Davar - Memra - Logos

[intojoy]

• In Greek philosophy the meaning of Logos encompassed two concepts, the concept of reason and the concept of speech.

Logos - Reason and Speech - Idea of God/Expression of God

• Most commentators build a case for Jesus being the fulfillment of the goals of Greek philosophy, in that by reason He was the very idea of God, and that by speech He was the very expression of God.


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[intojoy]

• Discussion question: So where does the Logos of Greek philosophy come from?


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[intojoy]

• A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus first used the term Logos around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. Plato, and the Stoics adopted this philosophy. Stoicism began around 300 B.C. Their concept of the natural order of the universe did not include a personal God, but a distant and remote one who did not interact with humans. In their view, a creator had instituted a natural order within which humans had to exist harmoniously. To the Stoics logos meant the divine animating principle pervading the universe, or a rational divine power that encompassed the idea of nature and fate. It was much like the impersonal, rational energy known as “the force” in Star Wars.

• Greek logos was an “it,” and John's logos is a “He.”


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[intojoy]

• Philo (a Jew who was a contemporary of Jesus) took it up and made it familiar to Jewish readers who were already used to the Hebrew concept of Memra. Philo used allegory to fuse and harmonize Greek philosophy and Judaism. Philo's LOGOS is based on a Greek philosophy of reason, going back to Plato and Stoicism.

• Later church fathers took Philo as their guide rather than Jewish theology. Origen (200 A.D.) introduced allegorical interpretation of the scriptures to the church in an attempt to make Christianity more palatable to the Hellenized world. Allegorical interpretation has been the bane of both Judaism and Christianity, and can be traced back to these philosophical strains.


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[intojoy]

• What those who have studied John's passage through the lens of Greek philosophy forget is that John was not a Greek philosopher but a Jewish fisherman.

• His use of the “Word” is completely consistent with the Jewish concept of the “Memra” (Aramaic for “Word”) that rabbis taught in first century Israel. Their understanding was derived solely from a close study of Scripture, not Greek philosophy.

• John was not trying to promote Greek Hellenized philosophy, with a conception of creation and creator that was incompatible with scripture. Rather, John was using concepts of God that were being taught by the rabbis of Jesus' day, and adding to these concepts based on God's divine revelation.

• We will examine the rabbinic understanding of Memra, but first let's deal with the languages in which this concept is portrayed.


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[intojoy]

• The Hebrew for Word is “Davar.” The Aramaic for Word is “Memra.” The Greek for Word is “Logos.” The Gospel of John was written in Greek, so “Logos” is used. If it had been written in Hebrew it would have been “Davar.” If in Aramiac, “Memra.”

• Aramaic was the vernacular speech of Israel in Jesus' day.

• Much of rabbinic writings were also in Aramaic, so we will develop the six things that the rabbis taught about the Word using their word for it, “Memra.” Within John 1:1-18 we can find all SIX of the concepts the rabbis were teaching in 1st century Israel.

• These six concepts about God are six truths about God that the rabbis could not always explain.

• Likewise these same concepts about God are embodied in Jesus, as they correlate to John's statements about Jesus. Jesus is the Memra, or the Word.


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[intojoy]

Davar - Memra - Logos

Six Things the Rabbis Taught about the Memra



- The Memra was Distinct from God, but the Same as God
• This was a paradox that the rabbis recognized, but were unable to explain.

• John will explain this paradox in the concept of the Tri-unity, or Trinity.

Isaiah 45:1-25, 55:10-11 Hebrews 4:12

The Memra was the Agent of Creation

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:3 NASB)

• God spoke, and creation came into existence.

• Everything that we see in this world exists because of the Memra, the Word.

Psalm 33:4-6, Hebrews 11:3

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[intojoy]

Davar - Memra - Logos

- The Memra was the Agent of Salvation

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 1:12 NASB)

• The Memra, visible to the nation of Israel as He led them through the desert in Exodus, saved them physically. Through the Memra (Jesus) is also spiritual salvation, through faith in His work on the cross.

• So wether physically in the Old Testament, or spiritually through Jesus' work on the cross, the Memra is the agent of salvation.

