Study Notes Week 36

Torah Study Notes for Week 36 of the Torah Reading Cycle

Read
Aloud together to hear the Word (Leviticus 23:1-3; Nehemiah 8:1-4; Luke 4:16-17)

  • Torah (T): Bereshiyt (Genesis) 36:1-43
  • Prophets (P): Obadiah 1:1-21
  • Apostolic (A): Romans 9:6-18; Matthew 15:21-28
  • Additional (ADD): Jubilees 37:1-25; Jubilees 38:1-24
Bereshiyt (Genesis) 36:1-43

36:1 These are the birthings of Esau, that is, Edom. 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite; 3 and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth. 4 Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz. Basemath bore Reuel. 5 Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went [out from the land of Canaan](LXX)(SP)(mss) away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn't bear them because of their livestock. 8 Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom. 9 These are the birthings of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir: 10 these are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, the wife of Esau; and Reuel, the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the descendants of Adah, Esau's wife. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the descendants of Basemath, Esau's wife. 14 These were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. 15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Qorach, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs who came of Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife. 18 These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Qorach. These are the chiefs who came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. 19 These are the sons of Esau, that is, Edom, and these are their chiefs. 20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan's sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25 These are the sons of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, and chief Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir. 31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the sons of Israel. 32 [Balak],(LXX) the son of Beor, reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 [Balak](LXX) died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place. 34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith. 36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river, reigned in his place. 38 Shaul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and [Hadad](LXX) reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 40 These are the names of the chiefs who came from Esau, according to their families, after their places, and by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Torah Portion Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Review

Genesis 35:1-29

  1. Genesis 35:21 Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
  2. Genesis 35:27-29 Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners. 28 The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. 29 Isaac gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.

Job 42:16-17e (LXX) And Job lived after his affliction a hundred and seventy years…And he himself was the son of his father Zare, one of the sons of Esau, and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraham. 17d And these were the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he also ruled over: first, Balak, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba: but after Balak, Jobab, who is called Job…

