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We are advised to seek Wisdom like hidden treasure - to call out for Her, to search, to mine the depths until we find Her. From before the forming of the skies She was there, Yah’s delight, His Woman of Wisdom. Yet She was veiled, hidden from the eyes of the many, for the nations chased after false queens and hollow goddesses. But to those who rise early, who cry out and search like miners, digging deep for Her as treasure in the Torah, She draws near - nourishing, steadying, illuminating. In the latter days, She will be revealed in Zion, poured out upon the remnant, their foundation of sapphire, their inheritance of light. “Look! I will rebuild you with beauty and strength: I will set your foundation upon radiant, eye-brightening stone, and lay your base with shining sapphire. I will raise your towers with glowing red gems, your gates will sparkle with crystal-like jewels, and all your walls will be built from precious stones.” Yasha'yah 54:11-12 Let's meet Wisdom and get to know Her value, how to find Her, and how to tell a counterfeit. Proverbs 2:1-9 1. My child, if you will receive my words, and treasure my instruction within, 2. turning your ear toward Wisdom, and directing your heart to discernment, 3. yes, if you call out for understanding, and lift your voice for insight, 4. if you seek Her as silver, and search for Her as hidden treasure, 5. then you will come to know reverence for YHWH, and discover the knowledge of God. 6. For YHWH Himself gifts Wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and discernment. 7. He stores up sound guidance for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8. guarding the paths of justice and preserving the journey of His loyal ones. 9. Then you will discern righteousness and justice, as well as agreeable and good conduct as a course of action. Proverbs 3:13-26, Blessed is the one who finds Wisdom, the person who comes to find Understanding. For Her market value is far above that of silver, far above refined gold is Her harvest revenue. She is rarer than secret, hard-to-find treasures, and nothing you desire can compare with Her. Long life is in Her right hand; in Her left are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all Her paths are peace. A tree of lives She is to those who take hold of Her; those who hold fast to Her are called blessed. By Wisdom YHWH founded the earth; by Understanding He established the heavens. By His Knowledge the depths were split open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My child, do not let these slip from your sight, guard sound judgment and discretion. They will be life to your soul, and ornament to your neck. Then you will walk securely on your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet. Do not fear sudden terror, nor the storm that overtakes the wicked. For YHWH will be your confidence, and He will keep your foot from being caught. Job speaks of Her in chapter 28 where he opines on the location of Wisdom's Home as a place only YHWH knows how to find. But there was another man who knew Wisdom best. When we think about Solomon, the first thing that stands out is that YHWH gave him more chokmah  ~ Wisdom than anyone else on earth. First Kings tells us that his knowledge of Wisdom and Understanding surpassed that of all men. That isn’t a casual statement. It places Solomon as the human vessel most suited to speak about Wisdom with authority. If anyone was ever positioned to introduce Her identity, it was Solomon. His gift of Wisdom wasn’t just a private advantage for ruling well; it was also a platform to reveal who She truly is. This matters because of the promise YHWH made to David. In Second Samuel 7, YHWH said that one from David’s seed would “build a house ( banah ) for My Name.” On the surface, this pointed to Solomon and the temple he built in Jerusalem. But the Hebrew word banah  carries a depth that goes beyond stone and cedar. It’s the same root as ben  (son) and bat  (daughter), and it means not only to build, but to establish, to cause growth, to form a household of sons and daughters. The promise was as much about building a family dwelling for YHWH as it was about building a physical temple (beyth ~ house). Buildings come and go, but the Family of YHWH is forever. Now, Solomon, with all the chokmah that YHWH poured into him, was in the unique position to recognize that the true builder of YHWH’s dwelling could not be a man alone. The temple was important, but the eternal house of YHWH rests on something greater: on Wisdom Herself. That is why in Proverbs, Solomon doesn’t just describe Wisdom as an attractive quality or a useful tool; he personifies Her as the very one through whom YHWH founded creation. Proverbs 3 says it plainly: “By Wisdom YHWH laid the foundations of the earth; by Understanding He established the heavens.” Later in Proverbs 8, Wisdom speaks in the first person, declaring that She was beside YHWH as a master craftsman when the world was made. This removes any possibility that Proverb's Woman of Wisdom is a human female. Solomon was testifying that chokmah  was not his alone. It belongs to Her, the eternal Woman of Wisdom. She is the true builder of the banah, as Proverbs 9 shows. She is more precious than pearls, She is a tree of lives to those who hold fast to Her, and She is the guiding voice that calls out to all humanity. Solomon knew the temple of stone would not last forever, but the house built by Wisdom endures. Solomon did not begin from nothing. The house he raised stood entirely upon the work his father had already secured. David had gathered the gold, silver, bronze, wood, and precious stones in abundance; he had ordered the priests and Levites, divided the singers and gatekeepers, and even given the pattern of the temple as it had been put into his mind by Yah's ruach ~ windfall of insight. Solomon inherited not a raw task but a finished blueprint, along with the resources to carry it out. In this way, Solomon’s labor was light. The weight of warfare, the toil of gathering, the anguish of securing the land had all fallen to David, who had to shed blood to bring peace. Solomon stepped into rest, hence his name meaning, "One of Shalom," or simply, "Peaceful One." His only task to build upon the foundation already laid. The peace he embodied allowed the house to rise, but the vision, design, and provision were all David’s gift through YHWH. Thus, even in the temple that bore Solomon’s name, the heart and hands of David were manifest. Everything is built on the Cornerstone of our Mother. Let's look at the identity of the Cornerstone deeply, as revealed by David: 21 “I will express praise publicly to You (`owdeka) , for indeed (ky) You answered and responded to me (‘anythany) and You have caused it to happen (wathehy) for me (lay) towards and into deliverance, safety, rescue and salvation (layeshuwa‘ah). 22 The stone  (`eben)  they rejected, avoiding an association with  (ma ́asuw) , did the makers and builders (habownym) , it has become (hoythah) as the head, top and leader (lero ́sh) , the cornerstone, chieftain and person of authority (pinah). 