Shalom everyone,
In biblical Yahwist theology (and therefore in Massorite Talmidi theology too), the Word or Message of YHVH is not a created being like the idea of the Christian logos. It is an integral and transformative power of YHVH, just like YHVH’s Holiness (Qedushah), YHVH’s Glory (Kavod), and YHVH’s Love (Chesed).
‘Ha-Davar’ (the Message, literally ‘the Word’) of YHVH is not just a voiced missive sent by God; nor is it simply a collection of what a prophet writes. When the Hebrew Bible talks about, ‘the Word of YHVH’, if you fail to understand the enormity of what that means, you are missing a pretty mind-blowing and life-changing concept.
‘The Message’ (ha-Davar) is the totality of the ethical values, principles, commandments, precepts, teachings and judgments of YHVH. It is not something created (like the Christian Logos), it is an eternal and inseparable aspect of the very nature of what YHVH is. The Message is a powerful and indivisible part of YHVH’s very Being. When a prophet is filled with YHVH’s Message, it seizes them so that they cannot hold back until the Message of YHVH is delivered. It is the transformative aspect of what YHVH is – when a Follower of the Way of YHVH lives YHVH’s Message, it transforms their lives into something that aligns more closely with the Will of YHVH. Moreover, their life becomes a blessing, not only to themselves, but also to the people around them.
This belief that the Davar is something that goes out from God, comes from Isaiah 55:10-11, which describes it beautifully.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from the skies,
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall be My Word that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to Me empty,
but it shall accomplish what I desire,
and shall succeed in that for which I sent it.”
The phrase, “it shall not return to Me empty” means, “it shall not return without having accomplished what it was sent out to do”.
There are other biblical passages which express closely related ideas. For example, Psalm 147:15 says that YHVH “sends out the command” and it runs swiftly, while Psalm 107:20 says that YHVH “sent out the Word” and healed them. Those passages make God’s Word sound almost like an emissary carrying out a commission, although Isaiah 55:10–11 is by far the clearest example of the idea of going out (hence the pattern of, “it goes out → accomplishes its purpose → does not return empty”).
In summary, ha-Davar (The Message) of YHVH is understood through the following core tenets:
- The Totality of the Divine Will: It is the complete collection of the ethical values, principles, commandments, precepts, teachings, and judgments of YHVH (as outlined in Psalm 19:8-10 and Psalm 119:1-8).
- An Eternal Aspect of YHVH’s Nature: Ha-Davar is not a created entity. It is an eternal, powerful, and inseparable aspect of YHVH’s very Being and nature (Isaiah 40:8). It is an indivisible and dynamic part of God (Jeremiah 23:29).
- An Irresistible Prophetic Force: When a prophet is filled with YHVH’s Message, it completely seizes them. It acts as an overwhelming internal compulsion that cannot be contained until the Message is fully delivered to the people (Jeremiah 20:7-9, Amos 3:8, Jeremiah 15:16, 6:11).
- An Active, Fruitful Power: As wonderfully described in Isaiah 55:10-11, the Davar is a physical reality that goes out directly from God to accomplish God’s purpose. It never returns empty; it always achieves what YHVH intends.
- A Source of Personal and Communal Transformation: It is the transformative aspect of what YHVH is (Psalm 1:1-3, Isaiah 58:8). When a Follower of the Way lives out the Message, it actively transforms their life to align with the Will of YHVH (Psalm 119:11, Joshua 1:8). This transformation turns their life into a tangible blessing for themselves and the entire community around them (Isa 48:17-18, cf. Dt 30:15-20).
When you meditate on the ‘Word’ of YHVH, this is what you are meditating on – not just on a biblical passage. You are meditating on the very nature of YHVH!
Ha-Davar is the inseparable self-expression of YHVH: the totality of the ethical values, principles, commandments, precepts, teachings and judgements that express what YHVH is and what YHVH wills. It is not created by YHVH, nor does it exist independently of YHVH. It belongs intrinsically to YHVH’s own Being.
Here is the logical chain of the concept:
First: the Message is YHVH’s own expression
Isaiah 55:11
Jeremiah 23:28–29
Psalm 33:4, 9
Psalm 12:7
The davar proceeds from YHVH, expresses YHVH’s purpose and accomplishes YHVH’s will.
Second: the Message contains YHVH’s revealed moral will
Deuteronomy 4:2
Psalm 19:8–10
Psalm 119
Proverbs 30:5–6
Here davar, Torah, commandments, statutes, precepts, teachings and judgements overlap.
Third: the Message possesses the qualities associated with YHVH
The Word is:
pure — Psalm 12:7; Proverbs 30:5
upright — Psalm 33:4
true — Psalm 19:10
righteous — Psalm 19:10
perfect — Psalm 19:8
enduring — Isaiah 40:8
effective — Isaiah 55:11
powerful — Jeremiah 23:29
That is important, because ha-Davar is not merely a list of divine instructions. Its characteristics mirror those of YHVH.
Fourth: YHVH and the Source of the Message are not separable
This is perhaps the deepest point. The Miqra does not say, “YHVH exists, and then creates a thing called ha-Davar (the Word). Instead, it repeatedly speaks of:
“My Word” — דְּבָרִי
“My Commandments”
“My Teaching”
“My Judgements”
“My Statutes”
The Message is therefore God’s own self-expression, an innate, eternal and active power of YHVH, like YHVH’s Glory, YHVH’s Love and YHVH’s Holiness. None of these things can be separated from God – they are all what comes from God as manifestations of YHVH’s infinite power.