Thinking in Eastern Concrete Terms, or Western Abstract Terms?

What most Westerners do not understand is that the Bible (and the Book of Momron) was written in an Eastern literary and thinking style—that is, how the Hebrews thought as opposed to how the Greeks thought. Some might not think this is important, but it often changes the entire meaning of a passage, thought or idea.

We need to understand that the Hebrews think differently than we do. One of the major differences is that the Hebrews think in concrete and Greeks (Westerners) think in abstracts. Concrete thinkers think in relation to things that can be seen, touched, smelled, heard or tasted. Some examples of this are tree, singing, smell of baking, etc. Abstract thoughts are such things as believe, faith, grace, etc.—which cannot be sensed by the 5 senses. The word everlasting (the usual translation of the Hebrew word "olam") is an abstract word. The Hebrew meaning is something like "behind the horizon." It is something that is beyond what you can see (or understand) at the moment but may be revealed as you travel closer (or at a later time). The abstract idea of "everlasting" would have been a foreign concept to the ancient Hebrews.

To further demonstrate the differences, take the two words from the English translation; "create" and "believe." The Bible says: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The word "create" is usually understood as "to make something out of nothing.” This concept is abstract and therefore a foreign concept to the ancient Hebrews. Yet, it goes on to read: “God created man” (Genesis 1:26), but man was not created out of nothing, but out of the “dust of the earth” (Genesis 2:7).

The Hebrew word translated as "create" is "bara." The more concrete understanding of this word can be found in 1 Samuel 2.29. "Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?” Here the word "fattening" is the same word "bara" as found in Genesis 1:1. The word "bara" means "to fatten up" or "to fill up," thus, Genesis 1:1 is about God filling the light and darkness (separated out on day one) with the sun and the moon (filled on day four). He filled the water and the sky (separated out on day two) with the fish and the birds (filled on day five). He filled the land (separated out of the water on day three) with animals (filled on day six). Also notice the parallels, a Hebrew form of poetry; 1=4, 2=5 and 3=6. A more Hebraic translation of Genesis 1:1 would be "In the beginning God filled the skies and the land."

"And Abraham believed God" (Genesis 15:6). The word "believe" implies the meaning of "to know something to be true" and this verse is usually understood as "And Abraham knew God would do what he said he will do." This interpretation conveys the idea that God is the one with the responsibility to perform something while Abraham is simply an observer. The Hebrew word translated as "believe" is "aman" and can better be understood from the following verse. "I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father." (Isaiah 22:23). In this sentence the word "firm," a place of support, is the Hebrew word "aman" and would be better translated as "support" instead of "believe."

Thus, when a person receives a calling, we might say “I believe he can do a good job,” and would be implying that we know he will fulfill his assignment. However, when we raise our hand and say “I support him,” we are actually saying that we will do something to help him. Now looking at this verse in Genesis 15:6 from a Hebraic point of view we can now read it as "And Abraham supported God." This now shifts the responsibility to perform something from God to Abraham.

As can be seen, the English words used to translate the Hebrew can often bring about a wrong interpretation of the verse. Hence, it is necessary to view words from their Hebraic perspective rather than from our own Western perspective. Or stated differently, even when knowing the ancient Prophets of the Book of Mormon wrote in reformed Egyptian, we need to recognize that they “thought” in Hebrew—that is, in concrete terms, not abstract as we do.