Exodus 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
a. NLT: He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]
b. NIV: He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]
c. YLT: And He saith, 'If thou dost really hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and dost that which is right in His eyes, and hast hearkened to His commands, and kept all His statutes: none of the sickness which I laid on the Egyptians do I lay on thee, for I, Jehovah, am healing thee. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]
d. Amplified Bible Classic: Saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]
e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: He said, “If you hearken diligently to the voice of HASHEM, your God, and do what is just in His eyes, give ear to His commandments and observe all His decrees, then any of the diseases that I placed in Egypt, I will not bring upon you, for I am HASHEM, your Healer.” [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]
1. “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes…”
a. [And] said [Strong: 559 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]
b. If [Strong: 518 'im eem a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.]
c. [thou wilt] diligently [Strong: 8085 shama` shaw-mah' a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]
d. hearken [Strong: 8085 shama` shaw-mah' a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]
e. [to the] voice [Strong: 6963 qowl kole or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim, proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, + yell.]
f. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]
g. [thy] God [Strong: 430 'elohiym el-o-heem' plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]
h. [and wilt] do [Strong: 6213 `asah aw-saw' a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]
i. [that which is] right [Strong: 3477 yashar yaw-shawr' from 3474; straight (literally or figuratively):--convenient, equity, Jasher, just, meet(-est), + pleased well right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness).]
j. [in his] sight [Strong: 5869 `ayin ah'-yin probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, + think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, + displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, + think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).]
k. [[and wilt give] ear [Strong: 238 'azan aw-zan' a primitive root; probably to expand; but used only as a denominative from 241; to broaden out the ear (with the hand), i.e. (by implication) to listen:--give (perceive by the) ear, hear(-ken).]
l. [to his] commandments [Strong: 4687 mitsvah mits-vaw' from 6680; a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law):--(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance, precept.]
m. [and] keep [Strong: 8104 shamar shaw-mar' a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).]
n. all [Strong: 3605 kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]
o. [his] statutes [Strong: 2706 choq khoke from 2710; an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage):--appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decree(-d), due, law, measure, X necessary, ordinance(- nary), portion, set time, statute, task.]
2. “…I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians:…”
a. [I will] put [Strong: 7760 suwm soom or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down, ((over-))turn, X wholly, work.]
b. none [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]
c. [Strong: 3605 kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]
d. [of these] diseases [Strong: 4245 machaleh makh-al-eh' or (feminine) machalah {makk-al-aw'}; from 2470; sickness:--disease, infirmity, sickness.]
e. upon [thee] [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]
f. which [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]
g. [I have] brought [Strong: 7760 suwm soom or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down, ((over-))turn, X wholly, work.]
h. [upon the] Egyptians [Strong: 4713 Mitsriy mits-ree' from 4714; a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of Mitsrajim:--Egyptian, of Egypt.]
1). Before we continue the discussion of the three parts of these two verses, we must understand the above sentence in light of Biblical/Covenantal language. Sickness and disease and death came into the world because of Adam’s sin.
a). Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
2). Sickness and disease is defined in the New Testament as a tool of the devil, satanic bondage and demonic oppression.
a). Luke 13:10-16 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13:13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
13:14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
13:15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
b). Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
3). Healing is provided in both the Old and New Covenants. In light of this we must conclude it is not God that causes sickness and disease. Within the Hebrew language there is a permissive sense to verbs that imply a causative sense.
a). Elias De La Roche, A Treatise on the Peculiarities of the Bible: “The Hebrews, and indeed all the orientalists, often use verbs metonymically with respect to those who are not themselves the authors of any action, but who afford occasion of performing it by not preventing it. [Reprinted from Troy Edwards, The Permissive Sense]
b). E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech in the Bible. “Active verbs were used by the Hebrews to express, not the doing of the thing, but the permission of the thing which the agent is said to do.” [Reprinted from Troy Edwards, He Only Permits.]
(1) In Exodus 7:3, 13 God said He was going to harden Pharaoh's heart, and yet in Exodus 8:15, 32 it says Pharoah hardened his own heart.
(2) In Isaiah 6:9, 10 it refers to Israel, whose heart and ears are seemingly prevented from hearing and seeing and ultimately receiving conversion and healing. Yet Jesus said in Matthew 13:13-15 that these people hardened their own heart through disobedience.
(3) Finally in Romans 1:18-32 we see the laws, the boundaries, that God has ordained and we see process of man's disobedience that causes these maladies because of man’s sin. Man persist in engaging in sin, and God not violating man's free will, allows it, and man descends into bondage to the sin. This process is described as God “giving man up to sin.”
c). Don Costello: Included in the dominion given to man at creation (Genesis 1:26-28) were the principles of free will and choice. Mankind was given lordship over the earth.The engaging in this free will and choice and the consequences it results in also reveals the extent of the dominion given to man. Although this sacred responsibility became corrupted at the fall, it did not cease. Which is why when we see in human history and today, wicked men rise up to do the most horrible things to their fellow man and God does not jump in and say “OK Time out! Stop. I’m not going to allow you to do these things.” He allows it because it is part of the dominion mandate that was given to man. It seems that God takes a seemingly ‘hands off approach’ even allowing the fall of man and the horrible suffering that occurs as collateral damage. But, in reality, it is not that God takes a hands off approach, but that the power to choose behavior and the consequences resulting from them were handed over to man at creation within the dominion mandate. Yes eventually everyone will answer to God for their deeds, and there is a sowing and reaping principle active in the life of man, but it will not be until the Great White Throne Judgment until true justice will be fully meted out. Whether it is sickness and disease or any of the other horrible calamities that plague human history from creation, or the consequences of our own choices, it was these that were included in the “dominion” the LORD gave to us at creation, and that explain why we suffer under them.
d). World Outreach Church Daily Devotional 7/6/14 This was God’s first healing covenant with His people. Some Hebrew scholars say this verse should be translated in the permissive tense—meaning “I will allow” instead of “I will put.” In that case it would read, “I will allow none of these diseases upon thee, which I have allowed upon the Egyptians.” God finishes by saying, “For I am the Lord that healeth thee.” The Hebrew says, “I am Jehovah Rapha.”1 Three million children of Israel left Egypt trusting God. They went out with silver and gold, and the Bible says there was not one feeble person among them. (Ps. 105:37.) But God put a few conditions on this new covenant: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments….” You see, even in the first healing covenant, there was a correlation between hearing and being healed. Also, notice God didn’t say, “I will be or I was the Lord that healeth thee.” No, He said, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” That’s good news because James 1:17 says God never changes. If He was the Lord who healed His people back then, He’s the Lord who still heals His people today.
3. “…for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
a. for [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]
b. I [Strong: 589 'aniy an-ee' contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X which, X who.]
c. [am the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]
b. [that] healeth [thee] [Strong: 7495 rapha' raw-faw' or raphah {raw-faw'}; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure:--cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole.]
1). Some writers declare, The LORD our Doctor. The LORD our Healer. This is one of the seven Redemptive names of God.
a). Jehovah-Jireh: "the Lord will provide" (Genesis 22:13,14). i.e., will provide a sacrifice.
b). Jehovah-Rapha: "the Lord that healeth" (Exodus 15:26).
c). Jehovah-Nissi: "the Lord our banner" (Exodus 17:8-15).
d). Jehovah-Shalom: "the Lord our peace," or "the Lord send peace" (Judges 6:24).
e). Jehovah-Ra-ah: "the Lord my shepherd" (Psalm 23.).
f). Jehovah-Tsidkenu: "the Lord our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6).
g). Jehovah-Shammah: "the Lord is present" (Ezekiel 48:35).