HEBREW WORD STUDY – EAT – ‘OKELAM – אכלם   Aleph  Kap Lamed Mem

Jeremiah 15:16: “Your words were found and I ate them and your words became for me a joy, and the delight of my heart, for I have been called by your name, O Lord God Almighty.”

John 6:54: “Whosoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

In John 6:54, the Greek word used for “eat” is “trogon” which has the idea of chewing and cutting up into little pieces.  The Septuagint uses this same word in Jeremiah 15:16 where Jeremiah says that he found the words of God and “ate” them.  The Hebrew word for ate in Hebrew is ’okelam which is generally believed to come from the root word ’alakam which means to eat or consume.  However, some rabbis believe it could also represent the root kallah which could be a metonymy or what we generally call a figure of speech.  It is sometimes rendered as kidney but as a metonymy represents the inward secret parts of the soul.  In this case Jeremiah received the words and “ate” them, that is, he consumed them or studied them, discussed them and meditated on them until they became a part of his very soul or being. 

Obviously Jesus is expressing a metonymy or a figure of speech when He speaks of eating his flesh and drinking his blood.  At least the Jewish disciples would interpret this as a figure of speech because it was a very common metonymy in the Hebrew language and had the idea that when one speaks from his heart (the flesh), you would eat it; that is, you would study it, discuss it, and meditate on it until it became a very part of your soul. 

Drinking His blood is another figure of speech in the Hebrew for digesting something that translates it into something that changes or affect your behavior. 

Looking at Jeremiah 15:16 we discover that these “words” were “found.”  The word used in the Hebrew for found is nimese’u” which is in a Niphal form.  This would tend to make the word reflexive and would express the idea that he found the words for himself, for his own benefit.   When he studied the words and meditated on them he found that they brought “joy” to him.  The Hebrew word  for joy that is  used here is an odd one, it is sus which is the word for white, cleansing and joyful.  It is a joy that comes from cleansing, like you have after a good shower or bath or the joy that you felt when you were saved and knew that you were cleansed of all your sins.  Jeremiah also said it became the “delight” of his heart.  The word for  delight is simecha which is your standard Hebrew word for joy.   This is a rejoicing that you feel in His presence.  The Mem in the center of this word would suggest that you feel his presence through his revealed Word.”   

The key word in both these verses is the word “eat.”  By eating something you are making it become a part of you, it is something that will strengthen you and give you energy to move forward.  But Jeremiah found it to be more than just nourishment, it was also a source of joy.

I drive many seniors in my disablity bus.  They are retired, most are limited in their mobility.  Just walking to the corner grocery store is a major project.  I listen to their conversations on the bus and I think the majority of the time the discussion is about a visit from their children and grandchildren, but it seems to center around the restaurant they ate at or are going to eat at.  One woman last week told me her nephew was coming to visit her and I ended up going out of my way to help her scout out a good restaurant.               The anticipation of sitting down to a meal is almost as exciting and maybe more than the visit of their loved ones.  I honestly think many of these people live to just eat. 

This is the idea behind okelam. When it comes to eating the Word of God, it is not a boring meal of rye crisp and carrot sticks.  It is meant to be a feast. It is 7:00 PM right now. I have a messy apartment, laundry to do, a bathroom to clean, a floor that needs to be moped and I need to get up early to go to my bus route. I really don’t have time to study but you are reading what I am doing now.  I just have to spend time in the Word of God, ‘okelam – eat the Word of God. I am addicted to God’s Word. My study partner knows not to call me between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM because I won’t answer the phone. I am absorbing, ‘okelam, eating God’s Word.   Even while I a driving my disability bus and I find a few moments of down time, I am studying my menu to decide what I will eat in God’s Word as soon as I get home from work.  This morning I ordered ahead, it was an order of Jeremiah 15:16  and that was supersized with free refills of the Living Water.