Genesis 36:1-43

  1. Genesis 36:1 These are the birthings of Esau, that is, Edom.
    1. 1 Chronicles 1:35-54 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Timna was Lotan’s sister. 40 The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 41 The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 43 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the sons of Israel: Bela the son of Beor; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 45 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. 47 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place. 49 Shaul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 50 Baal Hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pai: and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 Then Hadad died. The chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, 52 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 53 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 54 chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.
  2. Genesis 36:2-7 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite; 3 and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth. 4 Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz. Basemath bore Reuel. 5 Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went [out from the land of Canaan](LXX)(SP)(mss) away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn’t bear them because of their livestock.
    1. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 2.1.1 After the death of Isaac, his sons divided their habitations respectively; nor did they retain what they had before; but Esau departed from the city of Hebron, and left it to his brother, and dwelt in Seir, and ruled over Idumea. He called the country by that name from himself, for he was named Adom (Edom); which appellation he got on the following occasion:—One day returning from the toil of hunting very hungry, [it was when he was a child in age,] he lighted on his brother when he was getting ready lentile-pottage for his dinner, which was of a very red color; on which account he the more earnestly longed for it, and desired him to give him some of it to eat: but he made advantage of his brother’s hunger, and forced him to resign up to him his birthright; and he, being pinched with famine, resigned it up to him, under an oath. Whence it came, that, on account of the redness of this pottage, he was, in way of jest, by his contemporaries, called Adom, for the Hebrews call what is red Adom; and this was the name given to the country; but the Greeks gave it a more agreeable pronunciation, and named it Idumea. 2. He became the father of five sons; of whom Jaus, and Jalomus, and Coreus, were by one wife, whose name was Alibama; but of the rest, Aliphaz was born to him by Ada, and Raguel by Basemmath: and these were the sons of Esau. Aliphaz had five legitimate sons; Theman, Omer, Saphus, Gotham, and Kanaz; for Amalek was not legitimate, but by a concubine, whose name was Thamna. These dwelt in that part of Idumea which is called Gebalitis, and that denominated from Amalek, Amalekitis; for Idumea was a large country, and did then preserve the name of the whole, while in its several parts it kept the names of its peculiar inhabitants.
    2. Targum Pseudeo-Jonathan …And Esau had taken his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his flocks and his cattle, and all the substance which he had gotten in the land of Kenaan, and had gone into another land; for there fell upon him a fear of Jakob his brother: for their possessions would be too great for them to dwell together, neither would the land of their sojourning maintain them, on account of their flocks. And Esau dwelt in the mountain of Gabal. He is Esau the prince of the Edomites.
  3. Genesis 36:8-12 Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom. 9 These are the birthings of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir: 10 these are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah, the wife of Esau; and Reuel, the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the descendants of Adah, Esau’s wife.
    1. Exodus 17:8-16 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with Elohim’s rod in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset. 13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 YHWH said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.” 15 Moses built an altar, and called its name “YHWH our Banner”. 16 He said, “Yah has sworn: ‘YHWH will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’ ”
    2. Deuteronomy 25:17-19 Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came out of Egypt; 18 how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn’t fear Elohim. 19 Therefore it will be, when YHWH your Elohim has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. You will not forget.
  4. Genesis 36:13-24 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the descendants of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. 15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Qorach, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs who came of Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 18 These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Qorach. These are the chiefs who came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife. 19 These are the sons of Esau, that is, Edom, and these are their chiefs. 20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father.
    1. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan He is Anah who coupled the onagers with the she‑donkeys, and after a time found mules which had come forth from them, when he was tending the donkeys of Sebeon his father. And these are the children of Anah
  5. Genesis 36:25-36 These are the sons of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, and chief Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir. 31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the sons of Israel. 32 [Balak],(LXX) the son of Beor, reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 [Balak](LXX) died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place. 34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith. 36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river, reigned in his place. 38 Shaul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
  6. Genesis 36:39 Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and [Hadad](LXX) reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
    1. Hadad:
      “He was the man who laboured with perseverance and vigilance, and who, after he had become wealthy and had gotten riches, turned to become more lofty in his heart, saying What is silver and what is gold?” (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan)
      “And after him reigned Hadar; and the name of his city was Pahu, and the daughter of Matred, the daughter of the changer of gold: the man with perseverance all the days of his life; but who, after he had eaten and was satisfied, converted and said, What is gold, and what is silver?” (Jerusalem Targum)
  7. Genesis 36:40-43 These are the names of the chiefs who came from Esau, according to their families, after their places, and by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.

