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The Hebrew word \u201cgive\u201d ( natan <\/em> ) is used in a wide variety of senses in Scripture. It is used in contexts where it means \u201cteach\u201d: Wisdom is given to the wise man (Proverbs 9:9). Words are \u201cgiven\u201d as well as \u201cspoken.\u201d Privileges are \u201cgiven.\u201d Miracles are \u201cgiven\u201d (Exodus 7:9). Musical sounds are \u201cgiven\u201d by instruments (Psalm 81:2). Things set in place are \u201cgiven\u201d (Genesis 1:17). Things are \u201cgiven before the face\u201d of others (1 Kings 9:6). Being set in a position of authority is to be \u201cgiven\u201d a position (Genesis 41:41). Devotion to anything is \u201cto give the heart\u201d (Ecclesiastes 1:13, 17). To make a thing like something else is to \u201cgive a thing as\u201d something. Not only persons but inanimate objects \u201cgive.\u201d Not only objects but authority and permissions and abilities are \u201cgiven.\u201d <\/p>\n In various places, the AV translates natan <\/em> as \u201ccause\u201d (Exodus 21:19; Leviticus 24:19-20; Numbers 5:18; Deuteronomy 28:7, 25; 1 Kings 5:9; 2 Kings 19:7; Proverb 10:10). In Song of Songs 1:12, the subject of the second clause is \u201cmy nard\u201d and the verb is \u201cgives.\u201d The nard is not passive. The nard is personalized as a benefactor that bestows something, that bestows a pleasing aroma. <\/p>\n The Bible presents us with a world teeming with benefactors. Everywhere we turn there are things offering gifts. The lamp says, \u201cHere, I give light. Take it.\u201d The flowers say, \u201cI\u2019ve got a fragrance to give to you.\u201d The piano says, \u201cI\u2019ve got 88 keys to give you pleasing sounds.\u201d The forest gives smells and sights and muffled sounds, the birds give their songs, the earth gives grain and wine and trees. Human civilization is full of things that give. All there are ultimately gifts from God, but the picture is not of God giving through empty pipelines that simply carry the gift to us. Rather, the Lord\u2019s gift is the gift of gifting. The Giver makes us givers. There are secondary givers, given the ability to give and the gifts they gift from the supreme Giver. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Hebrew word \u201cgive\u201d ( natan ) is used in a wide variety of senses in Scripture. It is used in contexts where it means \u201cteach\u201d: Wisdom is given to the wise man (Proverbs 9:9). Words are \u201cgiven\u201d as well as \u201cspoken.\u201d Privileges are \u201cgiven.\u201d Miracles are \u201cgiven\u201d (Exodus 7:9). Musical sounds are \u201cgiven\u201d by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology-creation"],"yoast_head":"\n