The Hebrew Meaning of British and Related Words (11 March, 2014, 9 Adar-2, 5774)
The word Brit-Ish in Hebrew means "Covenant-Man". It is related to the expression Brit-Am meaning Covenant of the People (Isaiah 42:6, 49:8). These verses refer to the Ten Tribes in their Places of Exile. They help identify the British Isles as a major center of the Lost Ten Tribes.
Duration: 16.57 minutes. To read text Please Scroll Down!
We received the following e-mail whose author wished to remain anonymous:
Hello Yair:
First of all, I appreciate the work you do to educate people on the identity of the 12 tribes.
As you know, this is a topic of much confusion and misunderstanding. I have purchased some of your books.
Many Jews and Christians simply don't understand all the Jews are not Israel. And, they think that all the 10 tribes came back with Judah 70 years after 586 B.C. So, whenever they see "Israel" or "Jacob" in the Bible-they think it is always referring to the Jews only.
Boaz Michael wrote the following about you in his book Twelve Gates Where Do The Nations Enter? (p. 40):
"Yair Davidiy is also a widely referenced advocate of British Israelism. Because he is an Orthodox Jew and references many rabbinic traditions to support the British Israel theory, he has added credibility in the eyes of many Two-House proponents. Yet the extensive use of false etymologies and other forms of pseudo-scholarship seriously discredits his work . . ."
I know you don't advocate British Israelism and I don't think telling people that British means "covenant man" in Hebrew is a false etymology.
What are your views about Two-Houses? Based on Jeremiah 36:2, it appears God is concerned with three groups instead of two.
Can you provide additional information (references) of other orthodox Jews that believe the 10 lost tribes consist of the western nations today? Additionally, can you provide additional information proving that British meaning "covenant man" in Hebrew is not a false etymology and that you don't provide pseudo-scholarship.
Warmest regards,
Y.
Replies:
You in effect asked the following questions:
1. What is the connection, if any, of Yair Davidiy to British Israel?
2. Is the term Brit-ish really Hebrew? Does it truly mean Covenant-Man?
3. What are the Two Houses in our opinion?
4. Is Jeremiah 36:2 referring to 2 groups or three?
5. Are there other Jewish groups who believe that the 10 lost tribes consist of the western nations?
====
====
1. What is the connection, if any, of Yair Davidiy to British Israel?
By British Israel some intend the British Israel World Federation.
We are not formal members of the British Israel World Federation. The BIWF sells a small quantity of one or two of our books BUT it does the same for numerous others.
The conclusions of Brit-Am/Hebrew Nations and the BIWF concerning the present-day identity of the Lost Ten Tribes roughly speaking overlap.
This too applies also to numerous other groups most of whom would not like to be referred to as branches of British Israel.
That is about all there is between us and the BIWF. For our part, we would have liked that there be more but there is not.
Another application of the term British Israelism is the general belief in the Israelite Origin of the British and kinfolk. From that point of view the term suits us.
At one stage we even had an article on our site stating that WE were the only true British Israel movement. We had it removed since it was causing confusion.
====
====
2. Is the term Brit-ish really Hebrew? Does it truly mean Covenant-Man?
The term British is derived from the name Britain.
British means someone or something deriving from Britain. It is an adjective or an adjectival noun.
The word is comprised of two sections Brit-Ish: "Brit" stands for Britian; "ish" is a suffiix meaning "part thereof" or "pertaining to".
It is not a Hebrew word BUT its two sections have meaning in Hebrew.
Brit- means covenant.
Ish - means man or "pertaining to" or part thereof i.e. it has the same meaning as the English suffix "-ish".
We would say:
The intention of the word is not, and never was, to impart the meaning of its sections in Hebrew BUT such a meaning does exist.
Background:
In Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8 the Lost Ten Tribes in their places of exile are referred to in the Hebrew Bible as a Brit-Am. Brit-Am means a "covenant (brit) of the people".
Britain was referred to in the past as Britammia.
This is very close to the Hebrew "Brit-Am". This may be one of those "coincidences" that frequently occur and have great significance.
cf. What we wrote in our Commentary on Isaiah:
[Isaiah 42:6] I THE LORD HAVE CALLED THEE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND WILL HOLD THINE HAND, AND WILL KEEP THEE, AND GIVE THEE FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE [Brit-Am], FOR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES;
'A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE' in Hebrew Brit-Am. Israel will be a 'Brit-Am'. In the Middle Ages Britain was sometimes referred to as 'Britammia'.
The Rabbinical Commentator Malbim says that "Brit-Am" means Israel.
This is why we chose the name Brit-Am for our organization.
'Brit-Am' represents the Lost Ten Tribes returning.
Other reasons were that 'Brit-Am' hints at Britain.
Many of those to whom we direct our message originate from British or Irish stock.
Our friend Cecil Davis pointed out that 'Brit-Am' can also be understand as a shortened way of saying 'Britain and America'.
In the Bible Brit-Am, is described as a 'A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES' (Isaiah 42:6).
On the whole the LTTs have instructed and enlightened other nations.
[Isaiah 49:8] THUS SAITH THE LORD, IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME HAVE I HEARD THEE, AND IN A DAY OF SALVATION HAVE I HELPED THEE: AND I WILL PRESERVE THEE, AND GIVE THEE FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE, TO ESTABLISH THE EARTH, TO CAUSE TO INHERIT THE DESOLATE HERITAGES;
a covenant of the people [Hebrew: "BRIT-AM" i.e. Britain], to establish the
earth [or in the Hebrew: "to found a country", e.g. the U.S.A., the State of Israel], to cause to inherit the desolate heritages".
