angela hormberg

Tag: Bet or Beth

  • Psalm 119:9-13

    Psalm 119:9-13

    Beth or Bet

    Commonplace –

    “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

    This verse struck me. The hiding of the Word of God in our heart is giving the Word a home in our heart, which is a beautiful reference to the meaning of this part of Psalm 119: Bet, which means house. Our heart is truly the safest place for God’s Word, because there we can recall it anywhere, anytime. “God’s word is a treasure worth laying up, and there is no laying it up safely but in our hearts; if we have it only in our houses and hands, our memories may fail us: but if our hearts be delivered into the mould of it, and the impressions of it remain on our souls, it is safe” (Henry 562).

    Henry comments on the second part of the verse are also noteworthy.

    “That I might not sin against thee. Good men are afraid of sin, and are in care to prevent it; and the most effectual way to prevent is to hide God’s word in our hearts, that we may answer every temtpation, as our Master did, with, It is written, may oppose God’s precepts to the dominions of sin, his promises to its allurements, and his threatenings to its menaces” (Henry 562).

    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.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 119: Beth or Bet

    Psalm 119: Beth or Bet

    Part 2:Beth or Bet verses 9-16

    The second part is Beth or Bet, which is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

    The following information is from the website BJE:Your Jewish Journey.

    “BET is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, with a numeric value of two. It begins the plurality, reinforcing the uniqueness of One from which all else is derived.

    Aleph and BET share a strong relationship. The word for rock, ‘eben’, displays the aleph and BET next to each other, followed by the letter nun. When divided, the letters form two words, ab and ben, meaning father and son. The rock, signifying strength and stability, is testament to the relationship between father and son; God and humanity.

    A large BET is found at the beginning of the Bible. Bereishit (‘in the beginning’) is the first word of Genesis.

    BET signifies duality: the two drives, yetzer hatov (the good inclination), and yetzer harah (the evil inclination).

    Moses received two tablets of the Ten Commandments, emphasising the dual nature of existence. The aleph, which represents the Torah, is declared on the two tablets, which signify the plurality of humanity and the universe.

    BET also symbolises the two genders: Adam and Eve, male and female.

    BET is the first letter of the word bayit (house). This can be interpreted both on a mystical and practical level. The home represents shelter, protection and security. It is also symbolic of the universal home, in terms of a place of spiritual belonging.

    BET is made up of three vavs. It is said to represent the formation of a house, always open on one end as a sign of eternal hospitality. The three vavs also represent the innate characteristics of mercy, kindness and modesty.

    The BET is open on the north side, denoting the evil ‘from the north’. Therefore BET implies man’s struggle with his evil inclination” (“Bet”).

    Works Cited

    “Bet”. BJE: Your Jewish Journey. NSW Board of Jewish Education, https://bje.org.au/knowledge-centre/jewish-languages/hebrew-alphabet/bet/ , Accessed 27 May 2025.

    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.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg