Notes on Genesis 38

Presumably this account was included because it provides some information regarding the ancestry of King David and therefore the ancestry of Jesus Christ.

Verse 29

Pharez - Ancestor of Jesus Christ. See Luke 3:33

Notes on Genesis 37

Verse 2 -

Joseph (יוסף)

Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews vol. 2:

"For among the sons of Jacob Joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely in appearance, and, also, he was the one to whom Jacob transmitted the instruction and knowledge he had received from his teachers Shem and Eber."

Verse 3 -

"Coat of many colors" = כתנת פסים (Kethoneth pasim) = Long coat or coat reaching to the hands and feet.

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries:

כּתּנת כּתנת
kethôneth kûttôneth
keth-o'-neth, koot-to'-neth
From an unused root meaning to cover (compare H3802); a shirt: - coat, garment, robe.

פּס
pas
From H6461; properly the palm (of the hand) or sole (of the foot), (compare H6447); by implication (plural) a long and sleeved tunic (perhaps simply a wide one; from the original sense of the root, that is, of many breadths): - (divers) colours.

This phrase is found one other time in the Bible. It is found in 2 Sam. 13:18-19.

Alternate translation as given by Hugh Nibley is "coat of certain marks".

William Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies p. 82:

"One noted scholar suggested that if (the coat) was a 'tunic reaching to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet', the long tunic with sleeves worn by the... better class; in the case of Joseph... (it is thought) to have been the badge of the the right which had been forfeited by Reuben and transferred to Joseph."

Legends of the Jews tells of two gifts given to Joseph by Jacob after Jacob came to Egypt:

Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews vol. 2:

"Joseph received two gifts from his father. The first was Shechem, the city that Jacob had defended, with sword and bow, against the depredations of the Amorite kings when they tried to take revenge upon his sons for the outrage committed there. And the second gift was the garments made by God for Adam and passed from hand to hand, until they came into the possession of Jacob. Shechem was his reward, because, with his chastity, he stemmed the tide of immorality that burst loose in Shechem first of all. Besides, he had a prior claim upon the city. Shechem, son of Hamor, the master of the city, had given it to Dinah as a present, and the wife of Joseph, Asenath, being the daughter of Dinah, the city belonged to him by right.

Adam's clothes Jacob had received from Esau. He had not taken them from his brother by force, but God had caused them to be given to him as a reward for his good deeds. They had belonged to Nimrod. Once when the mighty hunter caught Esau in his preserves, and forbade him to go on the chase, they agreed to determine by combat what their privileges were. Esau had taken counsel with Jacob, and he had advised him never to fight with Nimrod while he was clothed in Adam's garments. The two now wrestled with each other, and at the time Nimrod was not dressed in Adam's clothes. The end was that he was slain by Esau. Thus the garments worn by Adam fell into the hands of Esau, from him they passed into Jacob's, and he bequeathed them to Joseph."

Rent coat served as a symbol of the remnant of Joseph's seed which was rent from the main body and taken to the New World and preserved there. See Alma 46:23-24.

Verse 22

Pit = Cistern

בּור
bôr
bore
From H952 (in the sense of H877); a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or prison): - cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well.

Verse 28

The journey to Egypt:

Louis Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews vol. 2:

"The journey was continued until they came to Ephrath, the place of Rachel's sepulchre. Joseph hastened to his mother's grave, and throwing himself across it, he groaned and cried, saying: "O mother, mother, that didst bear me, arise, come forth and see how thy son hath been sold into slavery, with none to take pity upon him. Arise, see thy son, and weep with me over my misfortune, and observe the heartlessness of my brethren. Awake, O mother, rouse thyself from thy sleep, rise up and prepare for the conflict with my brethren, who stripped me even of my shirt, and sold me as a slave to merchantmen, who in turn sold me to others, and without mercy they tore me away from my father. Arise, accuse my brethren before God, and see whom He will justify in the judgment, and whom He will find guilty. Arise, O mother, awake from thy sleep, see how my father is with me in his soul and in his spirit, and comfort him and ease his heavy heart."

"Joseph wept and cried upon the grave of his mother, until, weary from grief, he lay immovable as a stone. Then he heard a voice heavy with tears speak to him from the depths, saying: "My son Joseph, my son, I heard thy complaints and thy groans, I saw thy tears, and I knew thy misery, my son. I am grieved for thy sake, and thy affliction is added to the burden of my affliction. But, my son Joseph, put thy trust in God, and wait upon Him. Fear not, for the Lord is with thee, and He will deliver thee from all evil. Go down into Egypt with thy masters, my son; fear naught, for the Lord is with thee, O my son." This and much more like unto it did the voice utter, and then it was silent. Joseph listened in great amazement at first, and then he broke out in renewed tears. Angered thereby, one of the Ishmaelites drove him from his mother's grave with kicks and curses. Then Joseph entreated his masters to take him back to his father, who would give them great riches as a reward. But they said, "Why, thou art a slave! How canst thou know where thy father is? If thou hadst had a free man as father, thou wouldst not have been sold twice for a petty sum." And then their fury against him increased, they beat him and maltreated him, and he wept bitter tears.

Notes on Genesis 28

Verse 3

Almighty = שדי (Shaddai). See The Father, Mother and the Son.

Verse 19

Luz = לוז (Luz) = almond

The Meaning of Trees by Fred Hagender

"Almond

"From the beginning of civilization, the white blossoming almond heralded spring and provided an emblem of the archetypal White Goddess. Its archaic Semitic name, amygdala, can be traced back to the Sumerian ama ga, which means the Great Mother...

"Among the tribes of Israel, the almond was originally conceived as a Tree of Life. Moses' (and Aarons's) staff was of almond (Numbers 17:8) and was described as the 'rod of God' (Exodus 17:9). It was said to have been handed down from Adam via Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to Joseph who took it to Egypt where Moses obtained it. That Moses should bear the almond of the Great Mother is ironic, because in the Old Testament he is instructed to destroy the ancient cult of the Goddess (Exodus 22:1 and 34:13). However, his staff became the sceptre of the kings of Israel for many generations...

"Jacob slept at Luz, an almond sanctuary in Canaan, where the Lord appeared to him (Genesis 28:11-19), In Judaism, the divine light that shines mystically from the almond came to be celebrated in the Tree of Light. In ritual, this is the menorah, the candlestick which has a light for each of the seven planets. The menorah in Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem had almond shaped sconces to represent Aaron's rod when it broke out in buds."

Verse 21

Lord be my God = והיה יהוה לי לאלהים (hayah Yahweh li Elohim)

Hayah (היה) = to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass

Compare with:

Chavah (חוה), Eve = "to live", "lifegiver"

Possible word play?

Notes on Genesis 25

Jacob and Esau

Verse 27

Possible explanation of the description of the two brothers:

Legends of the Jews vol. 1, by Louis Ginzberg:

At the end of the years of famine, God appeared unto Isaac, and bade him return to Canaan.
Isaac did as he was commanded, and he settled in Hebron. At this time he sent his younger
son Jacob to the Bet ha-Midrash of Shem and Eber, to study the law of the Lord. Jacob
remained there thirty-two years. As for Esau, he refused to learn, and he remained in the
house of his father. The chase was his only occupation, and as he pursued beasts, so he
pursued men, seeking to capture them with cunning and deceit.

Verses 29 - 34

Easton's Bible Dictionary - Birthright

(1.) This word denotes the special privileges and advantages belonging to the first-born son among the Jews. He became the priest of the family. Thus Reuben was the first-born of the patriarchs, and so the priesthood of the tribes belonged to him. That honour was, however, transferred by God from Reuben to Levi (Num 3:12, Num 3:13; Num 8:18).

(2.) The first-born son had allotted to him also a double portion of the paternal inheritance (Deu 21:15-17). Reuben was, because of his undutiful conduct, deprived of his birth-right (Gen 49:4; 1Ch 5:1). Esau transferred his birth-right to Jacob (Gen 25:33).

(3.) The first-born inherited the judicial authority of his father, whatever it might be (2Ch 21:3). By divine appointment, however, David excluded Adonijah in favour of Solomon.