23 From being together with (me ́eth) YaHWaH (laYaHWaH | I Am Who Exists As A Provider and Future For and With You,  efei  –  יהוה  –  YHWH –  `ehayah  (H1961) from hayah;`ehayah is the first person singular form of hayah, where hayah speaks to existence in general and `ehayah is a relational prefix expressing leadership and relationship) , She has caused it to happen (haythah) . This was (zo ́th) Her (hy ́) . She is wonderful, marvelous and amazing (niphla ́th) in our eyes, understanding and sight (be‘eynynuw) .” Psalm 118:21-23 by T. Haston Zakaryah speaks of the leader from Yahudah (David), “From out of him will come forth the cornerstone  — the chief foundation and point of strength. From out of him will come forth the tent-peg  — the secure stake that holds fast the dwelling. From out of him will come forth the battle-bow  — the power and strength for war. From out of him will go forth every ruler together  — unified in leadership.” Cornerstone: (pinah)  – literally “corner, corner-stone,” also used for chief leaders (Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16) Tent-peg (yated)  – a peg or stake driven in securely, imagery of stability and permanence (Isa 22:23). Battle-bow (qeshet milchamah)  – rainbow of war, symbol of active military defense and offense, wielding a weapon of seven lights. Every unified leader (noges)  – usually “ruler, overseer,” but here likely “leader/commander.” Dowd is the vessel through whom YHWH is pouring these images, but the verse never says that he himself is  the cornerstone, or the peg, or the bow. Rather, from him, from his covenantal line, his songs, his role as champion of YHWH’s truth, these things flow outward. He is the one through whom the foundation is revealed. His greatness is in pointing beyond himself to the Rock that supports; to the Mother who is the foundation stone long rejected. He points to the secure stake that holds the dwelling together, to the power of defense and justice that belongs to YHWH alone. In this way, Dowd embodies the channel, the living spring, from which stability and leadership pour. The cornerstone he proclaims is the One he rests upon, not his own person. David's inheritance, his kingdom and future is all built on the foundation of the Rock that YHWH laid as the foundation. That’s the logic that ties it all together: the promise to David, the gift given to Solomon, and the unveiling of Wisdom’s identity as the foundation of it all. Solomon wasn’t just the one who constructed the temple. He was also the one chosen to reveal that Wisdom Herself is the foundation, co-builder and skilled craftswoman ('emown) of YHWH’s household, the banah. By presenting Her this way, he anchored the promise not in brick and mortar, but in the eternal order of creation and covenant life. What is truly breathtaking is the way Solomon presents Wisdom not merely as a companion or a teacher, but as a Tree of Lives for all who embrace Her. To discover Her is to uncover more than survival; it is to enter into a second life - a continual unfolding of existence beyond the mortal span. She is not just “valuable” in the way silver or gold might be. She is the rarest treasure on earth, more precious than pearls, because She alone is the channel through which enduring life flows. To cling to Her is to be grafted back into the Source of being itself, the Mother of Creation, who shelters and sustains the soul in its journey. In his song to YHWH’s Doe of the Dawn  ~ Psalm 22, David (Dowyd) gives voice to this intimate bond in strikingly maternal language. He speaks of being carried from the womb, placed in safety at birth, and nurtured from the breast despite being attacked by enemies all around. The psalm is more than lament; it is the cry of a child bound to the Mother of Life, trusting Her even in distress. 10 "Emphasizing the point, You  { ky `atah } caused me to move from a lower place into a higher place, issuing from confinement like water bursting forth or a child issuing in a gush of waters  { goch `any ~ like a river breaking out from its source, bubbling up like water bursting out of the ground or a child issuing from the womb, or a soldier’s rush into battle, to pull out or bring from one place into another place; from gochah ~ to be pulled out; qal participle singular construct} out of the inner chamber of the generative depths of the womb as the home and source of lineage, origin and safety  { min baten ~ the hollow of the innermost part of a female} causing me to rely like a newborn unaware of danger  { mabatyach`any ~ as an unsuspecting dependent in confidence}  upon the source of an infant's sufficiency and emotional connection, the breasts   providing milk, comfort and sustenance  { ‘al shady, dual construct of shad connecting to the following noun; shad is the root of Shaday } of my Mother  { `emy } ."  11 Toward you with intent  { `aleyka  ~ ‘al `atah } I was caused to be thrown out and ejected, cast towards you as one entirely given over  { hashalakaty, hofal perfect first person singular form of shalak } from out of the depths of emotion, the loving and deeply compassionate point of origin  { min rachem, from racham ~ love, a feeling or attitude of strong affection towards an object, a manifest act of kindness toward object of one’s love and affection, the merciful matrix experienced by those helpless and at the mercy of a loving creator} out of the inner chamber of the womb as the home and source of lineage, origin and safe shelter  { min beten } of my Mother  { `emy  ~ `em `any } , my source of strength and might, my Mighty One  { `el `any } you are  { `atah } . 12 Do not abandon, retreating into distance { `al tirachaq ~ second person masc. imperative} far from me  { mim`any } , for truly trouble and distress, anxiety and neediness restrain and confine me { ky tsarah ~ root words indicate the source is someone close who is acting as an enemy cause undue distress} ,   closing in on me in time, space and relational proximity  { qarowbah ~ distress, likely caused by someone very close in space, relationship, time, degree or circumstances is not far away and is encircling me} ; surely nothing and no one  { ky `ayin } can assist me by removing this experience, offer alleviation, ease the burden or provide relief by helping me  { ‘owzar } ." Psalm 22:10-12 Wisdom is our Mother, and it makes sense that she has been hidden, not absent but veiled. David writes in many places in metaphor about Her comfort to his soul, such as Psalm 131:2 and Psalm 139:13-16. She has been protected and reserved for those who rise early to seek Yah: “I love those who love me; and those who seek me at dawn will find me.”  Proverbs 8:17 She is veiled to guard against counterfeits. Israel was repeatedly seduced by the goddess-trade: the Ashtoreth/Astarte, Asherah, the “queen of heaven” and her bull companion. Even today, the remnant and Israel must choose between a false woman of wisdom and her bull, or the One they seek to hide from you by stealth - Yah and His true partner, the Woman of Wisdom. She is no mortal female and was there from the dawn of time. Yah tore those pagan idols down before, and He will do it again (Judges   2:13 ; 1 Kings 11:5; 2 Kings 23:4–7; Jeremiah 7:18: 1 Sam 7:3-4). Our Mother’s presence is encoded for safekeeping, rather than advertised: preserved in the fabric of Torah for the remnant who will listen. She was there from the beginning: She was in the ruach ~ breath/wind which was hovering/brooding over the waters (Genesis 1:2; Proverbs 3 and 8), the Rock who begot us - the Mighty One who gave us birth (Deuteronomy 32:18). Wisdom was there, brought forth before the depths (Proverbs 8:22–25), and She is seen in the call to heed “the Torah teaching of your Mother” (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20). The family pattern runs through the covenant: honor your Father and your Mother so your days may be prolonged in the land given by the Father (Shemot 20:12): “You should show highest esteem { kabad ~ applying heavy meaning and weight in respect to something that is very high and important, to show honor and respect, to view as very valuable and knowledgeable, comprehend the opportunities being provided to you} of   your Father  { `eth `abyakah } and also toward your Mother  { wa `eth   `em `atah } for the purpose of  { lama‘an ~   in consideration of a proper response,   on account of your approach, there is a specific purpose, which is to initiate in one’s mind, that requires a response; a compound of mah  ~ ponder and consider how ‘anah ~ to answer, respond