Sometimes Scripture ascribes to the word of God supernatural effects; or represents it as animated and active. So, “He sent his word, and healed them” (Psalms 107:20). Enlarging upon this idea, the apocryphal book of Wisdom ascribes to the word of God the death of the first-born of Egypt (18:15; 16:26; 9:1; 16:12); the miraculous effects of the manna; the creation of the world; the healing of those who looked up to the brazen serpent. In a similar sense of omnific-power the centurion in the gospel says to our Savior, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (Matthew 8:8). Referring to the preserving influence of divine truth, Christ says to the devil that tempted him, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (4:4).
The Chaldee paraphrasts, the most ancient Jewish uncanonical writers extant, generally use this name (the Memra מֵימרָא, signifying word) where Moses puts Jehovah... Now, their testimony is so much the more considerable, as, having lived before or at the time of Christ, they are irrefragable witnesses of the sentiments of their nation on this article, since their Targum, or explication has always been, and still is, in universal esteem among them. In the greater part of the passages where the sacred name occurs, these paraphrasts substitute Memra Jehovah (מימרא דיי), the Word of God, and as they ascribe to Memra all the attributes of deity, it is concluded that they believed the divinity of the Word. In effect, according to them, Memra created the world; appeared to Abraham in the plain of Mamre, and to Jacob at Bethel. It was to Memra [that] Jacob appealed to witness the covenant between him and Laban: “Let the Word see between thee and me.” The same Word appeared to Moses at Sinai, gave the law to Israel, spoke face to face with that lawgiver, marched at the head of that people, enabled them to conquer nations, and was a consuming fire to all who violated the law of the Lord. All these characters, where the paraphrasts use the word Memra, clearly denote Almighty God. This Word, therefore, was God, and the Hebrews were of this opinion at the time when the Targum was composed. SEE SHEKINAH.
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Word of God, Word of the Lord, logos, Bath-Kol, memra, Bath Kol, Voice of God, God's word, wisdom personified, daughter of the voice
Bible reference(s): 1 John 1:1, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 3:15, Hebrews 4:12, Jeremiah 10:13, John 1:14, Proverbs 8:12, Psalms 107:20, Psalms 29:3, Revelation 19:13
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, (abridged).
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.