The Backstory to the Birthings of Esau

  1. Jubilees 37:1 And on the day that Isaac the father of Jacob and Esau died [2162 A.M.], the sons of Esau heard that Isaac had given the portion of the elder to his younger son Jacob and they were very angry.
    1. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 2.1.1 After the death of Isaac, his sons divided their habitations respectively; nor did they retain what they had before; but Esau departed from the city of Hebron, and left it to his brother, and dwelt in Seir, and ruled over Idumea. He called the country by that name from himself, for he was named Adom (Edom); which appellation he got on the following occasion:—One day returning from the toil of hunting very hungry, [it was when he was a child in age,] he lighted on his brother when he was getting ready lentil-pottage for his dinner, which was of a very red color; on which account he the more earnestly longed for it, and desired him to give him some of it to eat: but he made advantage of his brother’s hunger, and forced him to resign up to him his birthright; and he, being pinched with famine, resigned it up to him, under an oath. Whence it came, that, on account of the redness of this pottage, he was, in way of jest, by his contemporaries, called Adom, for the Hebrews call what is red Adom; and this was the name given to the country; but the Greeks gave it a more agreeable pronunciation, and named it Idumea. 2. He became the father of five sons…(The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach 1 Chronicles 1:35-54)
  2. Jubilees 37:2-4 And they strove with their father, saying: “Why hath thy father given Jacob the portion of the elder and passed over thee, although thou art the elder and Jacob the younger?” 3. And he said unto them “Because I sold my birthright to Jacob for a small mess of lentils; and on the day my father sent me to hunt and catch and bring him something that he should eat and bless me, he came with guile and brought my father food and drink, and my father blessed him and put me under his hand. 4. And now our father hath caused us to swear, me and him, that we will not mutually devise evil, either against his brother, and that we will continue in love and in peace each with his brother and not make our ways corrupt.”
  3. Jubilees 37:5-7 And they said unto him, “We will not hearken unto thee to make peace with him; for our strength is greater than his strength, and we are more powerful than he; we will go against him and slay him, and destroy him and his sons. And if thou wilt not go with us, we will do hurt to thee also. 6. And now hearken unto us: Let us send to Aram and Philistia and Moab and Ammon, and let us choose for ourselves chosen men who are ardent for battle, and let us go against him and do battle with him, and let us exterminate him from the land before he groweth strong.”
  4. Jubilees 37:7-8 And their father said unto them, “Do not go and do not make war with him lest ye fall before him.” 8. And they said unto him, “This too, is exactly thy mode of action from thy youth until this day, and thou art putting thy neck under his yoke. We will not hearken to these words.”
  5. Jubilees 37:9-11 And they sent to Aram, and to ‘Adurâm to the friend of their father, and they hired along with them one thousand fighting men, chosen men of war. 10. And there came to them from Moab and from the sons of Ammon, those who were hired, one thousand chosen men, and from Philistia, one thousand chosen men of war, and from Edom and from the Horites one thousand chosen fighting men, and from the Kittim mighty men of war. 11. And they said unto their father: “Go forth with them and lead them, else we will slay thee.”
  6. Jubilees 37:12-13 And he was filled with wrath and indignation on seeing that his sons were forcing him to go before (them) to lead them against Jacob his brother. 13. But afterward he remembered all the evil which lay hidden in his heart against Jacob his brother; and he remembered not the oath which he had sworn to his father and to his mother that he would devise no evil all his days against Jacob his brother.
  7. Jubilees 37:14-16 And notwithstanding all this, Jacob knew not that they were coming against him to battle, and he was mourning for Leah, his wife, until they approached very near to the tower with four thousand warriors and chosen men of war.
    1. Jubilees 36:18-24 And Isaac slept on his bed that day rejoicing; and he slept the eternal sleep, and died one hundred and eighty years old. He completed twenty-five weeks and five years; and his two sons Esau and Jacob buried him. 19. And Esau went to the land of Edom, to the mountains of Seir, and dwelt there. 20. And Jacob dwelt in the mountains of Hebron, in the tower of the land of the sojournings of his father Abraham, and he worshipped the Lord with all his heart and according to the visible commands according as He had divided the days of his generations. 21. And Leah his wife died in the fourth year of the second week of the forty-fifth jubilee [2167 A.M.], and he buried her in the double cave near Rebecca his mother, to the left of the grave of Sarah, his father’s mother. 22. And all her sons and his sons came to mourn over Leah his wife with him, and to comfort him regarding her, for he was lamenting her. 23. For he loved her exceedingly after Rachel her sister died; for she was perfect and upright in all her ways and honoured Jacob, and all the days that she lived with him he did not hear from her mouth a harsh word, for she was gentle and peaceable and upright and honourable. 24. And he remembered all her deeds which she had done during her life, and he lamented her exceedingly; for he loved her with all his heart and with all his soul.