or testify } extending your fortification  { y`arakwn  ~ `arak } continuing your time in the warm light of day { yowm `atah ~ your days, your means to approach warmth, of time itself} upon { ‘al - over, above and beyond} the mortal cycles of ‘Adam’s material realm  { ha `adamah ~ not just “land of ‘Adam, but ‘adamah  speaks of the cycles of which mankind is subject, of which he could break free by rising or passing over them} which for being   happy and blessed by YHWH  { `ashery   efei – YHWH – יהוה} ~ speaking of the  ‘adamah’s purpose which exists as an opportunity for us to achieve blessings and happiness} your Mighty Ones  { `elohym `atah ~ majestic plural, singular suffix speaking of a duality as one whole or a pair, lit. Mighty Ones} ,   has bestowed as a gift { nathan } to you  { la `atah } .” Honoring human parents will not extend your mortal life by a single day. This instruction is specifically regarding your relationship with YHWH. And She is there in the reminder that YHWH is one (’echad) - a unity (Deuteronomy 6:4). ‘Elohym in the Hebrew view is actually what scholars call a palimpsest - an archaic fossilized word that was altered in modern interpretation to be perceived as singular due to its association with ‘echad, but the original meaning still shines through. ‘Elohym is the plural form of “power, might or strong one,” literally “powers/ mighty ones / strong ones.” ‘Elohym represents a binary and was originally understood to mean male and female mighty ones, including false gods/goddesses which counterfeit the ‘Elohym of Yisra’el. ‘Echad is similar in that it also represents a binary: one from two - a unified whole made from distinct parts. The Torah doesn’t erase the duality of ‘echad - it embraces it and then reveals the unity within it. While human language changes, YHWH does not. 'Adam was told to leave his Father and Mother, and we know that 'Adam was made special and specifically by Them. His descendants were called sons of God (Genesis 6:2-4). 'Adam left his Parents to become one (’echad) with his own woman, for we are made in Their image - male and female as one whole (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 1:27). “If YHWH of Hosts had not left us a tiny remnant, we would have become as Sodom ~ Enclosure of the Scorched, we would have resembled Amorah ~ Pile of Ruined Sheaves.” Yasha'yah 1:9 The remnant remembers. So what happened at Sodom and Amorah that we need to pay attention to, so our mistake is not repeated? Very few souls escaped from Sodom and Amorah. Only a tiny remnant of one covenant family survived - those for whom Abraham had interceded before YHWH (Genesis 18:23–32). The city itself was beyond hope; its corruption was so deep that even the messengers (malakim) sent by YHWH did not engage in public pleading. Instead, it was Lot’s household who had to face the violent demands of the men of the city (Genesis 19:4-9). At dawn, the little family was seized by the hand and guided out at the very last moment (Genesis 19:15–16). Yet one of them faltered: Lot’s wife turned back and was left behind, cut off from her family (Genesis 19:26). She died that day, and the remaining family carried forward only to collapse into further ruin. Lot’s daughters, now motherless and without proper guidance, took matters into their own hands. They gave their father strong drink and approached him in order to bear children by improper means (Genesis 19:30–36). Their offspring became the Moabites and Ammonites, nations that would embody opposition to Israel. What should have been a preserved remnant instead yielded corrupted fruit. Symbolism of Wine as a Carrier of a Ruach: What's in Your Cup? Because of how important this distinction is to understand the separation of terms and functions of wine, let's dive into the differences. In the prophets, YHWH repeatedly compares coming before Him with “strong drink” to corruption - an intoxicated vapor, a false breath, a treacherous ruach (influence) (Yasha'yah 28:7; Hosea 4:11). To approach YHWH with the wrong ʾĕlōah  (a false god) is forbidden (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 32:17). Instead, the vessel of the soul is meant to hold olive oil, the sustaining, life-giving light (Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2). To bring strong drink instead of oil is to bring darkness instead of light, counterfeit breath instead of true influence. Wine in Yah's word is never one thing. Its meaning depends on the source and the purpose. Wisdom’s wine is pressed in Her own house, mixed and poured at a table She has prepared with bread (Proverbs ~ Mishlei 9:1-6). It is a symbol of covenant joy and deep satisfaction, nourishment that leads to life. But the Whore’s drink is stolen. She whispers that stolen water and secret bread are sweet, yet what she offers is a lie - her false feasts mimic YHWH’s but lead only to Sheol (Proverbs 9:17-18). The difference is not in the drink itself, but in whose hand offers it and what ruach it carries. Yasha’yah and the prophets sharpen this contrast by speaking of new wine. YHWH calls the remnant “the new wine found in the cluster” (Yasha’yah 65:8-9). This is the first, fresh, uncorrupted portion full of blessing. Drinking the new wine is to be part of the preserved seed, the remnant spared destruction. By contrast, the nations’ wine is called venom and poison, “the wine of serpents” (Dabarym 32:33). Their cup stupefies; YHWH’s cup preserves. The prophets write often about the cup of wrath which YHWH pours out. Psalm 75:8 speaks of a cup in YHWH’s hand, filled with foaming wine, fermenting and mixed. This is not the fresh new wine of Wisdom, but the corrupted cup of the nations, the intoxicating vapor of false gods. YHWH pours it out, and the wicked of the earth are made to drink it down to the dregs, swallowing the bitterness they chose. The imagery makes plain that the cup you lift, either Wisdom’s or the Whore’s, will in the end be returned to you. The remnant spared from Sodom and Amorah drink the new wine of the cluster, but the nations that chase corruption must drain the cup of their own ferment. Yasha'yah warns that even in the end-times the priests and prophets using YHWH's name have reeled with wine and wandered with strong drink. They are swallowed up by what they drink; the very vessels chosen to see clearly and judge rightly are intoxicated by a false breath. Their vision errs, their justice stumbles (Yasha'yah 28:7). The imagery is deliberate: the cup they lifted was not Wisdom’s, but the counterfeit. The oil that should have sustained their light was replaced with vapor that burned out. Where Wisdom’s wine nourishes, their strong drink betrays. And the result is a staggering priesthood and a prophetic voice that no longer carries YHWH’s clarity. Hosea warns: “Whoredom, wine, and even new wine seize and take away the heart” (Hosea 4:11). Here the prophet joins physical indulgence and emotional betrayal. The cup, meant to carry blessing, becomes an emptying force. Even new wine, the symbol of fresh abundance, can be corrupted when mixed with disloyalty. What should gladden the soul instead robs it of heart, leaving it hollow. The lesson is clear: the problem is not the wine itself, but the influence ~ ruach behind it. Wine from Wisdom’s table nourishes, wine from harlotry and false knowledge strips life away. Only by clinging to Wisdom as the Mother who fills the cup rightly can the remnant approach YHWH full rather than empty. The same is true with water. Living water flows freely, springing up with renewal and clarity. It is the water YHWH provides from the rock (Shemot 17:6), or the headwaters of salvation spoken of by Yasha'yah (Yasha’yah 12:3). It is not stagnant or stolen, but abundant and sustaining. The Whore, by contrast, pours stolen water. The inference is that she has stolen water from Wisdom, serving