Life Lessons From The Road
Positions of Prayer (Part 3) "Hands Raised"

This column is a shock for me. I think I am the one most blessed for it. When I first did a count of the times I read in the Bible of hands raised in prayer I found about a dozen times.

I have now found 146 times hands are raised in prayer to God in the Bible !
When I started to work on this column I checked the Hebrew for a verse for some reason. When I read the English and then saw the Hebrew word I realized what was hidden. The two words in the Hebrew that speaks of hands raised or uplifted has been translated in the King James version of the Bible as:

it -- cast (out), (make) confess (-ion), praise, shoot, (give) thank (thankful, thanks, thanksgiving). confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (thanksgiving, offering).

I was totally shocked to realize that the word meant uplifted hands. See below:
Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary
3034 yadah (yaw-daw'); A primitive root; used only as denominative from 3027; literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands ); intensively, to bemoan (by wringing the hands):

King James Version translates it -- cast (out), (make) confess (-ion), praise, shoot, (give) thank (thankful, thanks, thanksgiving).

Another word used is: 8426 towdah (to-daw'); From 3034; properly, an extension of the hand , i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers:

King James Version translates it -- confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (thanksgiving, offering).
The following word is also used:

3709 kaph (kaf); From 3721; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, power:

King James Version translates it -- branch, + foot, hand ([-ful], -dle, [-led]), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.

There is no question as to the meaning of these words in Hebrew in the Old Testament or Greek in the New Testament; however translators have sought to use different words in English to interpret the same word.

I sat in shock. I then kept checking by running a search using Englishman's. It searches for each use of the word in Hebrew or Greek no matter how it is translated in English. A huge list of scriptures came up.
I then went to check in the Heritage Bible and saw that it expressed the word in its original way. I phoned Dr. Gwin Turner, my pastor and a Bible scholar and mighty man of God. We had a long talk and discussed as to why these words as well as last week's position for praying prostrate was not expressed in English Bibles in a consistent manner.

I worked for three days completing this list. I am simply shocked and amazed that hands uplifted is so often mentioned in the Bible. I have gone to church all my life, attended a Christian College and to seminary for a while. I have studied the Bible all my life but never knew there was so much said on the subject from the scripture until I got to looking into the word in Hebrew and Greek.

I grew up in a church, went to a college and seminary where we called ourselves 'people of the Book'. If the Bible says it we believe it! I was never taught nor saw practiced what these last two columns have shown from the Word of God. It took me a longtime to find this truth.

Many of you also have grown up in a religious culture where uplifted hands or lying prostrate is not practiced or even tolerated. It is hard for us to feel comfortable with these ways of praying but now you and I are confronted with what the scripture says and you cannot say you never knew.

I have now gone through the Bible and I think this list is very complete. You may find more scriptures that I've missed and would love for you to let me know so I can include them.
I just have never heard nor can I find a complete list of all these prayer positions. But God willing, soon you can print off the columns on this subject and have a complete list.

This has taken me so much time! I trust you will be blessed.
The only Bible that I know that seeks always to be faithful to the Hebrew or Greek word 'all' the time is the Heritage Bible. It can be found on the web at: http://www.cathedraluniversity.com/heritagebible/index.asp
Dr. Gwin Turner is also on my board of directors.
Here we will just let the scripture say what is says.
Heritage Bible in Italics: New King James in regular print.

Genesis 14:22 “And Abram said to the king of Sodom , I have raised up my hand to Jehovah, the most high God, the one who erected the heavens and earth.'

Genesis 29:35 “And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she said, now I will raise my hands to Jehovah.'

Genesis 22:50 “Therefore, Oh Jehovah, I will raise my hands to you among the peoples, and I will play, singing praises to your name.'

Exodus 9:29 “And Moses said to him, As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out the palms of my hands to Jehovah; the voice shall cease, and there shall not be any more hail, so that you may know by seeing that the earth is Jehovah's.'

Exodus 9: 33 “And Moses went out of the city with Pharaoh, and spread out the palms of his hands to Jehovah; and the voices and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured out on the earth.'

Exodus 29:24 “And you shall put all upon the palms of Aaron, and upon the palms of his sons, and shall wave them a wave offering before the face of Jehovah'

Leviticus 7:12
“If he brings it near for a raising of his hand to Jehovah, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of raising his hand unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fried cakes of flour mixed with oil.'

Leviticus 7:13 “Besides the cakes, he shall bring his offering of leavened food with the sacrifice of raising his hand in thanksgiving.'

Leviticus 7:15 “As to the flesh of the sacrifice of his raising his hand in thanksgiving, it is eaten in the day of its offering; he shall not deposit any of it until the dawn.