  8. 15. And the men of Hebron sent to him saying, “Behold thy brother hath come against thee, to fight thee, with four thousand girt with the sword, and they carry shields and weapons”; for they loved Jacob more than Esau. So they told him; for Jacob was a more liberal and merciful man than Esau. 16. But Jacob would not believe until they came very near to the tower.
  9. Jubilees 37:17 And he closed the gates of the tower; and he stood on the battlements and spake to his brother Esau and said, “Noble is the comfort wherewith thou hast come to comfort me for my wife who hath died. Is this the oath that thou didst swear to thy father and again to thy mother before they died? Thou hast broken the oath, and on the moment that thou didst swear to thy father wast thou condemned.”
  10. Jubilees 37:18-23 And then Esau answered and said unto him, “Neither the sons of men nor the beasts of the land have any oath of righteousness which in swearing they have sworn (an oath valid) for ever; but every day they devise evil one against another, and how each may slay his adversary and foe. 19. And thou dost hate me and my children for ever. And there is no observing the tie of brotherhood with thee. 20. Hear these words which I declare unto thee, If the boar can change its skin and make its bristles as soft as wool, Or if it can cause horns to sprout forth on its head like the horns of a stag or of a sheep, Then will I observe the tie of brotherhood with thee. [And if the breasts separated themselves from their mother; for thou hast not been a brother to me.] 21. And if the wolves make peace with the lambs so as not to devour or do them violence, And if their hearts are towards them for good, Then there will be peace in my heart towards thee. 22. And if the lion becometh the friend of the ox and maketh peace with him, And if he is bound under one yoke with him and plougheth with him, Then will I make peace with thee. 23. And when the raven becometh white as the râzâ, Then know that I have loved thee And will make peace with thee. Thou shalt be rooted out, And thy sons will be rooted out, And there will be no peace for thee.”
    1. Esau didn’t believe in the Messiah, he was an evil unbeliever
      1. Isaiah 11:1-10 1 A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a Branch out of his roots will bear fruit (cf. Matthew 2:23). 2 YHWH’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of YHWH. 3 His delight will be in the fear of YHWH. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears; 4 but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, the calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of YHWH, as the waters cover the sea. 10 It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.
  11. Jubilees 37:24-25 And when Jacob saw that he was (so) evilly disposed towards him with his heart, and with all his soul as to slay him, and that he had come springing like the wild boar which cometh upon the spear that pierceth and killeth it, and recoileth not from it; 25. Then he spake to his own and to his servants that they should attack him and all his companions.
  12. Jubilees 38:1-3 And after that Judah spake to Jacob, his father, and said unto him: “Bend thy bow, father, and send forth thy arrows and cast down the adversary and slay the enemy; and mayest thou have the power, for we will not slay thy brother, for he is such as thou, and he is like thee: let us give him (this) honour.” 2. Then Jacob bent his bow and sent forth the arrow and struck Esau, his brother, (on his right breast) and slew him. 3. And again he sent forth an arrow and struck ‘Adôrân the Aramaean, on the left breast, and drove him backward and slew him.
  13. Jubilees 38:4-9 And then went forth the sons of Jacob, they and their servants, dividing themselves into companies on the four sides of the tower. 5. And Judah went forth in front, and Naphtali and Gad with him and fifty servants with him on the south side of the tower, and they slew all they found before them, and not one individual of them escaped. 6. And Levi and Dan and Asher went forth on the east side of the tower, and fifty (men) with them, and they slew the fighting men of Moab and Ammon. 7. And Reuben and Issachar and Zebulon went forth on the north side of the tower, and fifty men with them, and they slew the fighting men of the Philistines. 8. And Shimon and Benjamin and Enoch, Reuben’s son, went forth on the west side of the tower, and fifty (men) with them, and they slew of Edom and of the Horites four hundred men, stout warriors; and six hundred fled, and four of the sons of Esau fled with them, and left their father lying slain, as he had fallen on the hill which is in ‘Adûrâm. 9. And the sons of Jacob pursued after them to the mountains of Seir. And Jacob buried his brother on the hill which is in ‘Adûrâm, and he returned to his house.
  14. Jubilees 38:10-14 And the sons of Jacob pressed hard upon the sons of Esau in the mountains of Seir, and bowed their necks so that they became servants of the sons of Jacob. 11. And they sent to their father (to inquire) whether they should make peace with them or slay them. 12. And Jacob sent word to his sons that they should make peace, and they made peace with them, and placed the yoke of servitude upon them, so that they paid tribute to Jacob and to his sons always. 13. And they continued to pay tribute to Jacob until the day that he went down into Egypt. 14. And the sons of Edom have not got quit of the yoke of servitude which the twelve sons of Jacob had imposed on them until this day.