it as if she alone is the source. She calls it sweet because it is forbidden, but it is empty of life - a counterfeit stream that does not endure. Strong drink carries another layer of the lesson. When priests entered the Tent, they were forbidden wine or strong drink, “so that you may distinguish between the set apart (qodesh) and the common, and teach the people” (Wayiqra 10:8-11). To approach YHWH intoxicated is to approach Him with a false breath, an alcoholic vapor of the soul. Unauthorized strong drink symbolizes disordered approach, the wrong ruach (breath, wind or influence) filling the vessel. Yet drink itself is not forbidden - Proverbs (Mishlei) 31:6 allows strong drink to the perishing, and Dabarym 14:26 permits wine for rejoicing at appointed feasts (although wine is not on the menu of Pesach, despite how desperately religious individuals cling to that notion). The question is always whether one approaches YHWH with the counterfeit vapor or with the ruach (breath, influence and wind) of clarity and truth. Against this backdrop stands oil, the substance that does not deceive. Olive oil sustains light without burning out like alcoholic vapors. Yisra'el was instructed to bring clear oil so the lamp might shine continually before YHWH (Shemot 27:20-21). Oil is used to anoint priests, kings, and prophets, marking them for true service. Oil gladdens, heals, and endures, unlike wine that betrays or strong drink that clouds the mind (Mizmor 23:5; Yasha’yah 61:3; Ecclesiastes / Qohelet - One Who Addresses the Assembly 9:8). In Zakar’yah’s vision, the olive trees stand as eternal witnesses, supplying the lampstand with oil, declaring, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My ruach ~ influence” (Zakar’yah 4:1-6, 11-14). As we read above, Wisdom is a Tree of Lives, supplying the right ruach to fill your soul's lamp. David himself is called the lamp (ner) of Yisr'ael, and his cup was overflowing with Her influence and sustenance. Oil is not an intoxicating vapor but a sustaining flame, the light of Wisdom’s house. Wisdom is not symbolized by a "spirit mother." She is not a false light, nor an alcoholic vapor (spirit) like the mystery woman of Babylon. The pattern emerges: wine versus new wine, living water versus stolen water, strong drink versus rightful rejoicing, vapor of intoxication versus the steady light of oil. Each symbol divides the true from the false, Wisdom’s feast from the Whore’s counterfeit feasts, YHWH’s remnant from the nations’ corruption. The remnant survives not because they are many, but because they cling to what endures - the oil that feeds the eternal lamp, the light that never goes out. And so comes the final call: “He [ElYah] will turn the hearts of the Progenitors to the children and the hearts of the children to their Progenitors, lest I come and strike the earth” (Malachi 4:6) Elyah did this exact thing when he left his story behind in writing and taught Yisra'el through example not to follow Achab and his Jezebel. The priests of Ba'al were shamed, and Elyah showed the might of YHWH over the false gods. Similarly, YHWH destroyed the false gods of Egypt by dismantling all of their symbols of power and might. In conclusion, do not leave behind the true Mother (Prov 4:6). Seek Wisdom as hidden treasure, and She will treasure you in return (Prov 2:4). She is present, for those who truly seek. From creation to covenant to song - She is there. She is beside YHWH always (Prov 8), present from the dawn of time.  In Proverbs 8:35–36 Wisdom says, “Whoever finds Me discovers multiple lives, and gains favor from YHWH. But the one who misses Me wrongs his own soul; all who hate Me love death.” For those who wish to take a deeper look, here is Proverbs 8:35-36 amplified by my dear friend and co-blogger, Mike G.: "Because whoever finds Me  (ky matsa’, to discover, find, and realize, as in to conceive vividly as real, (qal, participle, literal descriptive action)) finds, attaining  (matsa’, to discover, find, and realize, as in to conceive vividly as real, to attain, as in to come into possession of, (qal, participle, literal descriptive action)) lives  (chay, life, nourishment, an oath of promise, (noun, masculine, plural)) , and has cause to gain  (wa puwq, obtain, gain, as in an increase in amount, magnitude and degree, (hifil, imperfect)) favor and acceptance  (ratsown, favor, acceptance, acknowledgement, from ratsah, to be pleased with, acceptable, and satisfied with) from  (min, by means of) YHWH  (YHWH) , but  (wa, on the other hand) the one who misses the way, is guilty of not finding Me  (chata’, do wrong, miss the mark, miss the way, lose the way, (qal, participle, literal descriptive action)) injures, literally harming  (chamas, injure, do harm, do violence, (qal, participle, literal descriptive action, masculine, singular)) his nephesh / soul (nephesh huw’, life, soul, inner being, the ability to think rationally, from naphash, to breathe, be refreshed) , all those that hate, and can’t bear Me  (kol sane’ ‘any, hate, abhor, cannot deal with, (piel, participle, the bringing about of a descriptive state were the object undergoes the action)) they love and worship  (‘ahab, love, desire, worship, as in have a devotion for, (qal, perfect, literal action at any time)) the dead  (maweth, death, the dead, the plague, from muwth, to die , be dead, to oppress and destroy be put to death) .” A special Thank You  to Mike, Terry, and Russ whose translation work inspired a great many of these connections. You can speak to them on Facebook in the Malunah Group.

Bikurim is not a feast, not a miqra (called-out assembly), and not a mow’ed (appointed meeting). It’s the lifting of an omer, a sheaf of the first harvested grain. The omer is typically barley which is waved before YHWH on the day after the Shabat that falls during Chag Matsah. There is no given calendar date. There is no community gathering, it was done by the priest. The omer wave offering is the starting point for counting fifty days to the real feast: Shabu'ot. And here’s the kicker: Mosheh never performed it. The omer wave was only to be done in the Land of Promise - after the harvest of Yisra’el’s soil. Until then, it wasn't able to be observed. During the Exodus the 'Ibry ~ Hebrews were eating manna (sap nests made by a manna scale beetle), not waving barley. But that didn’t stop religious systems from twisting it. Christianity falsely merged Bikurim with the first Pesach, claiming the people “passed over” at sunrise to fulfill a symbolic “harvest of first fruits of the resurrection.” In so-doing, they hijacked the omer, turning it into a feast day to support their myth of a “third-day resurrection.” However, was no instruction given for bikurim at that time, and neither Mosheh nor the people had any idea what it was! Christians synchronized their fabricated messiah’s death with Pesach, Matsah and their misappropriation of the omer. They even dragged in Yonah’s three days in the belly of the beast, misreading it as a resurrection prophecy, all to justify human sacrifice - a practice strictly forbidden in the Torah. YHWH never treated the omer as a festival. It’s not one of the seven mo’ed miqra’ey. It’s not a set-apart gathering. It’s a single priestly offering which marks when to start counting. It’s not a prophecy. It’s not a shadow of a future sacrifice. It’s a grain offering. That’s it. The omer calibrates the count from Pesach (14th) and Matsah (15th) as a floating day, anchored to the natural weekly Shabat so that we count seven complete Shabats (weeks and natural shabats) to arrive at Shabu’ot, which literally means Seven Sevens. Let’s stop adding to Yah’s word or bending His calendar to fit myths and traditions. Bikurim is not a feast. It’s an omer. Also note: Anyone claiming to be a prophet of YHWH while purporting a false feast schedule is a liar.

