Israel Institute of BS
Dispersion: it is the worst punishment found the Bible – being forcibly taken out of the Promised Land and hauled away to a distant foreign country, referred to as “exile”. But when we examine this word in the Bible’s original Hebrew, we find that dispersion is much more than just being banished…
Revelation Through Removal
Throughout the Bible, the prophets of ancient Israel repeat the same message to the people: stop sinning, or God will punish you by allowing a foreign army to destroy the Land of Israel and exile you to a distant land. The original Hebrew word for “exile” is galut גלות, from the root GLH גלה, meaning “to remove”. The same root, can also mean “to uncover the eyes or the ears” – in other words, “to reveal the truth.”
The message of the prophets
The doomsday message of the prophets is thus more complex than what appears at first glance. The exile of the people will be painful, but it will also allow the truth to be laid bare for all to see. After the punishment of dispersion has ended, the people will be able to return to the Land of Israel with pure hearts.