Prophets Summary
Context and coherence (Nehemiah 8:8)

Obadiah 1:1-21

  1. Our portion from the prophets is about matters of the heart.
    1. When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom (Pro. 11:2).
  2. As a nation, Edom was prideful and put their faith in the world, not the one true God.
    1. Edom dwelt in nearly impenetrable mountainous terrain with peaks that reached up to 5700 feet. Because of these natural defenses, they had a false sense of security. 
      1.  “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’” (Oba. 1:3).
  3. Through insolence comes nothing but strife, but wisdom is with those who receive counsel” (Pro. 13:10).
    1.  Cory’s testimony: “In my own life, whenever I have allowed sin to remain, thinking arrogantly that it did not affect or control me, God has disciplined and humbled me. I have experienced great loss through broken relationships, lost career opportunities, and loneliness. Now that I have determined to repent and run from the sin that previously controlled me, I can see how greatly it devastates, how it confuses the mind, and leads a person to even greater destruction than I experienced”.
  4. Edom also believed that making alliances with the surrounding tribes would provide additional security in times of trouble. 
    1. Created alliances with Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Zidon to resist Nebuchadnezzar or the Chaldeans. Because they trusted in alliances with ungodly nations, they were ultimately deceived, betrayed, and overpowered.
    2. They also placed their trust in “wise men” and “mighty men” instead of God.  

KEY POINT:

A heart deceived by pride and arrogance leads a person (and nation) into behavior that brings judgment upon them.

  1. God’s judgment is the final step in this process that begins with prideful deception of the heart.
    1. “For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations” (Oba. 1:15).
      1. “Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty” (Joel 1:15).
    2. Curses from God manifest in real life conditions.
      1. Locust consume, fields and grain ruined, wine dries up, and trees of the field dry up.
      2. Storehouses are desolate and animals starve. Darkness and gloom – Who can endure it?
  2. On an individual level, allowing sin to creep into and remain in your life will lead down a path of disillusionment. 
    1. This can lead a person to seek ways to find safety and security in this world through wealth, power, position, or alliances. However, this will not fulfill those desires. 
    2. Ultimately if we do not repent of our pride and arrogance, God will use those things or people we trusted in to humble us, up to an including the destruction of our flesh that our spirit might be saved. 

Apostolic Exhortation
Counsel, comfort, and encouragement (Acts 13:14-15)

  1. Today we’re going to talk about Yeshua the Apostle.
    1. What is an apostle and how does Yeshua fulfill the model?
    2. What was Yeshua’s mission and message and why was it important that He only go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel? 
    3. How do we connect this with our Apostolic portion and make application to our lives today?
  2. An apostle is simply a messenger or individual sent forth with orders and/or a message from a superior.
    1. Synonyms: “emissary; envoy; delegate; messenger”.
      1. In ancient times, communication across long distances was difficult (Think: signal fires and carrier doves). For anything complex, important, and/or confidential, people depended on a runner (see 2 Sam. 11). 
        1. “Envoy”: from Latin in– (“on”) + via– (“road”).
    2. The most common word for this role and function in the Tanakh is malak (#4397).
      1. H 4397. malak – “messenger”.
        1. Topical Lexicon:
          1. The Hebrew term מֲלְאָךְ occurs about 213 times in the Old Testament, denoting any “messenger” sent by divine or human authority. Context determines whether the messenger is earthly (envoy, prophet, priest) or heavenly (angelic being). Scripture consistently depicts these messengers as instruments through whom the LORD accomplishes His purposes in revelation, protection, judgment, and redemption.
      2. Angels were heavenly messengers that spoke with divine authority, received worship, forgave sins, and bore the covenant name (ref. Gen. 22:11-18; Exo. 3:2-6; Jud. 6 and 13).
        1. See also the Cord topic study, “Sons of Elohim” (https://thecord.life/topic/sons-of-elohim/ )
  3. Prophets were also called malakim, as were the priests, who were the custodians of Torah.
    1. “Then Haggai, the messenger (#4397) of YHWH, delivered the message of YHWH to the people…” (Hag. 1:13).
    2. “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge… for he is the messenger (#4397) of YHWH of Hosts” (Mal. 2:7).

