To “meditate” is a powerful act of worship which speaks of spiritual refreshing and renewal. It conjures up in our minds, a passive act of pondering in quiet solitude and silent reflection. But is this an adequate translation of the Hebrew word “hagah”?
When Joshua tells us, “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate [hagah] on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it...” (Joshua 1:8), what is he actually saying to us?
Looking at the word “hagah”, we see that meditate is only one of its definitions, it also means to moan, growl, mutter, speak. So it’s not meditate in the way we think of meditation but it is, rather, very audible, like when Hannah was in the temple pouring out her deepest anguish to God in prayer (see 1 Samuel 1).
Looking at the word “hagah”, we see that meditate is only one of its definitions, it also means to moan, growl, mutter, speak. So it’s not meditate in the way we think of meditation but it is, rather, very audible, like when Hannah was in the temple pouring out her deepest anguish to God in prayer (see 1 Samuel 1).
Isaiah 31:4, “…As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey…”, gives us yet another idea of what this Hebrew word means. It’s that desperate growl a lion makes when he’s about to devour his prey.
“Hagah” is about being so desperately hungry, and having such an insatiable appetite for God’s Word, that we cannot help but persistently confess it to ourselves day and night.
God’s Word is food for our souls and we must experience pangs of hunger that will cause us to tear into the Word and feast like a lion feasts on its prey.
So from now on, let’s not meditate on God’s Word as it is conveyed in English but let’s Hagah God’s Word.
Amen †
Amen †
“HAGAH” ©2013 Shelley Johnson 10-Sep-13
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