Ponder

I use this word, a lot...and while reading noticed it in this verse:


Pro_5:6  Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 


Then a variation a few verses later:


Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.


Searching for just the word ponder brought up only Proverbs 5:6 and 4:26


Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.


Proverbs 5:6, 21 and 4:26 use the same Hebrew word.


H6424 -  A primitive root; properly to roll flat, that is, prepare (a road); also to revolve, that is, weigh (mentally): - make, ponder, weigh.


So...used elsewhere?


Psa 58:2  Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 

Psa 78:50  He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; 

Isa 26:7  The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

Word Study Series offered:

A verb meaning to weigh out, to make level, to ponder. It means to calculate the weight of something. It is used figuratively of weighing out, pondering evil (Ps. 58:2[3]); and of the Lord's leveling or cleansing a path for His anger to pass over in judgment (Ps. 78:50). It means to guard, to watch carefully one's way of life (Prov. 4:26). It describes making one's way of life just, fair, level (Is. 26:7).

Unfortunately, they offered no synonyms; however, synonyms.com had these:

chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate, speculate
think, cogitate, cerebrate

Meditate...not in the worldly sense of meditation of emptying one's mind...but as we are admonished in these verses:

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psa 63:6  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Psa 77:12  I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 

Psa 119:15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

Psa 143:5  I remember the days of old; I meditate (H1897) on all thy works; I muse (H7878) on the work of thy hands.

Which are all:

H1897 - A primitive root (compare H1901); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication to ponder: - imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter.

These verses:

Psa 119:23  Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

Psa 119:48  My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. 

Psa 119:78  Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Which are all:

H7878 - A primitive root; to ponder, that is, (by implication) converse (with oneself, and hence aloud) or (transitively) utter: - commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray, speak, talk (with).

Meditate in the NT:

1Ti 4:15  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 

G3191 - From a presumed derivative of G3199; to take care of, that is, (by implication) revolve in the mind: - imagine, (pre-) meditate.

• G3199 - A primary verb; to be of interest to, that is, to concern (only third person singular present indicative used impersonally it matters): - (take) care.

May the Lord of Glory, fill your spirit, soul and mind with HIS goodness.

May HIS attributes continually be reviewed before you.

May you (and I!) ponder, think, muse and meditate upon Him and His word more and more each day.

Blessings ~ Melissa

Closing with this thought:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7

Pastor

Jer_17:16  As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

Pastor - H7462 - A primitive root; to tend a flock, that is, pasture it; intransitively to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension to associate with (as a friend): -  X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep [sheep] (-er), pastor, + shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.

Gen 4:2  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 

Gen 13:7  And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

Gen 29:7  And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.

Gen 29:9  And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them.

Gen 30:36  And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

Gen 46:32  And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

Num 14:33  And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

Jdg 14:20  But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Job 24:21  He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

Psa 80:13  The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

Pro 13:20  He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Pro 22:24  Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 

Pro 29:3  Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

Jer 2:8  The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

Jer 2:16  Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.

Jer 22:22  The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

Wow...used in 142 verses 171 times...I have given a sampling of the different words translated from H7462 - râ‛âh - raw-aw'.  I fully expected the word to be about Pastors and/or Shepherds...the Word of God is always a blessing to explore, learn and grow.

That covers the Old Testament....hmmm....what about the New?

Well....search for Pastor in the NT yields - zero...tried teacher, which had several verses, but decided to start with Shepherd since that was the primary word translation in the OT.

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 

G4166 - Of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively): - shepherd, pastor.

I obviously did not do a proper search for the word pastor:

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Ahhh...I get it now...no 's' *sigh* wish the search engine would not be so persnickety.

Used in 17 verses, 18 times...here is passage to reflect upon:

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ~ John 10:11-14

May the ever watchful, ever attentive Master Shepherd guard you spirit, soul and body.  May you continually feed within His pasture provided.  Being cognizant and aware of those who are but hirelings and are destined to come in and destroy.  May He bless each of us with an ever growing desire to sit at table with Him and partake of His provision.  His manifold blessings upon ye.

Communion

This is the verse which began my pondering of the word communion:

1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (G2842) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (G2842) of the body of Christ?

Based primarily upon how the word communion is used to define the bread and wine given and received in remembrance of the Lord. A richer meaning and understanding of the word has unfolded to me as I pondered the following:

E-Sword search for the word communion:

2Co_6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion (G2842) hath light with darkness?

2Co_13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (G2842) of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Then the question becomes, what is the Greek word for each usage? Strong's # in blue.

G2842 - From G2844; partnership, that is, (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction.

• G2844 - From G2839; a sharer, that is, associate.
• G2839 - Probably from G4862; common, that is, (literally) shared by all or several, or (ceremonially) profane.
• G4862 - A primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than G3326 or G3844), that is, by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.
• G3326 - A primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly denoting accompaniment; “amid” (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive case association, or accusative case succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between G575 or G1537 and G1519 or G4314; less intimate than G1722, and less close than G4862). (Thus endeth this trail.)
• G3844 - A primary preposition; properly near, that is, (with genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (with dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case) to the proximity with (local [especially beyond or opposed to] or causal [on account of]). In compounds it retains the same variety of application.

