Page 174 - Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew

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CHAPTER 11 LIGHT, DARKNESS, BLACK (HOLES)
CHAPTER 11 LIGHT, DARKNESS, BLACK (HOLES) 153
thus shown that “light’s path is determined by the curvature of space in
which it travels.” Not unlike a river.
• “It carries energy.” Light, being considered as a stream of photons , is

known to carry energy, as are all electromagnetic fields. The mathematical
expression for the energy, carried by the basic elements of light, is given
by Planck’s formula, which expresses the photon’s energy as

E = hν = 2πħν

where ν is the light frequency, and h is Planck’s constant.

Does biblical Hebrew recognize this basic correspondence between “light”, as
we know it today, and “river”? Strangely enough, the answer is yes.
In the Hebrew language:

“river” is nahar: 1

(ר) + (ה) + (נ)

2
“Light” is naharah (though or is the more common word):

(ה) + (ר) + (ה) + (נ)

Both these nouns derive from a common root: N.H.R. This root gives rise to
verbs that preserves the original meanings of the corresponding nouns.
Examples for light:

3
• “Then thou wilt see, and be filled with light [ve-nahart ]” (Isa. 60:5).

4
• “They looked to him and are radiant [ve-naharu ] and their faces shall
not be ashamed” (Pss. 34:6).
• “Let that day be darkness; Let not God inquire after it from above, nor
2
let the light [naharah ] shine upon it” (Job 3:4).
1
The Hebrew word for river, nahar, with its variants, appear in the Bible no
fewer than 117 times in Hebrew, and 15 additional times in Aramaic (in which
2
case it appears as naharah). Additionally, a combination of “fi re” (though not