01.22. Chapter 15 - Jealous

Chapter 15 - Jealous For Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a Jealous God

Exodus 34:14 From a Western perspective, the idea of one being named “Jealous” seems odd, especially as a name for God. As a name represents the character, this implies that God is by nature jealous. Our cultural understanding of the word is a type of anger felt over the suspected unfaithfulness of a spouse. As we shall see the Hebrew word has a very different meaning.

Nest The parent root “!q/nq” (qen) is a nest.

“Like an eagle he wakes up his nest, over his chicks he hovers, he spreads his wings, he takes them, he carries them over his feathers.”

Deuteronomy 32:11 The first letter of the parent root is a picture of the sun at the horizon where the light is gathered during the sunrise or sunset. The second letter is a sprouting seed, the beginning of new life that came from the parent plant. Combined, these letters form the meaning, “A gathering for the seeds.” A bird goes about “gathering” materials for building a nest for her “seeds,” eggs, of the next generation.

Several words are derived from the parent root “!q” (qen - nest), all related in meaning to the building of a nest.

Builder The child root “hnq” (qanah) is the construction of a nest by the parent bird.

“And he blessed him and he said blessed is Abram to God most high, builder of heaven and earth.”

Genesis 14:19

Some translations translate the above verse as, “Creator of heaven and earth.” The ancient Hebrews did not see God as an unknowable force that creates the universe for some unknown reason; rather he is the bird that goes about gathering all the necessary materials for building a home for his children. Man was not created as an additional component to the creation; the earth was created as a home for man.

Guard

Another word derived from “!q” (qen) is “anq” (qana). This is the word translated as “jealous” in our introductory passage. The Hebraic meaning of this word is the passion with which the parent guards over the chicks in the nest. While our Western mind may see the term a “jealous God” in his feelings and actions toward us, it is in fact his feelings and actions toward our enemies. The heathens and false gods are like predators invading the nest and God fights them protecting his children from their clutches.