Leviticus 22:29 “And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of raising your hand to Jehovah, sacrifice it at your pleasure.'

Leviticus 8: 27,28 “And he put the whole on Aaron's palms and on his sons' palms, and waved them for a wave offering before the face of Jehovah. And Moses took them from off their palms, and burned them as perfumed incense on the altar on the burnt offering; they, were consecrations for a restful fragrance; it was a burnt offering to Jehovah.'

Joshua 7: 19 “And Joshua said to Achan, My son, I beg you, put heavy glory on Jehovah God of Israel , and give your extended hand to him.'

1Kings 8: 22 “And Solomon stood before the face of the altar of Jehovah in front of all the congregation of Israel , and spread out his palms toward the heavens.'

1 Kings 8:22 “And Solomon stood before the face of the altar of Jehovah in front of all the congregation of Israel , and spread out his palms toward the heavens.'

1 Kings 8:33 “When your people Israel are struck down before the face of those hating you, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again to you, and hold out their hand to your name, and judge in prayer, and stoop down asking you for grace in this house.'

1 Kings 8:35 “When the heavens hold back, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, if they judge in prayer toward this place, and raise their hand to your name, and turn from their sin.'

I Kings 8:38 "Whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel , when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his palms toward this temple.'

I Kings 8:54 And it was, when Solomon ended judging in prayer all this prayer and stooping down to Jehovah for grace, he rose from before the face of the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his palms spread out to the heavens.'

1 Chronicles 16:4 “And he gave out of the Levites to minister before the face of the ark of Jehovah, and to remember, and to raise the hands, and boast in Jehovah God of Israel .'

1 Chronicles 16:7 “Then on that day David gave the head position into the hand of Asaph, and his brothers, to raise the hands to Jehovah.'

1 Chronicles 16:8 “Raise your hands to Jehovah; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.'

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Raise your hands to Jehovah for his goodness, for his mercy is forever.'

1 Chronicles 16:35 “And say, Save us, Oh, God of our salvation, and gather us together; and snatch us from the peoples, that we may raise our hands to your holy name, to be loud in your praise.'

1 Chronicles 16:41 “To raise their hands to Jehovah, because his mercy is forever.'

1 Chronicles 25:4 Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to raise the hands and to boast in Jehovah'.

1 Chronicles 29:13 “And now, our God, we raise our hand to you, and boast in your shining name.'

2 Chronicles 5: 13 “And it was as they blew on the trumpets and sang they were attentively heard as one boasting in, and raising their hands to, Jehovah; and they raised up their voice with the trumpets, and cymbals, and instruments of music, and boasted in Jehovah.'

2 Chronicles 6:12 “And he stood before the face of the altar of Jehovah in the front of all the congregation of Israel , and spread out his palms.'

2 Chronicles 6:13 “Because Solomon had made a bronze platform of five cubits long, and five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and gave it in the midst of the court; and he stood upon it, and knelt down upon his knees in front of all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his palms toward the heavens.'

2 Chronicles 6:24 “And if your people, Israel , are pushed backward before the face of those hating them because they have sinned against you, and shall return, and raise their hand to your name, and judge in prayer, and shall stoop down asking for grace before your face in this house.'

2 Chronicles 6:26 “When the heavens are shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, if they judge in prayer toward this place, and raise their hand to your name, and turn from their sin.'

2 Chronicles 6: 29“Every prayer and every stooping down asking for grace that shall be made by any man and of all your people, Israel, when everyone shall know by seeing his own blow and his own sorrow, and shall spread out his palms in this house.'

2 Chronicles 7:3 “And all the children of Israel saw the fire come down and the heavy glory of Jehovah upon the house, and they bent down on their knees with their nostrils to the ground upon the pavement, and prostrated themselves, and raised their hands to Jehovah, because of his goodness, because of his eternal mercy.

2 Chronicles 7:6 “And the priests stood in their guard duty, the Levites also with instruments of singing for Jehovah which David, the king, had made to raise their hands to Jehovah, because of his eternal mercy when David led them in boasting with their hands; and the priests sounded trumpets before them and all Israel stood.'

2 Chronicles 20:21 “And he consulted with the people, and he stood singers to Jehovah, and they boasted in the beauty of holiness as they went out before the face of those equipped with arms, and saying, Raise your hands to Jehovah, because his mercy is forever.

2 Chronicles 29: 31 “And Hezekiah answered and said, At this time you have filled your hand to Jehovah; come near and bring sacrifices, and raise your hands in the house of Jehovah. And the congregation brought in sacrifices, and raised their hands; and everyone of a generous heart brought burnt offerings.'

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