- Feb 7, 2026
“Keeping” and “Breaking” Do Not Mean What You Think
- Jeff A. Benner
- Interpretation
- 7 comments
Now, if you will intently listen to my voice and keep my covenant, they will be for me a treasured possession from all the people, for all the land is mine. (Exodus 19:5)
In the above passage, the Hebrew word behind the English word “keep” is the verb שמר (Sh.M.R). If we interpret this word as “obedience,” we can easily interpret this passage to mean, “Obey the covenant.” But as we shall see, this translation is not always suitable for the context of the passage:
“The LORD bless you and keep you.” (Numbers 6:24, NIV)
Obviously, the word שמר (Sh.M.R), also translated as “keep” in this verse, cannot be interpreted as “obey;” otherwise it would read, “The LORD bless you and obey you.” We can clearly see that the word “obey” is a poor interpretation for the Hebrew word שמר (Sh.M.R).
The original use of this word means a corral constructed out of thorn bushes by the shepherd to protect his flock from predators during the night. The שמר (Sh.M.R) was built to “guard” the flock and we can see this same imagery in the passage above by interpreting it as “The LORD bless you and guard you.” We now see that “keeping the covenant” is not strictly about obedience, but “guarding the covenant.” The individual’s attitude toward the covenant is the issue: does he guard it as a shepherd does his flock or does he “break” the covenant.
Just as the word “keep” has been misunderstood in the context of the original Hebraic meaning, the word “break” has also been misunderstood, as the word does not mean “disobedience.”
“If you reject my decrees and if you cast away my judgments and you do not do all my commands, breaking my covenant, then, I will do this to you; I will bring upon you sudden terror, disease and fever.” Leviticus 26:15,16
The Hebrew translated as “break” in the above passage is the verb פרר (P.R.R). The original use of this word was the “treading” over grain. The harvested grain was thrown onto the threshing floor where oxen would trample over the grain breaking the hull open, releasing the edible seeds inside. The “breaking” of a covenant means the total disrespect for the covenant where one literally throws it to the ground and tramples on it. As we can see, the keeping or breaking of a covenant is the respect or lack that one has for the covenant.
About my Blog
The Bible was written in an ancient eastern culture, which views the world very differently from the way we do in our modern western culture.
My blog objectives:
Expose how our modern translations have ignored the original language of the Bible in order to present a Bible that is more easily readable by modern readers.
Transform your way of thinking to be more in line with the authors of the Bible.
7 comments
Dear Jeff - Thank you so much for sharing these nuggets of Truth. They help a great deal as I study to know what Scripture really says.
Amen, excellent.....
Thanks for your faithfulness to bring the truth of the Word to us.
Rodney
Thanks Jeff- you help make His Word powerful and memorable. I enjoy the concreteness of His Word, it captures the imagination expanding His magnificence in our minds, "is anything too wonderful for Him?" Duh!
Thank you Jeff.
I was wondering about your thoughts on Hawah (Eve) being created from the organ taken from Adams sides? Seems she was created around this organ where as Adam was formed.
Much appreciated,
Sean
"In the above passage, the Hebrew word behind the English word “keep” is the verb שמר (Sh.M.R). If we interpret this word as “obedience,” we can easily interpret this passage to mean, “Obey the covenant.” But as we shall see, this translation is not always suitable for the context of the passage:"
This paragraph reveals to some extent the depth of YHVH'S WORD. As the same combination of symbols - letters - which we call words never have the same meaning independent from the context of book, time, chapter, paragraph, verse, sentence … they are expressed in but always the exact meaning that reveals THE TRUTH.
Which by extension reveals the richness and ultimate impenetrability of THE TRUTH as a whole. We can only always recognise THE TRUTH piece by piece. No matter how hard and long we look at YHVH'S WORD we will always discover something yet undiscovered. Which is not new as THE TRUTH IS, so THE TRUTH was always available yet undiscovered, so we can only discover THE TRUTH.
"Obey the covenant" could also be described as "Trust in the LORD alone".
"The original use of this word means a corral constructed out of thorn bushes by the shepherd to protect his flock from predators during the night. The שמר (Sh.M.R) was built to “guard” the flock and we can see this same imagery in the passage above by interpreting it as “The LORD bless you and guard you.” We now see that “keeping the covenant” is not strictly about obedience, but “guarding the covenant.” The individual’s attitude toward the covenant is the issue: does he guard it as a shepherd does his flock or does he “break” the covenant."
Which essentially reveals to us that THE COVENANT OF THE LORD is that our TOTAL trust in THE LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST ALONE equals to the protection of a corral of thorn bushes in the wilderness.
THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE - THE LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ONLY FOREVER AND EVER - AMEN HALLELU-YAH!
Jeff taught me that a word with verb and noun forms should have the same basic meaning, but differences of action. Here in this case shamar the verb should refer to grape juice as shamar the noun refers to grape juice lees. So my two pennies is the verb refers to "processing" and the noun to "processed" - more see my own link and my own studies : https://spiritualsprings.proboards.com/thread/40/bible-study-shamar-natsar
Jeff uses the example shepherd coral sheep into a fold at night. The function to coral sheep is similar to the broad application to "process sheep".
So when the Lord wants you to process His covenant, He is referring to your free will mind to speak and pray over His words, so that by genuine faith this is a flow of Divine powers into you because you ask for this - Shalom
I love this! Learning more about not only the Hebrew language but the mindset is priceless in helping all of us deepen our relationship with Him. I am so grateful for all of this! Thank you Jeff for sharing all that you do with us!