, brothers, you emulated the Jewish congregations who are united with Messiah Yeshua who set the example for you.”
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