ARTIST אָמָן
The word for artist אָמָן is only found one time in the Bible in Song of Songs 7:1.
“How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
Prince’s daughter!
The curves of your hips are like jewels,
The work of the hands of an artist.”
Yet the Bible is full of art, beginning with the Creation of the world and later featuring the healing arts, the Gospel arts, even the art of war. The Scriptures that describe the construction of the Tabernacle are filled with intricate details of artistic designs.
Yet the word “art” is only found one time in the Word. This reminds me of the Book of Esther, where the name of G-d is not mentioned at all, yet His sovereign hand is evident throughout the story. And that’s another art form – the art of storytelling which brings the Biblical characters to life in such a way that we can actually relate to the Hebrews 11 heroes of ancient times in all their imperfections!
The very notion of art itself involves something created by a creator, which leads us to ponder why The Creator of the universe in all His glory and might preferred not to be labeled as an artist. Could this be a good lesson for us earthly artists, a reminder to be humble and not put ourselves in a box with a label? Since the Master Creator chose to create for His divine purposes, perhaps He is calling us to create according to the skill, passion, and talent that He created in each of us, not hiding our talents, but sharing the joy and beauty of artistic pursuits for the glory of His Kingdom! A perfect example of this is The Warrior Bride, the painting featured in this article by the wonderfully gifted artist, Constance Woods.
One more thought on the root of art. Hebrew is a language of root words and I find it fascinating that the word art אמן shares the same root as the following words:
אֱמוּנָה faith
אָמָּנוּת art
אָמֵן amen
אָמָּן artist
אָמַן nurture, bring up (Biblical) (as a child)
אִמֵּן to train, coach, exercise
May your faith be nurtured as you continually train your hands in the arts – amen!
Feb 1, 2024
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