Pearls of the Word

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Strenght and vengeance of the Lord

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Strength and vengeance [ozi vezimrath] of the Lord [Yah] have become my salvation" (1 Peter 2:25).

The Hebrew expression 'ozi vezimrath' is found in two other passages: Exodus 15:2 and Isaiah 12:2. According to the Jewish sages (Shemot Kol Torah p 204), this expression is a determiner ¹ of the divine name Yah. Thus, the expression 'ozi vezimrath' acts as a qualifier of the Lord in this case means 'strength and the vengeance of the Lord'.

Therefore, with the Psalmist, we can say, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man or the great" (Psalm 118: 8-9). Indeed, the Lord is then the force and vengeance which delivered us from our enemies (Psalm 118:10-12). Then we can sing songs of triumph for the right hand of the Lord has given us victory.

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(1) a determiner is a word or group of words which, before a noun, shows how the noun is being used.