BIBLE
WORD STUDY
HEARKEN!
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As
we, God's called, chosen and faithful, study into God's Holy Word and learn to
live by every word of God, we must be willing to have ears to hear and eyes to
see what it means to hearken to God! There is more to this life than just
hearing God's Word, we must be willing to learn and live by the Word! We must
do more than talk the talk, we must walk the walk!
"Now
therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I
teach you, for to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land
which the Lord God of your fathers gives you" (Deu.4:1). This begins a
call for obedience to God’s law. The purpose and value of the law are
presented. Hearken shows the need for implicit obedience. (King James Study
Bible, Pg. 303)..
"Thus
saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the
cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that
I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: If so be they will
hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the
evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And
thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to Me, to
walk in My law, which I have set before you, To hearken to the words of My
servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending
them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and
will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth" (Jer 26:26).
What
exactly does the word hearken mean in God's Word, the Bible? It is found 153
times from the Old Testament to the New Testament! Starting with Genesis 4:23
to James 2:5.
First
Strong's number is Old Testament #238 Hebrew word "azan" — found 4
times in O. T.— meaning: to hear, to listen (in the Hiphil)
1)
to hear, to listen, to give ear 2) to be obedient, to hearken 3) to hear or to
listen to prayers (used of God)
(from
The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew
Lexicon, Copyright (c)1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada.
Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)
"And
Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech,
hearken [238] unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a
young man to my hurt" (Gen 4:23).
Second
Strong's O.T. number is #8085 meaning: Hebrew word "shama" — as a
verb: found 121 times in the O.T. meaning; to hear, to listen to, to obey. a)
(Qal)
1)
to hear (perceive by ear) 2) to hear of or concerning 3) to hear (have power to
hear) 4) to hear with attention or interest, to listen to 5) to understand
(language) 6) to hear (used of judicial cases) 7) to listen, to give heed a) to
consent, to agree b) to grant request 8) to listen to, to yield to 9) to obey,
to be obedient
b) (Niphal)
1)
to be heard (used of voice or sound) 2) to be heard of 3) to be regarded, to be
obeyed
c) (Piel)
to
cause to hear, to call to hear, to summon
d) (Hiphil)
1)
to cause to hear, to tell, to proclaim, to utter a sound 2) to sound aloud (a
musical term) 3) to make proclamation, to summon 4) to cause to be heard == as
a masculine noun:
2) Sound
(from
The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew
Lexicon, Copyright (c)1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada.
Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)
The
third OT Strong's number is #7181. Hebrew word — "qashab" found 21
times in the O.T. — meaning: to hear, to be attentive, to heed, to incline
(used of ears), to attend (used of ears), to hearken, to pay attention, to
listen a) (Qal) incline, to attend (used of ears), to hearken, to pay
attention, to listen
b)
(Hiphil) to pay attention, to give attention (from The Online Bible Thayer's
Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright (c)1993,
Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for
Creation Research.)
"And
Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken [7181 ]than the fat of rams" (I Sam 15:22).
First
New Testament Strong's number:191 Greek word "akouoo" found 6 times
in the N.T. Meaning: to hear. I. absolutely,
1.
to be endowed with the faculty of hearing (not deaf): Mark 7:37 2. to attend to
(use the faculty of hearing), consider what is or has been said 3. tropically,
to understand, perceive the sense of what is said: Matt 13:15 f
II.
with an object (1. to hear something
a.
to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence (to hear
immediately) Matt 12:19 b. to get by hearing, learn (from the mouth of the
teacher or narrator): Acts 15:17 c. a thing comes to one's ears, to find out
(by hearsay), learn, d. to give ear to teaching or teacher e. to comprehend,
understand, Mark 4:33
III. hear the person or thing with his own ears
a.
with the genitive of a person b. to perceive anyone's voice c. to give ear to
one, listen, hearken, d. to yield to, hear and obey, hear to one, e. to listen
to, have regard to, of God answering the prayers of men: John 9:31 with the
genitive of person and participle Mark 14:58 f. with the genitive of a thing
Mark 14:64 g. to perceive the distinct words of a voice: John 5:25,28 h. to
yield obedience to the voice: John 5:25
(from
Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Bibleso.)
"And
when He had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, Hearken [191]
unto Me every one of you, and understand: (Mark 7:14).
"Hearken
[191], my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in
faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?
(James 2:5).
Second
Strong's number NT #1801 Greek word "enootizomai" found I time in
the N.T. Meaning: to receive into the ear; give ear to: Acts 2:14 (from
Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft)
"But
Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye
men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and
hearken [1801] to my words" (Acts 2:14).
Third
Strong's number NT: #5219 Greek word— "hupakouoo" found 1 time in the
N.T. Meaning: to listen, hearken
1.
properly, of one who on a knock at the door comes to listen who it is (the duty
of the porter), Acts 12:13 2. to hearken to a command, i. e. to obey, be
obedient unto, submit to,
(from
Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft)
"And
as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken [5219],
named Rhoda" (Acts 12:13).
As
we can see, there is a lot more to the word hearken, than just hearing. The
Apostle James tells us that we must: "But be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word,
and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what
manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,
this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:2225).
Once
again our Lord is telling us: "Hear, 0 My people, and I will testify unto
thee: 0 Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto Me; There shall no strange god be in
thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the LORD thy God, which
brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
But My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me. So I
gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own
counsels. Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My
ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My hand against
their adversaries" (Ps 81:814).