Welcome to Shamar Towrah! We’re so pleased you are here. Let us begin by sharing what Shamar Torah means. In Hebrew, shamar speaks of listening closely, paying attention, carefully observing, and responding to what is seen. Torah (or towrah) is YHWH’s teaching, instruction, direction, and guidance. Together, Shamar Torah is a purposeful way to live, attentively guarding and walking in the living words of life. Who is YHWH, and What is Torah? YHWH is the eternal and living God - ‘elohym (plural) in Hebrew. YHWH are the Mighty Ones who exist and cause existence, Father and Mother of life, the source of all that is true, enduring, and good. They are not distant, but near - the providers of Torah, revealing Their words, Their creation account, and Their relationship with mankind. The very Name, YHWH, speaks of promise: “I Exist, and I will provide a future for you.” Torah is Their gift of teaching and direction - not a rigid law-code but living words that flow like a stream. Its purpose is to nourish us, restore the soul, bring clarity where there is confusion, and light the path of life. Torah reveals who YHWH is, what They value, and how we may walk with Them as Parents, for we were made in Their image - male and female. As Chawah (Eve) was taken from 'Adam, so the Heavenly Mother was set-apart from Yah (Proverbs 8) as His first creation. She existed before the Creation of the Earth, and She is always at His side as co-Creator. As such, YHWH modeled His pattern of design, purpose and family structure in Their image. This is the design and origin of the human family - having both father and mother. YHWH are the Father and Mother of the 10 instructions given by Moseh when YHWH declared we should view Them as significant, weighty, and valuable to obtain a second life. Thier family Home is called the Beyth, and Their plan and purpose is explained in their letter to humankind ~ the Torah. Torah is instruction for freedom, not bondage. It is guidance for flourishing, not restriction. To open its pages is to hear our Creator’s voice; to walk in its ways is to live in harmony with creation and with God. We study Torah because it is the heartbeat of YHWH’s covenant with us. We are not here to invent doctrines or gather followers, but to listen, observe, and respond - to shamar torah - so that we may be restored, and life may flourish for generations to come. As the prophet Isaiah declared: “YHWH delighted, for the sake of His righteousness, to make the Torah great and wonderful.” (Isaiah 42:21) Why We’re Here This site is a gathering of Torah studies, notes, and insights from a small group of students walking this path together. We share not as teachers, but as seekers - people learning, questioning, and growing as we journey through YHWH’s Word. You can also find us on YouTube and Facebook @ShamarTorah, @YarahYahwah, and in the Malunah Facebook Study Group. As David (Dowyd) wrote: “The Torah of YHWH is whole and complete, flawless and lacking nothing. It turns us back, restores us, and renews the very breath of our soul. The witness of YHWH is steadfast and enduring, firm and trustworthy, establishing what is true. It opens the eyes of the simple, giving wisdom to the willing, teaching the receptive how to live with insight, skill, and understanding.” Psalm / Song 19:7 Our only desire is to guard, cherish, and live the Way - Shamar Torah.

There's no need for a man to come and be the branch, Dowd has already done it. Dowd has already heralded, and Dowd has already written the words. Dowd already planted the seeds that will sprout. David is the son of Jesse in Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 33:15 says, ““In those radiant days, at that specifically designated season, I Myself will cause to sprout up for David (la Dowd) a living shoot, a chosen branch aligned in uprightness. He will accomplish true governance, setting matters in order with justice, and he will bring forth restorative righteousness throughout the land.” Dowd's legacy as psalmist and covenant-heir is the sprouting branch. His writings reach across time, continuing to establish justice and righteousness wherever they are read, sung, and lived out. They are living growth from him, still actively accomplishing what the verse says. This is why prophets like Jeremiah echo back to Dowd: they see his covenant and his words as not finished, but ongoing -still sprouting into new life. Dowd's songs function like seeds, having been carried through a time of winter and drought, his seed-words are germinating righteousness in this final generation. If there is any man other than Dowd who claims this verse speaks of himself as the Branch, he is a liar. If he calls himself a foreign outsider (nakry) and also the Branch, he is a complete and total liar. Notice what the text actually says. YHWH is the one speaking: “I will cause to sprout for Dowd.” The action is Yah’s alone, and it is done for Dowd, not through another man. The Branch is the restoration of Dowd’s own kingship and reputation, which for centuries has been distorted by false traditions, especially the association of atonement with human sacrifice – a practice forbidden in the Torah. By promising a “Branch of righteousness,” Yah is announcing that He will cleanse Dowd’s name and restore his covenant role exactly as He swore in 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89. The claim that another man can insert himself as this Branch collapses under the language of the verse itself. The imagery of a sprout or branch is always one of family continuity. A twig can only come from its own stump. Here the stump is Jesse, the root of David / Dowd. That means the Branch must be Dowd’s continuation, his covenant and his kingship revived. To say otherwise is to imply that Yah’s eternal oath to Dowd failed and needed a foreign replacement, which is impossible. Therefore, the true meaning of Jeremiah 33:15 is clear: the Branch of righteousness is YHWH’s own act of vindication, raising up Dowd’s legacy and kingship in the last days, without the help or intrusion of any man. When YHWH speaks in 2 Samuel 7:12–16, He says: “I will raise up your seed after you… he shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” This is not a cancellation of Dowd, but an extension of his own line. Dowd is the trunk, and from him grows branches - like Solomon - who build the banah, the covenantal house. Solomon fulfilled part of this by constructing the Beyth (temple), but also in his wisdom writings where he clearly encapsulates the Woman of Wisdom’s words as the Mother of the House, restoring complete parental connection. But YHWH never said, “Your descendant will replace you as Messiah.” Instead He swore: “Your throne will be established forever.” That oath belongs to Dowd personally. Isaiah 11:1 paints the picture: “A shoot will come forth from the stump of Yishay, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” The focus is not on an unknown new figure, but on continuity in the same stock. Dowd is the eternal king, and his own household is the fruit-bearing branch. Solomon, and others of his line, extend that branch, but the identity of the tree never changes. It remains the tree of Yishay through Dowd. Jeremiah 23:5–6 speaks of “a righteous Branch” raised up for Dowd. This again points to YHWH restoring and vindicating Dowd’s line, but also Dowd himself. The wordplay shows both aspects: (1) the physical continuity of sons who build the house, and (2) the reputational restoration of Dowd himself as Yah’s chosen. These are not contradictions but two layers of the same promise. So how do we resolve the tension? Dowd is the Messiah - the anointed one, declared as such in 2 Samuel 23:1. His descendants, like Solomon, are also appointed in their tasks, but their appointment flows from Dowd’s covenant. They are branches of his tree, not replacements. The confusion comes when people treat the branch as if it’s a whole new tree. Psalm 22 captures the reality: Dowd’s legacy was torn apart and smeared, his very identity “whittled away.” His enemies surrounded him with accusations, treating him as if guilty of rebellion. But Isaiah 53, read in its plain Hebrew, is not about a human sacrifice - it’s about the suffering of one falsely accused, treated as guilty when innocent, and then vindicated by YHWH. Psalm 19 agrees: Dowd says he is kept back from “great rebellion” (pesha’ rabbah). His guilt has been manufactured by enemies, not borne out in truth. That is why YHWH Himself steps in to restore Dowd. By causing the “Branch of righteousness” to sprout for Dowd, He removes the centuries of false accusation - both rabbinic sidelining and Christian corruption. Dowd is restored not by the work of another man, but by Yah’s own act of reputational cleansing. The Branch is both the continuation of his house through Solomon and others, and the vindication of Dowd’s own name as eternal king of the earth. Jeremiah 23:5–8 is one of the key texts that has been used to argue: “See, the Messiah must be a descendant of David, not David himself.” But if we slow down and track the grammar and context, the passage does not transfer Messiahship away from Dowd - it actually affirms YHWH’s covenant promise to Dowd himself. The verse says: “Behold, the days are coming… I will raise up for David (לְדָוִד) a righteous shoot, and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” Notice: “for David,” not “from David.” The preposition l’Dowd (לְדָוִד) means “for David’s sake” or “on behalf of David.” It does not say “I will raise up from David a new king,” but “I will raise up for David a righteous shoot.” The difference