Overcome

For his grace has overcome us, and ADONIAI’S truth continues forever.  Halleluyah!

Psalm 117:2

I didn’t understand what it meant that God’s grace overcomes us, so I looked at the words in Hebrew to get a better idea of what that actually means.

The word for grace is chesed.  It means goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.  But it also means, in Gesenius’s lexicon, zeal towards someone, desire.  That’s pretty neat.  God’s zeal towards me, His desire for me, His faithfulness and kindness overcomes me.

The word for overcome is gabar.  Gabar means to prevail, to strengthen, to bind up (especially something broken – from Gesenius’s lexicon).  Wow!

So, here’s my amplified version of this verse:

For God’s zeal towards me and desire for me, His faithfulness and kindness, prevails over me, binds up the places where I am broken, and strengthens me, and ADONAI’S truth, instruction, and reliability continues forever.