Other verse usages of G2842:

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Rom 15:26  For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

2Co 8:4  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

2Co 9:13  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 

Gal 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Php 1:5  For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Phm 1:6  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 

1Jn 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1Jn 1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Mistress

While reading through Genesis recently, I came across the word: Mistress.  I remembered a conversation I had with a friend years ago, I had used the word 'mistress' to describe a woman who had taken up with another woman's husband. My friend challenged me as to whether that was an accurate usage of the word.

Harlot would be the God word which describes an adulterous/fornicating woman.

Mistress is the counterpart to Mister (Master). Usages of Mistress in Scripture:

Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress (H1404) was despised in her eyes.

Gen 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress (H1404) Sarai.

Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress (H1404), and submit thyself under her hands.

1Ki 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress (H1172) of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

2Ki 5:3 And she said unto her mistress (H1404), Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

Psa 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress (H1404); so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Pro 30:23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress (H1404).

Isa 24:2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress (H1404); as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

Nah 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress (H1172) of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

H1404 - Feminine of H1376; mistress: - lady, mistress.H1376 - From H1396; a master: - lord.

• H1396 - A primitive root; to be strong; by implication to prevail, act insolently: - exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more [strength], strengthen, be stronger, be valiant.

Additional verses which use H1404:

Isa 47:5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

Isa 47:7 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

H1172 - Feminine of H1167; a mistress: - that hath, mistress.

• H1167 - From H1166; a master; hence a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense: -  + archer, + babbler, + bird, captain, chief man, + confederate, + have to do, + dreamer, those to whom it is due, + furious, those that are given to it, great, + hairy, he that hath it, have, + horseman, husband, lord, man, + married, master, person, + sworn, they of.
• H1166 - A primitive root; to be master; hence (as denominative from H1167) to marry: - Beulah have dominion (over), be husband, marry (-ried, X wife).

Some additional verses with H1172:

1Sa 28:7  Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath (H1172) a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath (H1172) a familiar spirit at Endor. 

From Dictionary.com:

noun

1. a woman who has authority, control, or power, especially the female head of a household, institution, or other establishment.
2. a woman employing, or in authority over, servants or attendants.
3. a female owner of an animal, or formerly, a slave.
4. a woman who has the power of controlling or disposing of something at her own pleasure: mistress of a great fortune.
5. (sometimes initial capital letter) something regarded as feminine that has control or supremacy: Great Britain, the mistress of the seas.
6. a women who is skilled in something, as an occupation or art.
7. a woman who has a continuing, extramarital sexual relationship with one man, especially a man who, in return for an exclusive and continuing liaison, provides her with financial support.
8. British . a female schoolteacher; schoolmistress.
9. (initial capital letter) a term of address in former use and corresponding to Mrs., Miss, or Ms.
10. Archaic . sweetheart.

Interesting origins.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English maistresse < Middle French, Old French, equivalent to maistre master + -esse -ess

Completely contrary to how we use the word today...and how God used it when He had His servants pen the Writ.

I went searching for something about Mistress...well, my oh my, quite a lot to NOT like.  I did, however, come across this article and thought it encouraging.

31 Days: Mistress of Her Domain

Your domain includes (list from above link):

thoughts

attitudes

words

body

time

talents

relationships

money

possessions

equipment

education

opportunities

Hospitality

Mulling this over recently...What happened to hospitality?

Rom 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality (G5381).

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality (G5382), apt to teach;

Tit 1:8 But a lover of hospitality (G5382), a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality (G5382) one to another without grudging.

G5381 - From G5382; hospitableness.

G5382 - From G5384 and G3581; fond of guests, that is, hospitable.

• G5384 - Properly dear, that is, a friend; actively fond, that is, friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.).
• G3581 - Apparently a primary word; foreign (literally alien, or figuratively novel); by implication a guest or (vice-versa) entertainer.

A widow was not to be taken into the rolls:

1Ti 5:9-10 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers (G3580), if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

G3580 - lodged strangers - From a compound of G3581 and G1209; to be hospitable.

• G3581 - see above.
• G1209 - Middle voice of a primary verb; to receive (in various applications, literally or figuratively).

Searching for G5381 and G5382 usages:

G5381 - Romans 12:13 (above) and

Hebrews 13:2 - Be not forgetful to entertain strangers (G5381): for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

G5382 - same as above, no additional references.

Interestingly it is not JUST a woman's role, the instruction is specific in some verses and general in others. Regardless of one's marital status, we can practice hospitality. Which does not always involve inviting someone into our home, but can be found in other outlets. Think creative!

I went searching and came across a few articles to share.

Sunday Guests - I liked this one for its encouragement to see beyond the typical approach of hospitality.

Christian Love and Christian Hospitality - enjoyed this one, with the focus on love and hospitality.

Gracious Hospitality - general encouragement and exhortation.