Page 95 - Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew

COINCIDENCES IN THE BIBLE AND IN BIBLICAL HEBREW
74 74 COINCIDENCES IN THE BIBLE AND IN BIBLICAL HEBREW

Example 1: Keri
God warns the people of Israel to refrain from walking with God as though

randomness, or coincidence, were the true profile of reality. The key word here is
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keri (from the root K.R.H). This word appears several times in a single chapter in
the Bible, and only there, at Leviticus 26:21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 40, 41. God warns
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the people of Israel that if they walk with him in keri, then he will walk with
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them with the wrath of keri, punishing them seven times over for their transgres-
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sions. This “wrath of keri” may simply be interpreted to mean that if the children
of Israel considered everything to be happening to them by coincidence, then

God would inflict randomness upon them, punishing and at times torturing them
“randomly” for their sins, thus depriving them even of the ability to associate, in
any way, those punishments with their misconduct.
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Note that keri appears only in this chapter in Leviticus, so the interpretation
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of the word varies. In some Bible translations we find keri to mean “rebellion.”

Although we are not aware of the source of this interpretation, it is apparently
consistent with Jewish sages’ attitude that to consider events as happening by
chance constitutes rebellion against God.
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Since keri appears only at this chapter in Leviticus, it is perhaps appropriate
that more supportive evidence be provided for the biblical perception of ran-

domness as grave abomination—and, indeed, vilification of the name of God.
Therefore, some further examples for the negative use of the root K.R.H in the
Bible are now provided.

Example 2: Accidental Occurrences or Encounters
The Bible consistently employs the word “to meet,” based on the root K.R.H, to
imply that a seemingly coincidental meeting is in fact intentional, or that one of
the participants to the meeting live in denial of God and therefore perceives the
meeting to be coincidental. By the same vein, when one tells of what has hap-
pened to him or her and wishes to convey to the other party the impression that
his or her story implies a coincidental chain of events (or so he or she believes), the
root K.R.H is invariably inserted in the text.
Examples:

• The epitome for a culture based on randomness and denial of God,
as will be realized by further examples later on, is the tribe of Amalek .

When an Amalekite boy wishes to convey to David that he had just
killed his adversary, King Saul, and his son, Jonathan, the endeared
friend of David, he is afraid of the possible wrath of David for par-
ticipating in the war of Amalek with Israel. Therefore, the Amalekite