"British" could mean "belonging to the Brit" or "man of the Brit". In Hebrew "brit" means covenant.
"ish" means "man of'" or "belonging to" and so it is employed in Medieval Hebrew.
It is true that in Biblical Hebrew as we know it you would not probably say "Brit-Ish" but maybe rather "Ish-Brit"
but this is not so certain and anyway there may have been dialectical alternatives as archaeological evidence is indicating.
The suffix "-ish" meaning "belonging to" (e.g. English = Engl-ish), or "characteristic of" exists in English and is probably derived from the Hebrew.
Examples of this suffix include: English, Spanish, Flemish, Polish, biggish, foolish, childish, selfish, unselfish, clannish, etc.
Incidentally in our work "Lost Israelite Identitiy" we identified the so-called "Sea Peoples" with Israelites. This claim of our has since been strengthened by much additional evidence. At the least it is now generally accepted in academic circles that a good portion of the so-called "Sea Peoples" originated in the Land of Canaan (i.e. in Biblical Israel).
One of the proofs we used was that names employed by the Egyptians for these peoples use the suffix "-ish" or something similar, e.g. Sakaresh (i.e. issacar-ish), Ekwesh, Teresh, Tulish, Uashuash,
In this case the suffix "-ish" would mean "man of" or "belonging to" and would be derived from the way these people referred to themselves.
Brit- in the Bible and in Connection with the Ten Tribes
Genesis 15:18 a brit made to Abraham and his descendants about the Promised Land.
Genesis 17:7 brit made to Abraham about him becoming the father of numerous descendants with many nations and kings of nations emerging from him.
The brit about possessing the Promised Land was renewed but linked with circumcision and (by implication and as confirmed elsewhere) with keeping the law.
And so on.
All of the Promises were linked with the concept of brit.
Many of the Promises were to be fulfilled through the Ten Tribes. This especially applied to Joseph.
We find descendants of Joseph prominent amongst the British and their offshoots.
This applies also to the USA which emerged initially from Britain.
It is therefore of significance that Britain is a name that could be considered as based on the word root "brit".
Jeremiah 31:33 a future new "brit" to be made with both Judah and Israel.
It should also be mentioned that word "Brit" meaning Covenant in Hebrew has great significance in the Bible.
Inn Judges (9:4) we hear of
THE HOUSE OF BAAL-BERITH, i.e. Baal-Brit, literally Lord of the Covenant.
This was probably a pagan form of worship or a pagan imitation and degradation of the True Worship.
The place in nquestion was located in Schechem in the territory of Ephraim and the center of Israel at the time.
At all events it indicates the importance attached to the concept of "brit" in Hebrew consciousness.
====
====
3. What are the Two Houses in our opinion?
Some so-called "Ephraimite" groups speak of Two Houses of Israel.
What they actually mean by this is not certain. It is implied that there are two Houses of Worship i.e. A Jewish One and a Christian one.
This may be so.
Two Houses however in Biblical Terms means the House of Judah (the Jews) and the House of Israel meaning the Ten Tribes.
The distinction is physical.
Divine Providence may have reasons of its own for the House of Israel to be also mainly Christian but that is another matter and an incidental concommitant.
====
====
4. Is Jeremiah 36:2 referring to 2 groups or three?
[Jeremiah 36:2] TAKE THEE A ROLL OF A BOOK, AND WRITE THEREIN ALL THE WORDS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO THEE AGAINST ISRAEL, AND AGAINST JUDAH, AND AGAINST ALL THE NATIONS, FROM THE DAY I SPAKE UNTO THEE, FROM THE DAYS OF JOSIAH, EVEN UNTO THIS DAY.
'AGAINST ISRAEL, AND AGAINST JUDAH': Jeremiah prophesied about the Jews of Judah and about the future Lost Ten Tribes of Israel both separately and together. He also prophesied about other peoples. Like all the Prophets much of his Prophecy is really most pertinent to the End Times but structured around events occurring in his own days or close to them.
There are three groups here. According to our understanding the three groups are:
a. Judah i.e. the Jews.
b. Israeli i.e. the Ten Tribes.
c. The Gentiles nations.
This is how Mankind is divided in Biblical Terms.
====
====
5. Are there other Jewish groups who believe that the 10 lost tribes consist of the western nations?
Yes and no.
There is Kol HaTor
http://www.kolhator.org.il/
that has a message for the Ten Tribes and in a de facto sense sends its message mostly to western peoples.
As far as I understand however the Ten Tribes being specifically amongst Western Peoples is not part of their doctrine.
Their teaching on this subject is based (as they openly acknowledge) on that of Brit-Am.
NEVERTHELESS,
Brit-Am/Hebrew nations uses Rabbinical sources, gives explanations of Hebrew terms and interprets the Bible in the light of Rabbinical commentary.
We have been doing this for decades.
We are well-known in many quarters.
You will not find, at least not so far as far as we know, any Rabbinical authority or even any knowledgeable Jewish source that questions the validity of our interpretations.
In other words,
WE ARE JUDAH!
WE ARE WHAT THERE IS.
In our opinion Joseph needs us as much as we need Joseph.
In addition to Jewish Rabbinical sources we also apply findings from numerous other fields and we bring it all together.
We work at this.
The work is needed.
Others benefit from this work.
So do we.
Help us keep going.