Part 12:Lamed verses 89-96
The twelfth part is Lamed, which is the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
The following information is from the website BJE:Your Jewish Journey or Hebrew4Christians
“The letter LAMED is equivalent to 30 in numerical terms. It is known as the majestic letter, symbolic of the King of Kings, towering higher than all the others in the Hebrew alphabet.
The number 30, as represented by the LAMED, signifies the number of days in a full month according to the Jewish calendar.
LAMED refers to the word ‘lamad’, signifying both teaching and learning in the biblical sense.
LAMED is an acronym of lev mevin daat (a heart that understands wisdom)” (“Lamed”, BJE).
This reference to teaching and learning is echoed in the information given for Lamed on the Hebrew4Christians website.
“…the goal of learning and teaching (lamed) is heart knowledge. Moreover, since it is the only letter allowed to ascend above the other letters in the sacred writings, Lamed represents the prominence of learning and understanding to the Jewish heart” (“Lamed”, Hebrew4Christians).
Finally, on the Hebrew4Christians, we learn that Lamed, which resembles a staff or goad, is not calling us to learning as an end in itself.
“Learning in the Jewish tradition is not an end in itself, but should spur us on to action” (“Lamed”, Hebrew4Christians).
Works Cited
Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 119.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.
Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.
“Lamed”. BJE: Your Jewish Journey. NSW Board of Jewish Education, https://bje.org.au/knowledge-centre/jewish-languages/hebrew-alphabet/lamed/, Accessed 25 June 2025.
“Lamed”. Hebrew4Christians. John J. Parsons, https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Lamed/lamed.html, Accessed 25, June 2025.
© 2025 Angela Hormberg
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