Stage 3 · Moses Maimonides (1138–1204)

Moreh Nevukhim: Part I, Chapter 19 — Male (Filling)

דלאלהֵ אלחאירין — The Guide of the Perplexed

Male ('full / to fill') is equivocal: of one body filling another ('and she filled her pitcher'); of a span of time being completed ('and her days were fulfilled'); and of perfection and the utmost degree of an excellence ('full of the blessing of the Lord'). 'The whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) means the whole earth bears witness to His perfection — not that any body fills a place. Hover a phrase to see its English light up; tap any word for a gloss; dotted words are key terms.

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Part One · Chapter Nineteen — Male

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Male is an equivocal noun. The masters of the language use it of a body that lodges within a body and fills it: 'and she filled her pitcher' (Gen 24:16); 'the omer-full for each' (Exod 16:33). And this is frequent.

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And it is used in the sense of the elapsing of some measured span of time and its completion: 'and her days were fulfilled' (Gen 25:24); 'and forty days were fulfilled for him' (Gen 50:3).

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And it is used in the sense of perfection in an excellence and the utmost degree of it: 'full of the blessing of the Lord' (Deut 33:23); 'He hath filled them with wisdom of heart' (Exod 35:35); 'and He filled him with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge' (Exod 31:3).

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And of this sense it is said: 'the whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — its meaning is that all the earth bears witness to His perfection, that is, points to Him. And likewise His saying: 'and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle' (Exod 40:34).

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And every expression of 'filling' that you find ascribed to God is of this sensenot that there is a body that fills a place. Unless you wish to take 'the glory of the Lord' as the created light that is everywhere called kavod, and it was this that 'filled the tabernacle': there is no harm in that.

English is a working draft — alignment is sentence-by-sentence.

Scripture cited in this chapter