SHEVAT 22
Leaves
“For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water … whose leaf does not WITHER” (Ps 1:3, emphasis mine)
The Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘wither’ is the word nâbêl (Strong’s H5034), and besides meaning wither and droop, it also carries the implication of being senseless, foolish, treating with contempt, and fading away, which makes for an interesting play on words. Be that as it may, we can clearly see from this expanded definition how important water is, not only to the roots of the tree, but also to the leaves. Without necessary water, leaves will wither, droop, and eventually fade away.
However, let us look at the other meanings of the word nâbêl, and how they might apply to our lives. Mr. Webster defines ‘leaf’ as “organs of perspiration and inhalation in plants. They usually shoot from the sides of the stems and branches, but sometimes from the root”[1]. When our lifestyle consists of a diet filled with high carbohydrate junk food, it frequently gives evidence through our perspiration – to put it bluntly, our sweat will stink. Would these unhealthy habits come under the heading of “senseless, foolish, and treating with contempt”, (as found in the definition of the word nâbêl) the physical body our Creator endowed us with?
Just as an interesting side note, do y’all remember the story of Abigail and her first husband? Well, just guess what his name was: nâbâl (Strong’s H5037), which is related to our word translated as ‘wither’. Not only was this man a senseless fool, but it would not be erroneous to say that he withered and faded away (see 1Sam 25)!
Let us be the people of Yahweh our Elohim, making sure that we ingest the ‘water’ we need, as well as displaying our ‘leaves’ in a healthy and profitable atmosphere. Is this not what our Father expects of us?
“But I am like a green olive tree In the House of Elohim, I have trusted in the kindness of Elohim Forever and ever.” (Ps 52:8)
“Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his LEAF SHALL BE GREEN, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8, emphasis mine)
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