(4.) The Jews attached a sacred importance to the rank of "first-born" and "first-begotten" as applied to the Messiah (Rom 8:29; Col 1:18; Heb 1:4-6). As first-born he has an inheritance superior to his brethren, and is the alone true priest.

Notes on Genesis 22

The Sacrifice of Isaac

"The sacrifice required of Abraham in the offering of Isaac shows that if a man would attain the keys of the Kingdom of an endless life; he must sacrifice all things."

-Joseph Smith

Isaac as type or symbol of Jesus Christ
1. Both were products of miraculous births.
2. Both thought to be approximately the same age when they were offered.
3. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice just as the Savior carried the wood of his cross.
4. Both were offered on Mt. Moriah or its environs.
5. Both offered themselves willingly.

The Burnt Offering
See verse 2.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hebrew olah; i.e., "ascending," the whole being consumed by fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this was wholly burnt, a "whole burnt offering." It was the most frequent form of sacrifice, and apparently the only one mentioned in the book of Genesis. Such were the sacrifices offered by Abel (Gen_4:3, Gen_4:4, here called minhah; i.e., "a gift"), Noah (Gen_8:20), Abraham (Gen_22:2, Gen_22:7, Gen_22:8, Gen_22:13), and by the Hebrews in Egypt (Exo_10:25).

The Ram as burnt offering

The ram was a symbol of strength. The burnt offering symbolized an offering of one's entire self to God. Perhaps the Lord offering a ram to Abraham to sacrifice in the stead of Isaac was a recognition of Abraham's entire devotion to God. An acknowledgement that all of Abraham's strength was consumed in serving God.

Interestingly this story also seems to fit the pattern laid out by the facsimiles found in the Book of Abraham:

Facsimile 1 - Sacrifice
Facsimile 2 - Vision
Facsimile 3 - Enthronement

In Genesis 22-23 we see a similar pattern:

Chapter 22 describes the sacrifice of Isaac
Chapter 22 verses 15 - 18 briefly describes a vision or visitation experienced by Abraham.
Chapter 23 verse 6 acknowledges Abraham's royal authority.

In verse 6 Abraham is described as a "prince". The word "prince" is translated from the Hebrew נשאי (Nasi) which can be translated as:

1. An exalted one
2. King or sheik
3. Prince
4. Captain
5. Chief
etc.

Genesis 15

Recently I've been studying Genesis 15 and have been trying to understand the meaning behind the incident where the Lord establishes his covenant with Abraham. The word for "covenant" in Hebrew carries the meaning of "cutting" in the sense of cutting meat. Here is the entry from Strong's Hebrew Dictionary:

בּרית
berı̂yth
ber-eeth'
From H1262 (in the sense of cutting (like H1254)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh): - confederacy, [con-]feder[-ate], covenant, league.

I came across a website that has shed some light on this story for me. Here is the entry:

The Smoking Fire-Pot and Flaming Torch of Genesis 15
- Pat Adamson

An interesting discussion ensued from one of our Torah Studies. We were looking at Genesis chapter 15 and the possible symbolism behind the covenant HaShem enacted with Avraham. The covenant here involves the promise of a specific parcel of Land to Avraham and his progeny.

The initial covenant in Genesis 15 involves a common form of treaty agreement in the Ancient Near East called a “suzerain treaty.” This agreement involved the ruler of a great kingdom who would make a treaty with the ruler of a lesser, or weaker, kingdom. The greater king would promise protection and blessing in exchange for the lesser king’s vow of obedience and loyalty. Historians tell us it was common for these treaties to involve animals for sacrifice whereby the animals were cut in half, allowing the blood to pool. Both covenant parties were to walk between the slaughtered pieces, through the blood, symbolically proclaiming their intent to uphold the covenant to its fullest. During the procession, each covenant member would say, “May I be as these if I fail to uphold my side of the covenant!” This was obviously a very serious oath, implying the death penalty if compliance was not upheld.

In Genesis 15:10-11, the language of the text indicates that Avraham was anticipating a similar suzerain treaty ceremony.

