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Question - Your definition of "evil" is simply "bad." My Hebrew dictionary suggests various meanings such as afflict and punish. How do we know that evil always means bad and/or wicked? I think our children, especially my step-daughter, thought we were evil when we made her work. Was that bad? And didn't YAHWEH often chastise those he loved? Was that wicked or maybe just consequences for going their own way? Just a question???
Answer - In our English translations of the Scripture, words are selected to translate the understood meanings of the Hebrew, the Greek, or the Aramaic language by the translators. In all languages it is evident that words are subject to changes in their meaning through time. A modern definition for the word 'evil' from many modern dictionaries would tend to define the word 'evil' as morally bad, wrong, sinful, or wicked, to list just a few, but these words do not necessarily correctly describe either the Hebrew or the Greek. What we need, is to understand the definition of the word as it is used in the language being translated, during the time period the words were written. In other words, to correctly understand the definitions of the English words used in a 1611 KJV of the Bible, you would also need a 1611 Dictionary of those English words. Modern English word definitions do not necessarily correctly translate the 1611 English used in the King James English translation. This is the same with all languages especially with Scripture. Modern Greek does not translate Scriptural Greek, and Modern Hebrew does not translate Scriptural Hebrew.As for the word 'evil' - the Hebrew word translated into the English word 'evil' most often is the Old Covenant word 'RA.' There are also some other English words translated from the Hebrew word 'RA' but the Hebrew meaning is still the same 'bad' (the opposite of good). A good analogy of this would be a 'good' apple, compared with a 'bad' apple.
Evil as translated from the Greek New Covenant is a bit more complicated because some translators have taken considerable liberty by translating several Greek words as being equivalent to the English word evil. However, the comparable Greek word to the word evil or 'RA' in the Hebrew, is the word 'Kak-on.' This word also has the simple Greek meaning of 'bad,' (again the opposite of good). The important point to remember is that there is no moral (or sin) tinge to the word 'bad' (evil).
'RA' is used many times in the Old Covenant with reference to Yahweh. 'RA' (or evil) is NOT the same word in the Hebrew as the word 'wicked.' Wicked in the Hebrew is 'RAW-SHAW' - which is to be 'morally' bad, wrong, or 'actively' pursuing the bad. Unfortunately translators, especially in the KJV use the word in a very indiscriminate manner. This is very unfortunate because it can cause an incorrect understanding of the intent of the original passage being translated.
For example,
Gen. 13:13 should read - "Now the men of Sodom were 'bad' and errant against Yahweh exceedingly."
No doubt these men were also wicked, but the correct Hebrew here is 'bad' not wicked. The point is this - Evil (RA in Hebrew or Kak-on in Greek) does not mean 'wicked,' and must also be distinguished from what we know as sin. Something which is 'bad' can be completely divorced from something that is sinful, for 'Yahweh' Himself creates 'evil,' the bad (Is. 45:7) and He brought many 'evils' on His people Israel for their discipline. So, as with your own children what may at times appear to them as 'bad' when they are punished, is intended by you to be for their good in order to develop character, proper work habits, protect their safety or their security, etc. So yes, Yahweh does indeed chastise or discipline those He loves, but, when He brings evil (bad) He is not being wicked and He is obviously not being sinful, for the 'law giver' cannot violate His own laws. If necessary, He simply changes them to suit His purpose.
For aletheia (truth)
John William,
Assembly of Yahweh, Cascade
Presented for aletheia, by the Assembly of YAHWEH, Cascade
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