KEY POINT:

Throughout scripture, faithful response to God’s messengers is equated with obedience to God Himself.

  1. Israel’s repeated rejection of God’s messengers resulted in exile followed by a 400-year silence between God and His people.
    1. “YHWH the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy” (2 Chr. 36:15-16).
  2. Malachi (pronounced, “mah-lah-KEE”; Heb. “My Messenger”) was God’s final spokesperson before this period, and he prophesied of a unique Malak that would come to Israel in the future.
    1.  “I will send my messenger (#4397), who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger (#4397) of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the YHWH Almighty” (Mal. 3:1-4).
      1. Note that this messenger is not only divine but also identified with YHWH Himself – e.g. “…the Lord will come to His temple”.
    2. The term “messenger of the covenant” is only in this verse but is very similar to a reference in the book of Hebrews.
      1. “For this reason [Yeshua], is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15).

KEY POINT:

As the promised Messenger, Yeshua is the archetype of all Malakim in the Tanakh, both human (priest and prophet) and divine (i.e. the son of God).  This is the context behind the Greek concept of  the apostolos and is critical for understanding the Gospel and the messengers who brought it.

  1. Most biblical commentaries start with the twelve disciples to explain the role and function of an apostle.
    1. “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who also betrayed Him” (Mat. 10:2-3).
  2. However, the disciples were sent by the “Sent One”, and it is in Yeshua’s message and mission where we can see the clearest picture of the Gospel.
    1. “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Yeshua, the Apostle (#652) and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house” (Heb. 3:1).
      1. G649. apostolos – “a delegate”.
        1. Usage: from 649 apostéllō (from apó, “away from” and stéllō, “send”) – properly, send away, i.e. commission; (passive) “sent on a defined mission by a superior.”

KEY POINT:

Before the twelve Apostles were commissioned, Yeshua had established His clear mission and purpose – i.e. to be YHWH’s chosen Messenger to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

