Arba'in — Page 185
Number Four 185 The word מת [mêt] that has been translated by the Christian priests in the Bible as ‘must be killed’ is completely wrong. The Hebrew word מת is actually in the past tense and means ‘has died’ or ‘is dead’. There are abundant examples of this in the Hebrew Bible, some of which are presented here by way of example: Gen. 50:15 —And when Joseph’s brethren saw ( ִִי מֵת ּכ אֲבִיהֶם — kî- mêt ’ă-vî-hem ) that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, … Deut. 10:6 —And the children of Israel took their jour- ney from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: ( ָם מֵת אַהֲרֹן ֶׁש — šham mêt ’a-hă-rōn ) there Aaron died, and there he was buried;… I Kings 3:21 —And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, ( ְוִהֵּנה ֵמת — wə-hin-nêh- mêt ) it was dead: … I Chronicles 10:5 —And when his armourbearer saw ( ָאּול ֶׁש ּכִי מֵת — kî mêt ša-’ul ) that Saul was dead, … There are many such examples in which the word מת has been translated as ‘he has died’ or ‘is dead’. When it appears in a Divine prophecy, and it is said regarding someone that he will certainly die, then there also, by use of this word in the past tense, the future tense is implied; meaning that, even though that death has not yet taken place, its happening is so certain as if that person has died or is already dead. Such idioms are frequently used in every language,