Following G-d’s lead, Avram expected to take the oath as an equal covenant member, but instead, the usual covenant protocol was set aside and HaShem caused a deep sleep (Heb: "tar-dey-mah") to fall upon Avram. (Interestingly, this same Hebrew word, “tar-dey-mah” is used in Genesis 2:21 when G-d caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.) In Genesis 15:17-18 a strange, mystical event takes place:

“After the sun had set and there was thick darkness, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared, which passed between these animal parts. That day ADONAI made a covenant with Avram: "I have given this Land to your descendants - from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River-” Genesis 15:17-18 (CJB)

It appears that HaShem caused Avram to fall into a deep sleep in order to craft a unilateral covenant agreement in which G-d alone would pass between the animal pieces. Jewish commentaries here see the smoking fire-pot and flaming torch as a reference to the presence of HaShem. So, in a mystical scene of covenant enactment, the flaming torch and smoking fire-pot pass between the pieces in order to seal the covenant. It’s not hard to connect the symbolism here with the pillar of fire and smoke that would later lead Israel through the desert wilderness. It’s also possible to connect the brazen and golden alters used in the Tabernacle services: With the brazen alter, sacrifices were consumed by fire, and on the golden alter, incense was burned (smoke) as a sweet aroma before Adonai.

While the symbolism may not be entirely clear, what is clear from the message in Genesis 15 is that G-d alone would be responsible to fulfill this covenant, including any penalty if Avraham or his offspring should turn away from following Adonai. In effect, G-d was saying that He would pay the ultimate price for the sins of Israel.

The spiritual implications here, in view of Yeshua’s sacrifice for Israel (and the world) are nothing less than profound. G-d was in Yeshua, reconciling the world to Himself! There is no greater gift or selfless act, than what HaShem has done for those who place their trust in Him.

The only other aspect to this story that I am struggling to understand is why were those particular animals chosen for this ordinance? What would contemporaries of Abraham have understood by this? If anyone out there reading this blog post has any light to shed on this please comment!

Till and Keep

This morning I read an interesting paper by Margaret Barker entitled "Adam the High Priest in the Paradise Temple". You can read the paper in its entirety by clicking here. There was a very interesting paragraph that explains Genesis 2:15 when Adam is commanded to "till and keep" the garden that I wanted to share. Here is the paragraph:

In each Genesis story, Adam was created as male-and female, and only later, after being set in the garden as high priest, was Adam separated into distinct male and female beings. He was set in the garden ‘to till and to keep’- the usual translation - but both these words have a temple meaning (Gen.2.15), and Adam was understood to be a high priest even though that is not explicit. ‘Till’ ‘bd, was also the technical term for temple service, and ‘keep’, šmr, meant to preserve the tradition. The traditional Jewish interpretations did not think this was a command about gardening. The debate was: did it mean serve for six days and then preserve the Sabbath, or serve God and perform the sacred duties (Genesis Rabbah XVI.5).

Creation

I just came across this video and thought it was really well done. I hope you enjoy it.

Holy Place as Eden

Lately I've been reading a few of Margaret Barker's books including the Gate of Heaven, the Great High Priest, Christmas: The Original Story and Temple Theology. One of the insights which her books have given me is about the creation account and fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis.

These accounts are to be understood as having taken place in the temple. The Holy Place (or hekal) was considered by the Israelites to have been a representation of the Garden of Eden. The menorah was a representation of the tree of life. On the walls of the Holy Place were representations of the cherubim as well as the flora of the garden. There is also evidence to suggest the veil served as a representation of the tree of knowledge of good and evil^[1].

Adam and Eve were expelled from the Holy Place into the outer court of the temple where the alter and laver were located. The temple faced east so they exited the Holy Place through it's east door. To the west of the holy place was the veil and the Holy of Holies (debir). Therefore in Genesis 3:24 when it says that God "placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" we are to understand the tree of life as being the menorah and the east of the garden as being the boundary between the Holy Place and the outer court.

^[1]See Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, The Tree in the Midst of the Garden and the Temple Symbolism of the “Center”

Perhaps the most interesting tradition about the placement of the two trees is the Jewish idea that the foliage of the Tree of Knowledge hid the Tree of Life from direct view, and that “God did not specifically prohibit eating from the Tree of Life because the Tree of Knowledge formed a hedge around it; only after one had partaken of the latter and cleared a path for himself could one come
close to the Tree of Life.”