  1. Because YHWH is faithful, He had to fulfill every word He had spoken through the prophets of the Tanakh. 
    1. One of the Lord’s most important promises to His people was that He would gather together His people, and He would use His Servant, the Messiah, to do it.
  2. Throughout the Tanakh, the people of Israel are called likened unto a flock of sheep.
    1. “You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psa. 77:20).
    2. “Listen, Shepherd of Israel, Who leads Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the keruvim, shine forth!” (Psa. 80:1)
  3.  Sheep are animals that desperately need a shepherd.
    1. #1 — Sheep need protection. 
      1. “Sheep are prey animals and are vulnerable to many types of predators. Sheep have poor defense strategies – when frightened; they run around in circles instead of fleeing. Shepherds can ensure their flock stays in safe areas and can ward off predators when they come close” (Sheepcaretaker.com). 
    2. #2 — They tend to wander off and into dangerous situations.
      1. “Sheep naturally wander when grazing to find better food, and it’s possible for them to become separated from the flock. Sheep also tend to wander off to curb boredom or to try new things. Naturally, sheep-like staying in a group. You will rarely see an animal on its own unless there isn’t another in the flock. Although staying as a group seems like a sound defensive strategy, it can be harmful. For instance, if the ‘leader’ walks into a predator trap, the rest will fall into the same trap, resulting in massive loss of life. Similarly, the rest will likely do the same if one animal falls over a cliff. Sheep may follow each other blindly into dangerous areas, or even off cliffs or into dangerously strong currents. Shepherds keep an eye on sheep who have strayed, in order to bring them back”.
    3. #3 — Sheep get injured easily.
      1. “They are susceptible to disease, over- or under-eating, and overgrown wool or hooves. In addition, sheep are good at concealing discomfort and diseases, as showing such vulnerabilities makes them a prime target for predators. However, a shepherd can notice the subtlest behavioral changes, such as minor limbs, inactivity, dullness and early detection leads to a quick response to potentially life-threatening issues”.
  4. In scripture, the leaders of the nation, both political and religious, are equated to shepherds, and how they care for the people is a central message of the prophets.
    1. “My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, since they have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness, the Lord, the hope of their fathers’. Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” (Jer. 50:4,17).
    2. “For the teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see lying visions and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; for the LORD of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic horse in battle” (Zec. 10:2-3).
  5. As the Shepherd of Israel, YHWH could not and would not abandon His flock despite their sin and rejection of Him.
    1. Rather, through judgment, He would “cull the flock” and save the remnant who had been victimized by wicked shepherds.
  6. And now, for a phrase you’ve probably never heard before: “the Gospel according to Ezekiel”.
    1. “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them’. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:’As I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So, the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”‘ For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,’ declares the Lord GOD. ‘I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment. ‘As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!’ Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them, ‘Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another (ref. Mat. 25:31-33). Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken. I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. Also, the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,’ declares the Lord GOD. As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord GOD” (Eze. 34:1-31).
  7. Why is this the Gospel?
    1. #1 – Yeshua’s message of salvation was for the Jewish people “first” (Gr. próton). 
      1. They were His temporal, logical, moral, and missional priority.
    2. #2 – The good news that Yeshua proclaimed, and commissioned His disciples to repeat, was that Israel’s long-awaited Shepherd had come, bringing forgiveness of sins and a renewed covenant of salvation.
    3. #3 – As the Son of David, Yeshua was restoring the Davidic kingdom to Israel, and by His authority, subduing the nations under His reign of peace.
  8. From this new perspective, let’s look again at Yeshua’s commissioning of His twelve apostles.  
    1. “These twelve Yeshua sent out after instructing them, saying, ‘Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give” (Mat. 10:5-7).
      1. The Gospel commission was to go where? To the towns of your Jewish brethren. To tell them what? The reign of the God of Israel is here. And how will they prove it? With signs and wonders. 
  9. We can now understand more of the context for His rebuke of the Canaanite woman in our Apostolic portion.
    1. “Yeshua went out from there and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!’ But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, ‘Send her away; for she cries after us.’ But he answered, ‘I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Mat. 15:21-24).
      1. Yeshua is remaining faithful to His Father’s message and mission.
    2. But why does Yeshua ignore her impassioned plea for help?
      1. The opposition from the religious leaders was a threat to Yeshua’s focused mission and this encounter occurs immediately after He had publicly insulted them (see Mat. 15:1-20). The text says that He had withdrawn to the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon and did not want anyone to know about it (Mar. 7:24), perhaps to avoid further interference and possible persecution from these same religious leaders. 
      2. A miraculous healing in a region where many already knew of Him (ref. Mar. 3:8; Luk. 10:14) would attract unwanted attention among those to whom He was not called to minister. Moreover, doing so with a heathen Canaanite might would also risk alienating His Jewish brethren who would likely be offended by His actions. 
        1. The only other example of salvation going to the Gentiles is the centurion who was highly favored among the Jews already (ref. Mat. 8:5-13). 
  10. So, what about us Gentiles? Are we really just “dogs” compared to the Jewish people?

KEY POINT:

The message of the Gospel “to the Jew first” is not about the worth and value of Jews versus Gentile but rather the faithfulness and mercy of God. 

  1. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, saw no favoritism in the Gospel he was given to proclaim.
    1. “Therefore, accept one another, just as Messiah also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Messiah has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name’ (2 Sam. 22:50; Psa. 18:49). Again, he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people’ (Deut. 32:43). And again, ‘Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him’ (Psa. 117:1). Again, Isaiah says, ‘There shall come the root of Jesse, and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles hope’ (Isa. 11:10)” (Rom. 7-13).
      1. Yeshua’s ministry to the Jews confirmed His Father’s promises to the patriarchs.
      2. All of us non-Jews, like Israel, have also gone astray, and each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him (Isa. 53:6).
  2. There is no place in the Body for jealousy of or resentment against Jews nor for identity-crises for those who aren’t Jewish.
    1. Rather, we can and should glorify God for His great mercy precisely because Messiah died for us when “we were excluded from the people of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the promise, and having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).
    2. In love and humility, we should be zealous to bring the Gospel message to the ones to whom our Great Apostle and Shepherd brought it to first.

