‘Am-ha’aretz

Yes, ‘am-ha’aretz is my word for the day. I imagine your inquisitive facial expression and that you are now reaching for your mobile device to access Google. I’ll save you the trouble and time. In the Complete Jewish Study Bible you will find this Hebrew word; ‘am-ha’aretz, which is taken from John 7: 30 – 53; actually it is referenced in verse 49. 

Background story: The chief priests and Pharisees rebuke the temple guards for not bringing Jesus back to them for questioning. The guards are amazed by Jesus wisdom and power in His words. The Pharisees; however, are not impressed and chastise the guards, “You mean He has deceived you also?” (verse 47, NIV)  The rulers and Pharisees continue (verse 48, NIV), “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Him?” Please feel free to continue reading verse 49 in the NIV if you wish, but it is in the Complete Jewish Study Bible that you will find my word for the day – ‘am-ha’aretz. And it was in reading this section of scripture yesterday that I so connected with Jesus followers; well, literally, back in His day.

The Pharisees continue: “True, these ‘am-ha’aretz do (trust in Jesus as the Messiah), but they know nothing about the Torah. They are under a curse.”(verse 49, CJS) Is it a curse to be ‘am-ha’aretz?  ‘Am-ha’aretz literally means people of the land, ordinary, unlearned people.  Hmmm, let us look at this concept.

I have shared throughout this site that I was born to parents of German descent and raised on a farm during many of my formidable years. They spoke two languages fluently and could read Latin and had graduated from the 12th grade. My Mennonite mother was an accomplished musician. She loved to play the piano, sing, and ‘unofficially’ dance. As a child I was taught to appreciate theatre, and to read poetry and the classics. My father was an equally learned man, except he could not sing well nor play an instrument and certainly did not dance. Yet they were learned parents and wise. According to the Pharisees, though, my family was ‘am-ha’aretz.

I loved this story. I love the application. I fell in love with the word ‘am-ha’aretz.  In love with a word? Peculiar, absurd. Yet, Louisa May Alcott stated that ‘Love is a great beautifier’.  Yes, I love the word. And to me, ‘am-ha’aretz may label me, but the person identifying me as ‘am-ha’aretz does not limit me nor my experiences nor my beliefs. Education is a beautiful process which may be discovered in schools, in universities, in degrees representing our completion of studies; but wisdom is not limited to academic education, to knowledge espoused from our universities, and certainly not to our degrees; BA, MA, or PhD.
​
My prayer for you today is that you may open yourself up to the still small voice that calls to you. You are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139: 14, NIV). Your origins may be ‘am-ha’aretz, but that is just a label intended to minimize you. Jesus never did that. I challenge you to continue on wisdom’s journey with me for inspiration and instruction. May you never allow defeat to overtake you because you are ‘am-ha’aretz. May you allow yourself to be immersed in His words and just as the temple guards stated, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” (John 7:46, NIV). May you find the Truth as you search for Wisdom.