It is in this same sense that Ephrem the Syrian, a brilliant and devoted fourth-century Christian, could call the Tree of Knowledge “the veil for the sanctuary.” He pictured Paradise as a great mountain, with the Tree of Knowledge providing a boundary partway up the slopes. The Tree of Knowledge, Ephrem concludes, “acts as a sanctuary curtain [i.e., veil] hiding the Holy of Holies which is the Tree of Life higher up.” In addition, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sources sometimes speak of a “wall” surrounding whole of the Garden, separating it from the “outer courtyard” of the mortal world.

2010 Laura F. Willes Center Symposium

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 Laura F. Willes Center Symposium entitled "Symbolism in the Scriptures" held September 17th on the BYU campus. There were many fascinating presentations given and I wanted to give synopses for a few of the presentations that I enjoyed the most.

The first presentation that I wanted to write about was given by Daniel Belnap. His talk was entitled "Clothed with Salvation: The Garden, the Veil & Christ".

He explained that his lecture was going to be a look at symbolism within a ritual context and he began by citing the story of Tabitha found in Acts 9:36-42. Tabitha was a woman of Joppa who became sick and died. She was very important to the Christian community there and when the local disciples heard that Peter was in nearby Lydda they sent two men to ask him to come. When Peter arrived the widows of Joppa showed him the clothing that Tabitha had made for them. They did this to show Peter how important Tabitha was to them. Peter then sent everyone out of the room, shut the doors and raised Tabitha from the dead.

Daniel Belnap then explained the symbolism that is attached to clothing. Clothing is related to our self-concept. It helps us to develop and maintain notions of who we are and what roles we play in society. Clothing is highly visible and tangible and facilitates our move from one role to another. Clothing also marks the boundary between self and society.

He then went on to discuss the concept nakedness as contrasted with nudity. Nakedness is not necessarily the same as nudity. Nudity is simply the lack of clothing while nakedness is something that is socially constructed. Nakedness is not instinctive. We learn as children to be ashamed of our bodies. Nakedness is not inherently negative, on the contrary it helps society and serves a social function.

The Garden

In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were naked but not ashamed. This was not necessarily a good thing and needed to be corrected. Lehi taught in 2 Nephi 2 that if Adam and Eve had remained that way they would not have progressed. Adam and Eve would have had no posterity and would have never experienced joy but would have remained in their innocent state forever. After partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Adam and Eve became ashamed and made for themselves aprons of fig leaves to cover their nakedness. These aprons are the first clothing mentioned in the scriptures. Adam and Eve used this clothing to identify themselves. Having the ability to clothe implies the person doing the clothing has power.

The Nazis used clothing to control the Jews. They made the Jews wear yellow stars to identify and marginalize them. In the concentration camps they forced the Jews to remove their clothing in order to make them feel helpless and vulnerable. In prisons inmates are forced to wear a uniform in order to define their role within the prison.

After making their aprons Adam and Eve hid. Using fig leaves for clothing would have acted as camouflage in the garden. The fact that they hid from God shows that they realized their relationship with God had changed. They can no longer interact with him in the same way. After the consequences of their choice was decreed Adam and Eve get new clothing. This clothing is made and given to them by God. Their receipt of the new clothing implies that Adam and Eve's definition of themselves isn't totally accurate. God is the one who defines who they are. Their new clothing is a symbol of what God means them to be.

In this story there is also an interesting play on words. Genesis 3:1 describes the serpent as "subtil". In the Hebrew text the word that is translated into "subtil" is ערום (arum) which is a participle of ערם (aram) which means "to make bare". This is a clever way of saying that Satan is the most naked before the Lord. Satan crawls around in the dirt just as slaves did anciently. Slaves were always given menial tasks which usually entailed them working in the dirt.

