My lexicons all say that the verb EPIFWSKW refers to "dawning", e.g. Louw
and Nida says "to change from darkness to light in the early morning hours -
`to dawn, to become light.'"
If I get the etymology right, it seems to be a compound of EPI and FWS. EPI,
in compounds, can mean "to, towards", as in eperchomai, epistell™,
eparisteros, epidexios (examples taken from LSJ). FWS means light. So the
word seems to mean moving towards light, or dawning. It is hard for me to
believe that this word could mean the night portion of Sunday.
>Also, do you know what the word for Cherubim is?
>I know that we think it is an angel but I find more evidence that it is
>in fact a planet, reference Ezekiels passages about the wheel and how it
>moves, it describes our solar system perfectly. Also in studying the
>tabernacle and its designs and how the heavens are his footstool it sort
>of makes you wonder. I had read something that stated that the word for
>Cherubim had been misiterpred and it actually meant orbit.
The word actually is Cherubim - a Hebrew word, but one which is also used in
Greek. If Cherubim (which is a plural form - Cherub is the singular) are
planets, then they are planets that have wings and faces. Consider this
description from Exodus:
Exod 25:18 (NASU) "you shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of
hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 "Make one cherub at one
end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim [of one
piece] with the mercy seat at its two ends. 20 "The cherubim shall have
[their] wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and
facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be [turned] toward the
mercy seat. 21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the
ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22 "There I will
meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim
which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that
I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
Cherubs also seem to be capable of stretching out their hands, and their
wings can make noise:
eperchomai, epistell™, eparisteros, epidexios.
Exod 25:18 (NASU) "you shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of
hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 "Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall
make the cherubim [of one piece] with the mercy seat at its two ends.
20 "The cherubim shall have [their] wings spread upward, covering the mercy
seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are
to be [turned] toward the mercy seat.
21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall
put the testimony which I will give to you.
22 "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between
the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to
you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
Ezek 10:6 (RSV) And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, "Take fire
from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he went in and
stood beside a wheel.
7 And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the
fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it, and put it into the
hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.
Ezek 10:5 (RSV) And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far
as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks. 6 And
when he commanded the man clothed in linen, "Take fire from between the
whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he went in and stood beside a
wheel. 7 And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to
the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it, and put it into
the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The
cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.
Hope this helps!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Robie jwrobie@mindspring.com http://www.mindspring.com/~jwrobie
POET Software, 3207 Gibson Road, Durham, N.C., 27703 http://www.poet.com
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