God’s big nose
Right now I’m taking a break from going through Jonah 3 as preparation for a hebrew class test on Thursday night and I came across a hebrew idiom that one of my hebrew teachers pointed out a while back.
In English we might say someone has a short fuse or quick temper if they are easily angered. But in Hebrew temper is associated with the nose. In particular the nostrils (אַפַּיִם - “apayim”).
In Jonah 3:9 when it talks about God’s anger it uses this word. But a more interesting example is in Exodus 34:6.
“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger…”
Here “Slow to anger” is a translation of the hebrew “אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם” (erek apayim) which literally means he has long nostrils.
The origin of this (or an extension of the theme…) may be linked to the sacrificial system where sacrifices were seen to be either a pleasing or displeasing aroma rising up to God. If it was displeasing God was angered. However he is slow to anger, his nostrils are long and it takes some time for the displeasing aroma to get up there, time enough for the sacrificer to repent and make a worthy sacrifice.
So the next time you realise you have displeased God, remember that He has a big nose and there is time to repent before the smell gets right up there!
May 7th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Brilliant - I’ll remember this! We’re looking at Jonah 3 in our CU meeting next week
May 7th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
You are gonna look like an even bigger geek than I just have :-p
May 8th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
very impressive young orme!!
May 8th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Thanks even younger hawthorne!!
September 15th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
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hey! dude! you got it all wrong!
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you said:
>But in Hebrew temper is associated with the nose.
>In particular the nostrils (אַפַּיִם - “apayim”).
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this is correct.
but the reasoning you give for the connection
between nostrils and temper is totally wrong!!
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consider these verses from Psalms 18:
Then the earth did shake and quake,
the foundations also of the mountains did tremble;
they were shaken, because He was wroth.
Smoke arose up in His nostrils,
and fire out of His mouth did devour;
coals flamed forth from Him.
וַתִּגְעַשׁ וַתִּרְעַשׁ, הָאָרֶץ
וּמוֹסְדֵי הָרִים יִרְגָּזוּ
וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ כִּי-חָרָה לוֹ
עָלָה עָשָׁן בְּאַפּו
וְאֵשׁ-מִפִּיו תֹּאכֵל
גֶּחָלִים בָּעֲרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ
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the image is of a powerful god
up in the sky, riding out on a cherub
with arrows of lightning.
when he gets mad he breathes fire
like a dragon.
that’s why being ‘long of nostrils’
means being slow to wrath!!!!
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September 15th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Thanks dude!
I did say may be, then further exonerated myself with an “extension to the theme” clause :p
From a linguist/historian POV the idiom’s origin probably isn’t much to do with God (particularly with Hebrew being a Canaanite language in the first place) It’s like in English we say someone is big hearted, long-necked, stiff-lipped, red-eyed etc. Really it’s more likely to be linked to people’s noses turning red when they get really steamed up or something experientially based.
The Psalmist’s use of the phrase is clearly metaphorical* and probably stems from poetic use of the Hebrew idiom, rather than the other way around…
But it is a great fact and very memorable too!
* We are made in God’s image after all, and I have yet to singe my ‘tache when riled! and I’m pretty sure Saul didn’t set Jonathan alight in 1 Sam 20… etc etc etc…