Does anyone have specific questions or need any clarification from what was said during the Summary or Exhortation?

Application & Discussion
Living the Word and following Yeshua (Acts 2:37; Romans 2:13)
Questions, input, and sharpening (Proverbs 27:17; Luke 2:46)

Romans 2:13 For it isn’t the hearers of the Torah who are righteous before Elohim, but the doers of the Torah will be justified.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

    1. What questions or comments came up during your family’s discussion of this week’s study?
    2. “What other related Scriptures did you find during your study of this week’s portion?”
    3. Have you ever experienced something from this study or something related to it?
    4. “What changes do you need to make in your life to align with what you learned during this week’s Torah Study?”
    5. Yeshua said, “Go, therefore.” (Mat. 28:18). What is our mission and purpose as malakim and apostolos sent by the Master?  
    6. How has Yeshua revealed Himself to you as the Good Shepherd?
    7. What is the role of a pastor as the under-shepherd of God’s people? 
    8. How can we be more mindful of Yeshua’s priority to bring the Gospel to the Jew first? 
    9. Other questions…?

Additional Notes

Our Apostolic Portion of Matthew 15:21-28 is this is the ONLY time the word “Canaanite” is used in the entire Apostolic Scriptures from Matthew to Revelation. Canaanites (due to Esau’s marriage and love for this pagan culture) is the connection to the Torah portion of Genesis 36. The Canaanites consisted of the seven nations YHWH commanded to utterly destroy (men, women, children) and to cut no covenants with (Deuteronomy 7:1-5; 20:16-18). However, nations who were not Canaanites were able to have a covenant of peace and the women and children were spared in battle (Deuteronomy 20:110-15). 

It’s apparent that even Yeshua understood this plight of the Canaanites dating back to Noaḥ’s curse on them in Genesis 9:25. Yeshua’s only recorded interaction with a Canaanite is nothing like his interactions with those of the other nations or even the Samaritans, considering His conversation with the woman at the well in John 4. But, the nuance here is that Yeshua uses a term that references “little dogs” or “puppies” instead of a full-grown dog. There’s likely a reason why. 

“The dogs” seems to have been a term specifically used for people group or specific type of evil work. Deuteronomy 23:17-18 commands: “There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a prostitute of the sons of Israel. 18 You shall not bring the hire of a whore, or the wages of a dog, into the house of YHWH your Elohim for any vow; for both of these are an abomination to YHWH your Elohim” suggests the term is used for pagan male prostitution since both words for “prostitute” is קָדֵשׁ qadesh for the male and קְדֵשָׁה qadeshah for the female (H6945 and H6948) which both mean “holy” likely due to the prostitution taking place within a pagan shrine or idolatrous activity. 

The parallelism of Deuteronomy 23:18 to 23:17 suggests the term “female prostitute” is the same as “whore” which is זוֹנָה zanah (H2181) in Hebrew and is a unrestrained woman having many casual intimate relationships; while “male prostitute” is the same as “dog” which is כֶּלֶב kelev in Hebrew and literally means “dog”. In the Bible, dogs are a symbol of folly and returning to former, disgusting practices: ”As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.” (Proverbs 26:11) “For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:21-22)

Paul specifically refers to dogs in Philippians 3:2 along with other identifiable wicked groups: “Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.” John refers to dogs along with immoral behavior which was likely very identifiable during the first century and prior. “Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Revelation 22:15)

The term “the dogs” is the only one that we, in our modern definitions, don’t have a reference to since it seems to be an idiomatic term that has lost its meaning over the centuries. However, we can use Biblical parallels and references to discover that “the dogs” are most likely pagan idolators at the very least.

The true hope is this: through faith in Yeshua and a true desire to seek Him and follow after His ways, “even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 5:27) and be healed like the daughter of the Canaanite woman whom Yeshua called.