What is Jordan in Hebrew?
The name Jordan in Hebrew is Yarden (ירדן) comes from the root y-r-d (ירד), which means “to descend”. This is a reference to the steeply descending river from the mountainous Golan Heights to the lowest point on earth: the Dead Sea. But in addition to this physical meaning, there is a far deeper metaphysical meaning present as well.
The Jordan of Israel's God
In the ancient times people lived in agricultural society. They believed that their gods blessed them with the rivers that delivered the water to the land from the lofty abode of the gods. These rivers ensured the abundant produce for the fruit of the land. The People of Israel had a similar worldview: The Lord God who gave them the Land, blessed them with its main channel of blessings, the Israelite River of Decent – Jordan. A good example is the story of Naaman the Aramean. First, he refused to deep himself in the river associated with the God of Israel, to cure his leprosy. This would have been a national betrayal given his high military post. Once he received his healing, he declared that there is God only in Israel (2 Kings 5).
Learn Biblical Hebrew
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