is huge. It means this sprouting branch is Yah’s way of vindicating David, not replacing him. A “shoot” or “branch” imagery (tsemach, netser, choter) is always connected to regrowth from an existing stump after it has been cut down. The picture is not “a new person instead of the old one,” but “revival of the same tree.” The promise here is that YHWH will make David’s kingship sprout again, after centuries of being chopped down and discredited. In verse 6 he says: “In his days Yahudah will be saved, and Yisra’el will dwell securely.” This ties directly to other prophecies where YHWH promises that David himself will shepherd His people again: “I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David; he will feed them… and David my servant will be prince among them” (Ezekiel 34:23–24). “My servant David will be king over them… David my servant will be their prince forever” (Ezekiel 37:24–25). Jeremiah 30:9 even says explicitly: “They shall serve YHWH their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” Jeremiah is not contradicting himself. He is confirming that David’s kingship will be restored in the last days. The verse adds: “And this is his name by which he will be called: YHWH Tzidqenu (YHWH is our Righteousness).” This does not make David into YHWH. Rather, it shows that David’s kingship will finally be recognized as in perfect harmony with Yah’s righteousness - the opposite of how his reputation was smeared (Psalm 22, Psalm 31, Psalm 109). This is all about the reputational restoration of David, once associated with the guilt of rebellious human sacrificial narratives, now vindicated as the righteous king under Yah. This is why Zakaryah states to the Daughter of Tsion that your king will come to you in righteousness – this isn’t about a physical advent on a literal foal of a donkey, but the donkey is used as a metaphor for the mechanism of humble transportation. Unlike the messages and systems of war-hero's on swift horses, Dowd’s humble and foot-sure message will finally come to you at the end of time, and he will be perceived in an upright manner. The section ends saying the second Exodus - the regathering of Israel from all nations - will not be like the first Exodus (yatsa) from Egypt. This is a mental and emotional Exodus. And who is named throughout as shepherding them in that restoration? David. Full stop. David is the shepherd of the remnant. No other. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea - all point back to David as the king at the time of regathering. So the key clarification is this: Jeremiah 23:5–8 is not shifting the messianic role away from David to some later descendant. It is YHWH promising to raise up and restore David’s kingship so that Israel and Judah will live safely under his reign. The “shoot” is the sprouting of David’s legacy, the reputational and covenantal restoration of the same king Yah anointed - not a foreigner (nakry – to be strange, alien, and not part of the covenantal family). And who does the restoring? In every prophetic passage about David’s restoration, YHWH is the sole actor: “They shall serve YHWH their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them” (Jeremiah 30:9). “My servant David will be king over them, and they all will have one shepherd… David my servant will be their prince forever” (Ezekiel 37:24–25). “I will cause a Branch of righteousness to sprout for David” (Jeremiah 33:15). “I will give you the loyal mercies of David. Behold, I gave him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander” (Isaiah 55:3–4). Nowhere do these texts authorize another man - much less a nakry - to step in and accomplish this. The work is Yah’s hand alone, vindicating His chosen. The timing is consistently linked to the final generation at the time of restoration. Again, Jeremiah 23:7–8 says the regathering of Israel out of every land is different than the first Exodus from Egypt - a once-for-all, end-of-days restoration. Hosea 3:5 says, “After this time, the children of Israel shall return and seek YHWH their God and David their king; and they shall come trembling to YHWH and to His goodness in the last days (acharit hayamim).” This places David’s restoration squarely in the end-time generation, not in the days of Solomon or Hezekiah, and certainly not fulfilled by a Christian messiah figure. Moseh speaks of this last generation in the final chapters of Dabarym. Look to the fruitful branch of Dowd as YHWH restores the tree from the stump of Dowd's father, Yishay. This is a celebration of YHWH's commitment to His Word, Promises and Plan on behalf of Dowd and his house, forever.

The Hebrew word for prophet is nabi ~ mouthpiece. A naby’ of YHWH is devoid of his own message, acting only as a conduit for YHWH. Everything he says while acting in official capacity for YHWH, either in word or written word, must bear fruit and come to pass as stated without error. Otherwise, you’ll know he is not working for YHWH but speaking out of his own delusion. Moseh and Dowd devoted their lives to guiding others and preserving YHWH’s words for future generations. Though they sometimes stumbled in their personal lives, every word they wrote or spoke as naby’im was correct, authorized, and validated by YHWH. A naby’ does not speak from human knowledge or perspective, but as a vessel through which YHWH’s message flows. This is why and how YHWH raised up even a humble young shepherd boy like Dowd. The naby’ were not about human displays of power, personal message, wealth, or human wisdom. The naby’ of YHWH were willing conduits for His voice, never their own. So , how many times can a man speak falsely in YHWH’s name, twist His feasts, promote human sacrifice, and still be excused? The authorized prophets warned us long ago not to fear or follow such voices, especially in these last days: “Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for what is he to be esteemed?” (Isaiah 2:22) “The fear, respect and dread of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in YHWH is set securely on high.” (Proverbs 29:25) The answer is clear: do not give weight to mortals who deceive in the name of YHWH, particularly those falsely running where they were not sent. Instead, revere YHWH alone and walk in His ways (Deut. 10:12–13). “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares YHWH, “who steal My words from one another. Behold, I am against the prophets who use their own tongues and declare, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams… and lead My people astray with their lies and reckless boasting, when I did not send them or command them; and they do not profit this people at all,” declares YHWH. (Jeremiah 23:30–32) “And He said, ‘Now please hear My official declaration  { wayomer } please attentively listen, and respond accordingly to { shim’uw n`a ~ engage to hear, understand and then respond, emphatic particle ~ please!}   My statement on the matter  { d’abary ~ to arrange words in order with legal implication} . When coming to pass { im yih’yeh } a naby`a  ~ spokesperson bubbling up as a conduit   of flowing language among yourselves { n’abi’akhem ~ to bubble up with speech flowing through them, to be empty of one’s own purpose and flow with the words of another ~ construct form; from nab`a ~ to receive and express words; related to nabab  ~ to be hollow, to allow flow,to open; related to nuwb  ~ to bear fruit, to bring forth results, pour forth, bubble, gush, sprout, yield fruit, or flow;  `akhem  ~ plural, second person} , I, YHWH   { YHWH } , within the prophetic vision which appears { bamar’ah ~ among that which is seen in the mind’s eye and vocalized with words, telling a vision, to flow with insight; from mar`ah  ~ the crop of a bird, the throat of a messenger bird; a waking revelation, perceiving something being visually shown}   to him  {` elaw },   specifically, I will cause Myself to be known  { et’wada ~ hitpael imperfect, unfolding reflexive; imperfect indicates unfolding, ongoing and incomplete actions with the reflexive nuance making YHWH both the subject and object which the verb yada is acting, “I, Yahowah, am doing the action of making Myself the object of knowledge causing Me to become known”; from the verbal root yad‘a ~ to make oneself known, to reveal oneself, to let oneself be experienced or understood; first person, singular} in and by subconscious thought  { b’ hachalom ~ a dream-state as a series of thoughts, images, or feelings which occur during sleep as a natural altered state of awareness, subconscious thought}  I will purposefully arrange words into him {` adaber bo huw`a ~ piel imperfect first-person, singular gives a sense of emphatic, deliberative, and authoritative speech which is not casual or random in nature; huw`a  is in third person, masculine, singular - the individual receiving the message from YHWH directly} .’ ” (BaMidbar 12:6) Shortened translation: “And He said, ‘Now hear My official declaration, please attentively listen, and respond accordingly to My statement on the matter. When a naby`a  ~ spokesperson bubbling up as a conduit   of flowing language ~ comes to exist among yourselves, YHWH, within the prophetic vision which appears   to him   specifically, I will cause Myself to be known in and by subconscious thought I will purposefully arrange words into him." I translated this particular passage deeply for study purposes so you can see the clear meaning of a nabi's role and how YHWH works with His co-workers. While my deep-dive translation is just that, my own personal study, I hope it encourages you all to dive in and get familiar with YHWH's words for yourselves.