The Veil

In Numbers 4:5 the Lord instructs the Levites to wrap the ark in the veil when the tabernacle was being dismantled and transported. The veil in this instance acts as clothing for the ark. It covers the ark and defines it. The high priest also wore a representation of the veil. Exodus 28:5-6,8,15,33 explains that both the veil and the garments of the high priest were composed of similar materials. The veil was placed between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place to protect the sanctity of the Holy of Holies and the garments of the high priest served a similar function. Also the clothing of the high priest and the veil allowed the high priest to move between the spaces in the temple without dying.

Christ

The story of the Luke 8:26-36 was discussed next. In this story the Savior comes upon a man possessed of devils. Luke makes the point that the man in not wearing any clothing. The person has lost his identity. When the Savior asks his name the man gives his name as "legion" which is not a real name. Jesus casts the devils out of the man and the man is clothed and in his right mind. The Savior not only invests the man with clothing but restores his identity to him.

Dan Belnap then briefly discussed a few other concepts with associated scripture references which are given below:

Atonement & Investiture:
Revelation 7:14
Alma 5:21,27
3 Nephi 27:19

Eternal Life as Investiture
D&C 29:13

Christ as Clothing
Mark 5:29
Romans 13:14
Galatians 3:27
Hebrews 10:19

Those invested in turn invest others
D&C 133:32

In future postings I will write about some of the other presentations.

חוה - Eve

In the Book of Genesis there is a very subtle detail that teaches an important principle about the fall. This detail has to do with the introduction of Eve in the Biblical account of Adam and Eve. The name Eve comes from the Hebrew חוה (Hava) which means "lifegiver" according to Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary, or "mother of all living" according to the Bible (see Genesis 3:20).

We know from the Book of Mormon that had Adam and Eve not partaken of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would have remained in the garden in a state of innocence without the ability to procreate. See 2 Nephi 2:22-23. In the book of Genesis the name Eve doesn't appear until Genesis 3:20 and she is referred to as "the woman" prior to that. Probably Eve was referred to as "the woman" prior to the fall because she wasn't a candidate for motherhood until after she and Adam partook of the fruit. Once she partook of the fruit the woman could rightly be called "Eve".

Moses chapter 5

10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.

Be Ye Therefore Perfect

3 Nephi 12:46-48

Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled.

Old things are done away, and all things have become new.

Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

John W. Welch, The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount: A Latter-Day Saint Approach p.57-60

Although it is possible that the word "perfect" has only a straightforward ethical or religious meaning here, reflecting perfect or "undivided obedience to God" and "unlimited love," there is a stronger possibility that the word carries a ceremonial connotation in this particular text. It seems to me that, in this verse, Jesus is expressing his desire that the disciples now advance from one level to a next level, to go on to become "perfect," "finished," or "completed" in their instruction and endowment. In addition to the ritual context of the Sermon—the context usually determining the sense in which the intended "completeness" consists—several reasons support this understanding.

First, the Greek word translated into English as "perfect" in Matthew 5:48 is teleios. This important word is used in Greek religious literature to describe the person who has become fully initiated in the rituals of the religion. Teleios is "a technical term of the mystery religions, which refers to one initiated into the mystic rites, the initiate." The word is used in Hebrews 5:14-6:1 to distinguish between the initial teachings and the full instruction; and in Hebrews 9:11 it refers to the heavenly temple. Generally in the Epistle to the Hebrews, its usage follows a "special use" from Hellenistic Judaism, where the word teleioo means "to put someone in the position in which he can come, or stand, before God." Thus, in its ritual connotations, this word refers to preparing a person to be presented to come before God "in priestly action" or "to qualify for the cultus." Early Christians continued to use this word in this way in connection with their sacraments and ordinances...

Moreover, the cultic use of the Hebrew term shalom may provide a concrete link between the Nephites and this Greek and Christian use of teleios. John Durham has explored in detail the fundamental meanings of shalom, especially in Numbers 6:26 and in certain of the Psalms, and concludes that it was used as a cultic term referring to a gift or endowment to or of God that "can be received only in his Presence," "a blessing specially connected to theophany or the immanent Presence of God," specifically as appearing in the Temple of Solomon and represented "within the Israelite cult" and liturgy. Buruch LeVine similarly analyzes the function of the shelamim sacrifices as producing "complete," or perfect, "harmony with the deity . . . characteristic of the covenant relationship as well as of the ritual experience of communion."