But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities. (Psalms 130:4-8 NASB)

• Those who receive the Memra (Jesus), are saved by the Memra.





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[intojoy]

- The Memra is the Means by which God Takes on Visible Form

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NASB)

• In Christian theology, these visible manifestations are called a theophany.

• In rabbinic terms this is called the Shechinah (Hebrew). It is the visible manifestation of God's glory, often seen as fire, cloud, or light.

• In John 1:14 the word “dwelt” in Greek is not the usual Greek word used for “dwelling,” but the Greek word used for “to tabernacle,” skeinei.

• John is conveying a specific meaning about Jesus here.

• “Skeinei” is a derivation of the word “Shechinah,” but as there are no “sh” sounds in Greek it became skeinei. The very concept of the word was borrowed from the Hebrew concept. The Memra “tabernacled” among us.

• In the book of Ezekiel, chapters 8-11, we find the account of the Shechinah of the Lord departing from Israel.

• In the incarnation of Jesus, the Shechinah of the Lord had returned to earth, not in the form of light, fire or cloud but in the form of a man of flesh who tabernacled among us.

Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. (Mark 9:2-8 NASB)

• The physical body of Jesus veiled the brightness of His glory. Hebrews 10:19-20.

At the mount of transfiguration, three of Jesus' apostles were allowed to see the Shechinah shine through Jesus' flesh.

• John says “and we saw His glory” in John 1:14, which refers to this transfiguration which John beheld along with Peter and James.


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[intojoy]

- The Memra is the Means by which God Signs His Covenants

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NASB)

• This verse is about God's covenants.

• Throughout human history there have been eight covenants, three with humanity and five specifically with the Jewish people.

1. Edenic Covenant

2. Adamic Covenant

3. Noahic Covenant

4. Abrahamic Covenant

5. Mosaic Covenant - the Law, a conditional covenant with Israel.

6. Land Covenant

7. Davidic Covenant

8. New Covenant - prophesied about in Jeremiah 31:31-37. (note that this is a JEWISH COVENANT.)

• The Mosaic Covenant of Exodus 24 was signed and sealed by the Shechinah, as was the Abrahamic in Genesis 15:17.

• The New Covenant was signed and sealed by Jesus' blood being shed on the cross, as described in Hebrews chapters 8-10.

• Jesus (the Memra, the Word) signed and sealed the New Covenant when He lifted the cup of redemption at the last passover, and said “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood,” in Luke 22:20. See also 1 Corinthians 11:25.


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[intojoy]

- The Memra is the Agent of Revelation

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:18 NASB)

• The Word, or Memra, is personified as a revealer.

• God revealed Himself when He gave His servants a Word from Him. This is the case when a passage begins with “the Word of the Lord came to...” of which there are many examples in the scriptures. If you do a phrase search on “the word of the Lord” you will find that it comes up well over 300 times in the scriptures.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:1-3 NASB)

• Jesus=the Word=the Memra=revealer of the Father.

• This is one of the sub-themes in the book of John, that Jesus came to reveal the Father to men.



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[intojoy]

• So keeping in mind these SIX things that the rabbinic scholars of first century Israel were teaching about the Memra, or the Word, we can see that the purpose of John's prologue is not to show that Jesus came to fulfill the ideals of Greek philosophy. Instead John is showing the Church at large that Jesus existed before the world was created, that He was part of the Triunity of God, and that He came to fulfill the New Covenant promised in Scripture.



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[intojoy]

Summary in FOUR points:

1. The Memra came in visible form, that of a human.

2. The world did not recognize Him.

3. His own Jewish people did not recognize Him.

4. Those who did recognize Him became children of Light.



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[keypurr]

Thank you for the information friend, there is a lot to digest here.

 

[chair]

Six Things the Rabbis Taught about the Memra
...

Which Rabbis?

 

[journey]

Hello intojoy,

Thanks for the interesting word study. I've done some study on "logos" before and found it fascinating.

 

[intojoy]

Davar - Memra - Logos

Hello intojoy,

Thanks for the interesting word study. I've done some study on "logos" before and found it fascinating.