Can a man offer his life or physical body to redeem or ransom another person? Please comment thoughts below! Dowd writes in Psalm 49:7-9 "No man can redeem the life of another!" This all comes down to perception. If you had never heard of the Christian New Testament (which I wholesale reject), how would you approach the songs of King David (Dowyd)? Religion twists his cries of anguish into a lens that is anti-Torah. We’ve all been taught that Jesus came to give his body as a sacrifice or offering to ransom or redeem souls. Some say because there’s no proof of Jesus, it was really King David who returned to help save others by gifting or offering his physical body to redeem or ransom souls from liability for sin: yet Torah calls this act an abomination. This deed is not authorized by YHWH, and David confirms this by distinctly saying it cannot be done. No man can ever offer his body to cover another man’s sins. Dabarym 24:16: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; each shall be put to death for his own sin.” Psalm 49:7 - 9: “No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him for the ransom for a life is too costly, no payment is ever enough, that he should live on forever.” YHWH stated it. David witnesses it is impossible. It makes sense, after all, how can a mortal, worthless shell be traded for a priceless soul's eternity? There’s no wiggle room. Twist, reframe, deny, rebel, or shift this clearly communicated message to your own peril. For me, it's not hard to relinquish such a vile practice. YHWH has long fought against the idea that He would require a human to be killed in dedication, devotion, as a gift of redemption, as an offering, or as a sacrifice. YHWH stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, because God does not require human sacrifice. "They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal, something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind". Jeremiah 19:5 He stopped the gorer from taking the lives of the sons of anyone who put the sign of permission for protection on their doors during the first Pesach in Egypt: “For indeed YHWH will cross through to strike down the oppressors of Mitsrayim. Yet when He sees the blood, the sign of life, upon the upper beam and upon the two standing posts, then YHWH will pass over, shielding the entrance, and He will not allow the Destroyer, the one who corrupts and devastates, to come into your houses to strike you down.” Exodus 12:23 And yet, somehow, despite all of this evidence to the nature of YHWH, humankind has managed to convince that God wants to kill His own son as a bodily offering to atone for your sins, in violation of His own words, character, and reputation. There's an easy explanation why. Control through fear. By controlling the narrative, humans put YHWH in a box of their own making and then use this creation to shame, humiliate, threaten, condemn, and act like tyrants over one another. But humans have no authority over each other's souls: Psalm 75:7: “God is the judge; He puts down one and lifts up another.” Judgment belongs to YHWH alone. This is YHWH’s decision, and only YHWH decides the fate of souls. YHWH makes this exclusive claim: Deuteronomy 32:39: “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god beside Me; I put to death and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and none can deliver out of My hand.” 1 Samuel 2:6: “YHWH kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.” Ecclesiastes 12:14: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” Only YHWH kills or makes alive, wounds or heals, judges or redeems. Humans can help carry out Torah’s earthly justice within the community and within their family home, but no man can pay the ransom for another soul, and no man can pass judgement over the fate of your soul. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:4, 11 The psalmist mocks man’s power, affirming that only God holds the real power. I stand united with David in this. I am not afraid of any mortal, fleshly being. You should not be either. “YHWH is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6 “I, I am He who comforts you; who are you that you fear man who dies, the son of man who is made like grass, and forget YHWH your Maker…?” Isaiah 51:12 -13 So how can we look at Psalm 22 differently, staying true to the intended context? When David says, “my hands and feet are pierced” or “my bones are out of joint,” this is not about nails and upright poles or crosses, items he does not mention. His hands are his writings - his body of work. His feet are his walk - the path he laid as our guide. His bones disjointed are his foundational framework distorted, dysfunctional, and rendered useless. His garments divided are his royal presentation, his clothes as the outer visible covering that every man sees, that which represents him outwardly - words, writings, and accomplishments shredded and gambled over by others to steal his inheritance. What inheritance is it that Dowd was promised? The remnant. The earth. The kingdom. The very souls he was meant to shepherd back to YHWH. This is a condemnation of who have shredded David’s psalms to pieces with the intention and goal of stealing scraps of his inheritance for themselves. Fighting like packs of wild dogs for their pound of flesh, they carrying their plunder back to their own dens, heaping up what belongs to David. Some trample David down like lusty wild bulls, desiring what they were never apportioned. And when you look at the context, David tells us exactly what causes his suffering: Psalm 22:6 - 8 “I am scorned by mankind, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in YHWH; let Him deliver him.’” Psalm 22:12 - 13 “Many bulls surround me… they open wide their mouths at me like a ravening lion.” Psalm 31:11 - 13 “I am the utter contempt of my neighbors… vs 12 - I am forgotten like one dead, out of mind; I have become like a broken vessel. vs 13 - I hear the slander of many; terror on every side! They scheme to take away my nefesh.” Psalm 35:20 - 21 “They devise false accusations… they open their mouths wide against me and say, ‘Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it!’” His torment is verbal; slander, lies, betrayal, mockery. His Songs twisted for personal gain, misused to destroy everything Dowd was promised, everything he wanted to accomplish. His anguish is reputational, not ritual. He is treated as though dead because his name, words, and mission are dragged through the mud to death. He also says in Psalm 31:5, “Into Your hand I entrust my ruach, breath, my life-force; You Yourself have redeemed me, YHWH, God of steadfast truth.” David is not talking about surrendering at the moment of physical death (as Christianity often co-opts this verse to make it sound). Instead, he is deliberately placing his life-force into YHWH’s guardianship because of being surrounded by enemies. It’s a statement of loyalty and trust, not a “dying breath.” What about Isaiah 53? Let's look into it! “YHWH found it favorable as a deliberate strategy {chaphets} to orchestrate the crushing {daka‘} and wearing down {hacholy} of His chosen one. If he appoints his life-force {naphsho} as a means of reparation for damage caused {’asham}, then he will look and behold offspring {zera‘}, and his days will be prolonged {ya‘arikh yamim}. Through his hand {bayado}, YHWH’s purpose {chaphets} will succeed {yatslach}, rushing to victory with triumphant power.” This is not about a substitutionary death. It is about David appointing his life as a living testimony of restitution, his suffering, his being diminished, his being falsely accused, become the very way by which others recognize truth and come back into relationship with YHWH in the end. Allowing his life to be used as a strategy, YHWH is able to test those who truly seek the truth vs those who will go along with the Great Rebellion. Isaiah 53:6 “And YHWH caused the crooked distortions {‘awon ~ twisted guilt, perversion, injustice} of us all to converge against him {hipgia‘ ~ to make contact, strike, encounter, collide}." They ran headlong into him, not because he was guilty, but because he stood in the way, becoming the point of collision with our rebellion. Isaiah 53:11 “And their perversions and guilt {‘awonotam} he will bear up under {sabal ~ to carry a heavy load, to endure a crushing weight}." He shoulders what was hurled upon him, enduring the fallout of their crookedness, not as the source of it, but as the one forced to carry its weight. Isaiah 53:12 ““Therefore I will assign to him a portion with the many, and he will divide the spoils with the mighty, because he poured out laid bare his very soul, exposing himself to death, draining his life as if emptied out with nothing held back, and was counted among the transgressors. He himself carried the burden of many offenses, and for the rebels he interceded, making entreaty on their behalf.” The text never says he was killed in place of others. He drained himself in loyalty to YHWH, holding nothing back - so much so that people counted him as one already dead. Isaiah conveys that his life was poured out all the way to his death, and he bore the burden of others’ guilt. Victory, not victimhood: the conclusion is inheritance and spoils of battle, not humiliation. He emerges as conqueror. You would not read it as human sacrifice unless you were programmed to interpret against YHWH's Torah - that human man can redeem or ransom another. So, it is your choice if you will continue to ignore the Torah in favor of Christian overlay, robbery, seizure, and corruption. David is the High Priest by the inherited rights of Melek Tsadaq ~ King of Righteousness. He was authorized to provide intercession, not substitution: he pleads for transgressors, acting as mediator, not as human sacrifice. This is why Isaiah 53 says sin was associated with him, though he was not guilty of rebellion - exactly as David declares in Psalm 19. His innocence remained; his suffering was the weight of being misrepresented. Christianity hijacked this language and rewrote it as a physical blood offering, human sacrifice. Without Rome and the New Testament, you’d never think to read Psalm 22 as crucifixion. Religion has simply recycled the same counterfeit, overlaying the Roman story of “Jesus” onto David and pretending it was original. It isn’t. Both stories are evil schemes to steal from David. Flipping the role from Jesus to Dowd is to flip up the opposite side of the same counterfeit coin. David wasn’t describing ritual murder. He was recording his horror that his words would one day be grotesquely twisted while being mocked, demeaned and verbally, reputationally abused. David's offering of pouring out his heart and soul into his songs has been ritually abused for thousands of years. His psalms mourn the betrayal of great slander, and the theft of his legacy. To read crucifixion or human sacrifice into his words is to let Rome dictate how you read Torah. That’s exactly why the New Testament was written. You can choose to return to a pure tongue (Zephaniah 3:9). The evil influence we have all been taught has been carried down for generations. Here in the end times, it’s time to change, turn around, and be restored to a pure understanding of the Torah without looking through the lens of Christian, religious interpretation. David did not come to be a human sacrifice. He is YHWH’s shepherd, messiah, king, and herald. His living body of work - not a dead body - is the way back home. He heralded this message thousands of years ago. He sowed the seeds that YHWH has caused to bloom after so much lifelessness. YHWH promised He would restore Dowd’s rightful reputation, place, honor, kingdom, and message at the end of time. To honor his truth is to reject the counterfeit, bury the corpse of Rome’s lie, and let YHWH’s word through David stand as it is. Micah 3:1 - 3 “You heads of Jacob … you who hate good and love evil, who tear the skin from my people and their flesh from their bones, who eat the flesh of my people, flay their skin, and break their bones in pieces.” The imagery of cannibalism is figurative: leaders exploiting the people as if consuming their very lives. This is exactly what it means to make merchandise of souls, something YHWH condemns. YHWH's people (prophets, witnesses, authors of the Tanakh to name a few) dedicated their lives to record the message of YHWH and send it out to anyone who would listen. By stripping them, devouring them, eating and consuming their message, these human soul-cannibals destroy the means for the messengers to be effective witnesses, killing billions in their wake throughout time. Jeremiah 23:1 - 2 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” By scattering, they cut people off from life and covenant, acting as though they can condemn the soul. Isaiah 10:1 - 3 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees … to turn aside the needy from justice … what will you do on the day of punishment, when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help?” The needy are the poor in knowledge and understanding, those two being the currency of YHWH (refined silver and gold). We're advised to seek wisdom and truth like a hidden treasure (Prov 2:4). “My people are silenced and cut off, destroyed for lack of knowledge {da‘at ~ covenantal understanding, intimate awareness}. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being a priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Torah of your God, I too will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 So, can a man offer his life to ransom another? The answer from Torah, Psalms, and Prophets is clear: absolutely not. Judgment and redemption belong to YHWH alone. “They take their stand, presenting themselves as kings and rulers of the material realm, and as dignitaries who govern, as important people. They laid the foundation, initiating the action together in unity against YHWH and against His Mashyach.” Psalm 2:2

Learn how to partner with ChatGPT to check your personal Hebrew translations, explore root definitions, ancient pictograph meanings, check grammatical accuracy, and stay true to textual context. This approach helps you test every word for yourself, without relying on religious filters or traditional dogma. By working this way, you can build confidence in your own study process and uncover deeper layers of meaning directly from the text. While AI is not perfect and you do have to pay close attention, it helps to run a passage through it to check for grammatical errors when you yourself are not a native Hebrew speaker or expert. While I'm a solid translator on my own, it helps me catch my mistakes. Sometimes, ChatGPT is not correct, giving me the opportunity to explain why I am correct and teach ChatGPT where it is incorrect. It's a lot of fun, and like any tool, must be used by you - not the other way around. Here are some AI prompts I developed that help me when using ChatGPT to check passages: Passage prompt to give you a rough translation: do only one verse at a time. "Can you translate all of (fill in the blank - such as Judges chapter 1:1) using an amplified format with Hebrew grammar and root words explained for context to extract a deeper connected meaning? And can the Hebrew be in italicized in only English characters so I can read along? My goal is to hunt down root words so that I can fully understand the background, culture, and minutia of the context while staying true to the correct grammar. I do not accept traditional translations. I also do not accept the New Testament, or rabbinical interpretation, please only use the Tanakh as a reference. I encourage making connections between root-words. I encourage taking into account the original pictographic meaning." Hit enter. Passage prompt to check a translation or passage for grammatical accuracy: Only do one verse at a time.     "Can you check this translation for grammatical accuracy, including root-word chasing for textual consistency throughout ancient Hebrew language, so that I can fully understand the background, culture, and minutia of the context while staying true to the correct meaning? I do not accept traditional translations. I also do not accept the New Testament or rabbinical interpretation -please only use the Tanakh as a reference. I encourage making connections between root-words and preserving the integrity of original ancient Hebrew. I encourage taking into account the original pictographic meaning." Copy/paste verse to check. Hit enter. Enjoy!

These dates are based on the sighted-moon method. Astronomical dates are one day earlier.