Justified by thy Words

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

Job 11:1f (Spoke 18, Cycle 1)

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Matthew 12:34f (Spoke 18, Cycle 2)

One of the great wonders of the Bible Wheel is to see highly specific themes linked together in a kind of Question and Answer format. To then find this Q&A simultaneously integrated with the meaning of the associated Hebrew letter - as revealed in the Alphabetic verses! - overwhelms the soul with wonder and delight.

The great theme of Spoke 18 is found in the root צדקה (Tzedekah, Rightouesness). When I was researching this, I searched for all verses containing the set (words, justified) ^[Verify] and found this KeyLink in the KJV:

	KJV KeyLink: Justified by thy Words LinkSet (words, justified)
	JobMatthew

This is not a KeyLink in the other versions because of variations in the translation of יצדק (Yits'dak, the third person masculine qal future of Tzadek) as justified, vindicated, or acquitted. Even when these variations are taken into account, the other versions typically pick up a resonance from Romans 3.4 where Paul quotes the Psalm 51.4, so that there are hits from Job 11.2, Matthew 12.37, and Romans 3.4, showing righteousness to be a fundamental theme on both Spokes 1 and 18. It remains a part of God's mystery that only the KJV has a KeyLink based on this set. This does not impugn the other translations so much as glorify God by revealing His special work in the KJV, which is far and away the dominant form of God's published Word.

When the root צדק (Tzadek) is prefixed with the letter Aleph, it is transformed into the first person qal future אצדק (ets'dak) translated as I shall be justified in Job:

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

Job 13:18 (Spoke 18, Cycle 1)

Job's great faith shines with such light! "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him!" It is clear that Job knew the Redeemer who would justify him.

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