ELUL 9
To Acknowledge
“For I acknowledge my
transgressions …” (Ps 51:3 KJV)
The
Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘acknowledge’ is one we have examined
before; it is the word yâda‛ (Strong’s H3045), and most of
the time it is translated as ‘to know’.
However, when I was looking at the expanded definition of yâda‛, I came across four words, one after another, that are included in the
definition of this Hebrew word. These
four words are: recognize, admit, acknowledge,
confess.[1] These four words are such an integral part of
teshuvah, of repentance, that surely we need to stop and meditate on
what they mean.
Among the many definitions of recognize, there is one that fits with our perusal of
‘acknowledging our transgressions’. It
means “to perceive as existing or true, realize; to identify from knowledge of
appearance or characteristics.”[2]
In simpler terms, by holding up our behavior in comparison to the instructions
recorded for us in Torah, we realize (recognize) that we have fallen way short. We can identify
our wrongdoing and transgression.
When we admit
to something, we agree to its truth and validity. As an example, if someone were to accuse me
being a Torah lover, I would either agree to that truth (of course!), or deny
it (never!). I agree and take ownership
of such a statement. When used in
reference to any iniquity, admit will mean that we agree that this
is something we have done, we take ownership and responsibility of our act of
disobedience.
To acknowledge
our rebellion, misbehavior, and sin means to ‘recognize the existence of it,
the truth of it, and the fact of it.’[3] If we are reluctant to recognize the fact of our misconduct, then we have
lost sight of the essence of teshuvah,
and the restoration of our relationship with our Creator is no longer of
importance to us.
Noah
Webster has a fairly simple definition of the word confess: “To own, acknowledge or avow, as a crime, a fault, a
charge, a debt, or something that is against one's interest, or reputation.”[4] However, when we combine the thoughts and
definitions of all four words, we can easily see that it is impossible for
there to be any confession without
first going through the other three words, and all that they imply. And there can be no teshuvah without all four of these elements …
Some
thoughts to ponder as we continue to move through this ‘season of teshuvah’, this month of Elul …
©2021
[1]
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions, published in 1906, public domain
[4] American
Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828
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