What is Truth?

By -

 Introduction

We see the word "liar" and "lie" bantered about by many from all sides. When opinion is shared, or a story from current events is published, "fact-checkers" come out with the context, or sometimes just opposing opinions to counter the story. So, can we know the truth?

When Jesus was on trial for blasphemy, disguised as "treason", Pilate asked "Are you a king?". Jesus answered that he was, and that his purpose was to "bear witness to the truth". Pilate reacted, saying, "What is truth?" (John 18:37-38). Jesus remained quiet, but earlier he had told his disciple Thomas, when he had asked, "How can we know the way?", that "I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life"(John 14:5-6). Later, in praying for his disciples shortly before his betrayal and trial, Jesus prayed to the Father: "Sanctify [my disciples] through the truth: Your word is truth." (John 17:17)

But, what does the Bible say about "truth"? In the coming weeks, I will be going through the Bible, starting with Genesis, and explore the words associated with "truth". In this way we can know the nature of truth; and thereby be able to better combat the lies and the liars which we encounter.


The Study

First, the Hebrew words for "truth" and "true": אֱמֶת (emeth) and אָמַן (aman). We know the last as our word "Amen", a transliteration of the Greek word borrowed from the Hebrew. The first of these words, אֱמֶת, is used  127 times in the Old Testament. The KJV translates it 92 times as "truth", 18 as "true", 7 as "truly" and 11 times as other related words. The Biblical usage is as follows:

  1. firmness, faithfulness, truth (noun)
    1. sureness, reliability
    2. stability, continuance
    3. faithfulness, reliableness

    4. truth

  2. in truth, truly (adverb)

The root word from which "truth" comes is אָמַן, "aman" ("Amen"), a verb. It is used 44 times as "believe" and 20 times to indicate being "faithful". In all, it is used 108 times. This is how the KJV uses the word:

I. to support, confirm, be faithful

A. (Qal)

i. to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish

a. foster-father (subst.)

b. foster-mother, nurse

c. pillars, supporters of the door

B. (Niphal)

i. to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm

a. to be carried by a nurse

b. made firm, sure, lasting

c. confirmed, established, sure

d. verified, confirmed

e. reliable, faithful, trusty

C. (Hiphil)

i. to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in

a. stand firm

b. trust, believe


I look forward to this journey toward the truth about Truth! And please, leave a comment.  

Location: Greenville, SC, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Twelve Curses: Deuteronomy 27:15-26

By -
Image
 Everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments but have you ever heard of the “Twelve Curses?” Throughout the Bible, we see lists of the good we ought to do (like the fruit of the spirit, the beatitudes, various blessings, etc.) and sins that God abhors (woes against the Pharisees, seven abominations, etc). In the closing portions of Deuteronomy, we find a list of twelve curses that have many similarities to the Ten Commandments. These specific curses were given to the Israelites alongside a lengthy description of punishments for breaking God’s law. While they function similarly to the Ten Commandments, they serve as an indictment against sinful behavior; warning what will happen if wrong is committed.  This curse tablet was discovered on Mount Ebal, the same mountain where the Israelites pronounced curses. Its discovery was announced in 2023, with research findings published in May of 2023. The Curses Idolatry “Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomina...
Read more

12 Stones at the Jordan River – A Miracle to Remember (Joshua 3-4)

By -
Image
 This is the first post in a multi-post series on the 7 Memorials found in the Book of Joshua. See part 2 . The two spies had just returned from scouting out the city of Jericho with promising news–according to Rahab, who secretly professed faith in Yahweh, the people of Jericho were deeply afraid (their “hearts melted”) because of Israel (Joshua 2:9-11). With confidence from this report and at God’s direction, it was now time for Israel to move into their promised land.  But to do this, they would have to cross the Jordan River. In a miracle reminiscent of the parting of the Red Sea, the Lord stops the flow of the Jordan River and allows the Israelites to cross it on dry ground. When the team of priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the river’s overflowing waters, the river dried and the Israelites crossed the river about a half-mile away (2,000 cubits) from the Ark. The power of this narrative is not simply the miracle of stopping water demonstrating God’s po...
Read more

Soul-Searching: Psalm 139

By -
Image
What does it mean to search for something? A search is not a low-energy effort to find something. A search is a deep, intense probing that will not stop until something is found.  How do we search? We pour through our environment intently looking to find that which we are seeking. That is what we must ask God to do in our own hearts, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”- Psa 139:23-24 In Psalm 139, David is both asking God to and recognizes that he searches the heart. This idea of God searching our heart sandwiches (inclusio) the body of the Psalm, which describes God’s intimate knowledge of us in great detail, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down… and are acquainted with all my ways.”-  Psa 139:2 “Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascen...
Read more