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Biblical Revelation in Chinese Writing, part 4

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God judged (or punished) them as well as the ground itself (Genesis 3:18). The Chinese word for “punish” is 刑. It is composed of two elements:

开 (kāi) — to open, separate

刂 (knife radical)

Ancient forms of 刑 were associated with cutting, mutilation, or the infliction of judicial penalties. In ancient China, punishments often involved physical penalties, so the knife radical became associated with criminal punishment and enforcement of law. One of the words for “discern” is 辨, “to discern, distinguish.”

Notice the knife radical in the middle of two identical figures 辛 representing a sharp cutting tool, often understood as a knife, awl, tattooing needle, or instrument used in punishment. Because the original tool was associated with punishment and corrective measures, 辛 appears in many legal and judicial characters. Ancient scholars often explained this as the idea of carefully examining competing claims under judicial scrutiny.

Some Chinese philologists have noted that the appearance of 辛 in these characters often suggests examination, judgment, legal proceedings, correction through discipline. Ancient scholars often explained this as the idea of carefully examining competing claims under judicial scrutiny. Whether or not that was the original etymology, the character came to mean to distinguish correctly after examination.

Thus the presence of 辛 contributes the sense of serious investigation and judgment, not merely casual observation. The ancient meaning of 辛 as a painful instrument gives it a conceptual connection to biblical ideas of chastening, correction, or discipline. Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves He disciplines.” In biblical thought, discipline is often painful but ultimately beneficial. Likewise, the semantic field of 辛 moved from a painful instrument to the broader ideas of hardship, suffering, and correction.

The biblical concept of divine judgment requires a judge to discern correctly, that is to properly divide evidence to arrive at the truth to ensure justice. A judge must also understand the mind of God, the Lawgiver, whose purpose in judgment is ultimately beneficial. The law is corrective in nature, and this concept was rooted in the Chinese character “to discern.”

In another context, Paul says in Hebrews 4:12,

¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Biblical judges must discern by the word of God—first, by the law itself, given to others in the past, and secondly, by personal revelation about the specific case in front of him. Paul says that when examining the case to establish truth, one must distinguish between soulish (fleshly) deceptions and spiritual truth.

If you take the Chinese word for punishment 刑 and add (at the top) the radical for grass/weeds 艹, you get the word, 棘 “thorns.” This is built upon the curse upon the ground itself in Genesis 3:18, “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you…”

Adam himself was sentenced to death, but he did not die immediately, because the ground took most of the divine curse. Hence, Adam was given time to produce children (though fleshly) before he actually died 930 years later (Genesis 5:5). The cursed ground itself was given four cycles of Cursed Time (4 x 414 years) before it was judged, along with all who remained unrepentant (Genesis 5:29). Only Noah and his family “found grace” (Genesis 6:8) and was said to be “a righteous man” (Genesis 6:9).

The Chinese word for “righteous” is 義. It consists of 羊(yáng) — “sheep, lamb” on top and 我(wǒ) — “I, me” below. This has fascinated many Christian writers because it appears to place the lamb above me to form the character for righteousness. This resonates with John 1:29,

²⁹ … Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Symbolically, many Christians have seen in it a picture of the Lamb covering or standing over the believer, which harmonizes beautifully with the biblical doctrine of righteousness by faith in Christ or by submitting to His headship. For this reason, 義(“righteousness”) is often regarded as one of the most remarkable and meaningful characters in the Chinese language from a biblical perspective.

As for the word “me” (我), this too breaks down into two components: 手 (hand) or the hand-like component 扌 on the left, and 戈 (gē, spear) on the right. Biblically, this correlates with the carnal man (or “old man” of flesh) that wars against the spiritual man (or new creation man). This may have been an original depiction of Cain killing Abel.

On the other hand, it may suggest men killing the lamb as a sacrifice for sin in order to bring righteousness. Both concepts may be blended into one when we look at the example of Jesus Himself, the Lamb of God, who became the Sacrifice for the sin of the world yet through carnal motives of the chief priests in Jerusalem. Both the righteous Lamb and the unrighteous priests are manifested in this word picture.

The Chinese word for goodness, virtue, prosperity, blessing, and well-being is 善. Components: 羊 (sheep/lamb) on top and two words/speech elements below. Ancient Chinese associated the sheep with goodness, beauty, and acceptable sacrifice. This is why 羊 appears in several positive characters: 羊 (a positive symbol) with 口 (mouth, to speak). In other words, goodness is to be found in the words of the Lamb, which are “the gospel of Christ.”

The Chinese word 祥(xiáng)is one of the most interesting characters for auspicious, happiness, blessed, favorable. Components:

礻 = spirit/divine altar (the “Spirit” radical representing God as a Spirit)

羊 = sheep/lamb

This is somewhat interpretative, of course, but I see a few ways to view it. First, it can refer to the Lamb of God being united with and led by the Spirit of God. Second, by placing the two side by side, it might convey Jesus’ statement in John 10:30, “I and My Father are one,” that is, in agreement in all matters. Thirdly, it might portray Christ as the true Spiritual Man.

However we interpret it, it is remarkable that the word for sheep/lamb appears in so many Chinese words as an indication of goodness, prosperity, or happiness.