Hello. It is obvious to john that Yeshua is God incarnate when we consider first century Jewish thought. In the Greek language there are words like this one logos that simply are the closest available word for Memra and they do not completely convey the full meaning of the word.

The Memra was what happened when God said "let there be light" etc it is the definitive word a verb that was the active force behind what takes place when God speaks creation into existence.

What did God speak into existence?

His creation.

How did He create everything?

With the Memra, the Davar the logos.


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[This Charming Manc]

Though I think you have something to debate and ponder here I think you have two quick brush aside the Greek connection.

When John wrote his Gospel he was living in Ephesus and had been for 20 years, he was writing to a church which was mostly Greek and probably mostly gentile.

The concept of Memra would have been alien to alot of his audience where the logos concept would have been clear to them, though it was probably there within johns knowledge.

John may have been a simple Jewish fisherman circa AD30, but tis obvious from his gospel he was an accomplished academic by the age of AD90 when the gospel was finished.

• So keeping in mind these SIX things that the rabbinic scholars of first century Israel were teaching about the Memra, or the Word, we can see that the purpose of John's prologue is not to show that Jesus came to fulfill the ideals of Greek philosophy. Instead John is showing the Church at large that Jesus existed before the world was created, that He was part of the Triunity of God, and that He came to fulfill the New Covenant promised in Scripture.

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[Yoḥanon-benYaʿăqov]

The Aramaic word – מֵימְרָא – méym’raʾ (which is nothing more that the word – מֵימַר – méymar affixed with the definite article) appears 58 times in Targum Onkelos but never as a standalone.

In each and every occurrence it is the phrase – מֵימְרָא דִּייָ – méym’raʾ diYYa which means “the word for יְיָ” that appears in the text. The character phrase – יְיָ – is the standard abbreviation of the Tetragrammaton. The phrase means “the word for the Tetragrammaton.”

The purpose of using this particular phraseology is – when you see this phrase, and you are reading aloud, substitute whichever word it is that you use in place of the unspeakable Tetragrammaton; Adonay, HaShem, The Lord, etc.

The Hebrew equivalent of this phrase is – הָמִילָה לַייָ – hamiyllah laYYA. The Hebrew word – מִילָּה – miyllah is also the closest Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word λογος – logos.

The word – מימרא – mymrʾ appears 172 times in Targum pseudo-Jonathan. It appears 157 times in the form – מימרא דייי.

There is no hidden secret meaning. The Targumiym are homiletic interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures written in the Aramaic language. They are not Scripture. Jews are not allowed to write any of the “names” of God on anything that may be defiled or destroyed. This is why the phrase is used. The reader has to insert his own replacement word, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[intojoy]

The Aramaic word – מֵימְרָא – méym’raʾ (which is nothing more that the word – מֵימַר – méymar affixed with the definite article) appears 58 times in Targum Onkelos but never as a standalone.

In each and every occurrence it is the phrase – מֵימְרָא דִּייָ – méym’raʾ diYYa which means “the word for יְיָ” that appears in the text. The character phrase – יְיָ – is the standard abbreviation of the Tetragrammaton. The phrase means “the word for the Tetragrammaton.”

The purpose of using this particular phraseology is – when you see this phrase, and you are reading aloud, substitute whichever word it is that you use in place of the unspeakable Tetragrammaton; Adonay, HaShem, The Lord, etc.

The Hebrew equivalent of this phrase is – הָמִילָה לַייָ – hamiyllah laYYA. The Hebrew word – מִילָּה – miyllah is also the closest Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word λογος – logos.

The word – מימרא – mymrʾ appears 172 times in Targum pseudo-Jonathan. It appears 157 times in the form – מימרא דייי.

There is no hidden secret meaning. The Targumiym are homiletic interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures written in the Aramaic language. They are not Scripture. Jews are not allowed to write any of the “names” of God on anything that may be defiled or destroyed. This is why the phrase is used. The reader has to insert his own replacement word, nothing more, nothing less.

Thank you for your contribution. Even tho I don't understand everything you've noted, I'll send your objection to dr Fruchtenbaum and relay his response. This could take days, weeks or months depending on which part of the world he is currently teaching in.

Shalom


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