Hello Friends! In this fourth episode, we discuss patience.

The fourth fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 is Patience. In this episode we deep dive into the Hebrew understanding of the fruit of the Spirit of patience, or erech aph. Erech Aph literally translates to 'slow of nose.' How does that translate to patience?! Take a listen and find out... also follow along with the show notes below! 

Erech Apayim (אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם) 

‘Slow to Anger’

Two words together, Erech (אֶרֶךְ) and Apayim (אַפַּיִם)

• Erech
  • slow (9x), longsuffering (with H639) (4x), longwinged (with H83) (1x), patient (1x).

Usage and lessons of the word from scriptures:

• • Aph, first and significant uses:
    • Then Adonai Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his aph a breath of life—so the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7)

• …until your brother’s aph turns away from you and he forgets what you’ve done to him. (Genesis 27:45a)

• • • But Jacob’s aph was hot against Rachel and said, “Am I, instead of God, the one who withheld from you the fruit of the womb? (Genesis 30:2)
      • This shows us the writers considered anger to be connected with a hot sensation and/or hard breathing.  This is also where we get the idea that the aph can be interpreted as “anger”

• Erech, first and significant uses:

• • Then Adonai passed before him, and proclaimed, “Adonai, Adonai, the compassionate and gracious God, erech apayim, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth,… (Exodus 34:6)

Erech Apayim 

• “long suffering;” displaying patience with the wicked, instead of punishing them immediately. (Zekenim, 1100-1300 CE)

Use in the Psalms:

• • But You, my Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, erech apayim, full of love and truth. (Psalm 86:15)

• David Quotes the Lord back to the Lord

Use in the Proberbs

• One who is erech apayim shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered* one exalts folly. (Proverbs 14:29) *kitzar-ruach. Lit. hasty of spirit/ hasty of breath
  • Therefore, erech apayim and kitzar ruach are understood as opposed to one another.

New Covenant 

Septuagint uses μακροθύμως “makrothymos” for slow to anger. 

Makrotymos is translated:

• Compound word:
  • Makro = long/far, 

Makrotymos in the New Covenant:

• • “…do you suppose that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you belittle the riches of His kindness and tolerance and makrotymia—not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:3b, 4)

• “Now what if God, willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much makrotymia vessels of wrath designed for destruction? 23 And what if He did so to make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory? 24 Even us He called—not only from the Jewish people, but also from the Gentiles— 25 as He says also in Hosea, ‘I will call those who were not My people, “My people,” and her who was not loved, “Beloved.” 26 And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.’”

• • Bear in mind that the makrotymia of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. (2 Peter 3:15)

• Makrotymia is a godly characteristic, and the only way to truly have makrotymia is to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so you do not find yourself getting bent out of shape when He seems to be taking too long.

• “But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, makrotymia, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

Clark, M. (1999). Etymological dictionary of Biblical Hebrew. Jerusalem, Israel: Feldheim Publishers.

Howard, G. (1995). Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

Schlimm, M. R. (2018). 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Sforno, O. b. (1500-1550 CE). Sefaria.org. Retrieved from mobile.tora.ws: https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.34.6?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Sforno_on_Exodus.34.6.6&lang2=bi&w2=About&lang3=en

Strong, J. (2022, July 1). Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2617/kjv/wlc/ss0/0-1

Zekenim, D. (1100-1300 CE). Sefaria.org. Retrieved from https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.34.6?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Daat_Zkenim_on_Exodus.34.6&lang2=bi&w2=About&lang3=en