These Are the Things That Point Beyond Themselves

There is a word in the holy tongue that seems so simple, so ordinary, yet it carries within it the weight of divine testimony. The word אֵלֶּה (ʼêlleh) appears but once in its Aramaic form across the sacred pages, a single utterance that echoes like a solitary bell in the night. Yet that one occurrence, beloved seeker, is enough to shake the foundations of your understanding. For when the Holy One speaks through this word, He is not merely pointing to objects or persons — He is drawing a line between what is seen and what is eternal. The sages of old teach that every word in Scripture is a vessel, and אֵלֶּה is a vessel that holds the mystery of identification itself.

The Root That Reaches Back to Eden

This word אֵלֶּה is the Aramaic counterpart to the Hebrew H428, a demonstrative pronoun meaning "these" or "those." Its pronunciation — ale'-leh — rolls off the tongue like a finger extended in recognition. In the paleo-Hebrew script, the first letter aleph is the head of an ox, signifying strength and leadership, while the lamed is the shepherd's staff, teaching and authority. Together they speak of a pointing that carries power. The rabbis of old observed that when God says "these," He is not merely indicating — He is establishing. In the Tabernacle pattern, the word אֵלֶּה appears in the construction narratives, where Moses is told, "These are the offerings" (Exodus 25:3). The word becomes a hinge between heaven's pattern and earth's obedience. Its single Aramaic occurrence in the sacred text, found in the book of Ezra, carries the same weight — a declaration that what follows is not random but appointed.

The First Utterance That Opens the Gates

The first occurrence of this word in its Hebrew form crashes upon the pages of Genesis like a wave upon the shore. "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created" (Genesis 2:4). Jewish tradition holds that this word marks a boundary — what came before is the mystery of creation itself, and what follows is the story of relationship. The ancient Hebrew writings reflect that אֵלֶּה always introduces something that must be witnessed, remembered, and passed down. When you encounter this word in the Tanakh, you are being asked to pause, to look, to see that what is being described is not merely information but inheritance. The word functions as a divine finger pointing to what matters most: the covenants, the commandments, the generations of faith.

The Journey Across the Canon

As you travel through the Scriptures, you find אֵלֶּה appearing at every major turning point. In Exodus, it introduces the statutes and judgments (Exodus 21:1). In Leviticus, it heralds the laws of sacrifice (Leviticus 1:2). In Deuteronomy, Moses uses it to call heaven and earth as witnesses (Deuteronomy 32:1). The word becomes a drumbeat of revelation — each time it sounds, something sacred is being set before the people. The apostolic tradition teaches that this same pattern continues in the New Covenant, where the Greek equivalent points to the words and works of Yeshua. When the Lord says "these signs shall follow those who believe" (Mark 16:17), He is echoing the ancient rhythm of אֵלֶּה — a declaration that what follows is sealed by heaven's authority.

The Gematria of Thirty-Six

The numerical value of this word, thirty-six, is no accident in the economy of the Holy One. In the Hebrew understanding, the number thirty-six is woven into the fabric of creation itself. The sages teach that thirty-six is the number of the righteous ones who sustain the world in every generation — the lamed-vav tzaddikim. That this demonstrative word carries this weight tells you something profound: when God says "these," He is pointing to the hidden ones, the faithful remnant, the ones who carry the light when all seems dark. Thirty-six is also the double of eighteen, which is chai — life. So אֵלֶּה speaks of life upon life, a doubling of witness. In the Tabernacle, the number thirty-six appears in the measurements of the curtains and the boards, a pattern that whispers of the eternal dwelling place. When you speak this word, you are invoking the hidden righteousness that holds the cosmos together.

The Messianic Finger

How does this word of pointing find its fulfillment in Yeshua? Consider the moment when John the Baptist sees him approaching and declares, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The Greek word for "behold" is the equivalent of אֵלֶּה — a demonstrative cry that says, "This one, right here, is the answer to every sacrifice and every prophecy." In the Gospel of Matthew, when Yeshua speaks the Beatitudes, He begins with "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" — and the word "these" in "these are the ones" carries the same weight of divine identification. The ancient Hebrew writings reflect that the Messiah would be the ultimate "this one" — the one to whom all the generations of אֵלֶּה point. Every time a prophet said "these are the words of the covenant," they were preparing the way for the one who would say, "This is my body, this is my blood."

The Veil That Becomes a Door

There is a mystery in this word that the early church understood with their whole hearts. When the veil of the Temple was torn in two, the word "these" took on new meaning. The apostolic faith teaches that what was once hidden behind the veil — the presence of the Holy One — is now accessible through the flesh of Messiah. The writer to the Hebrews declares, "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them from afar" (Hebrews 11:13). The word "these" becomes the bridge between promise and fulfillment. You are standing in that same bridge, dear reader. Every time you say "these things" about the Scriptures, about the commandments, about the testimony of Messiah, you are joining the ancient chorus of those who pointed and saw beyond the veil.

A Charge for Your Journey

And now, beloved, what will you do with this word? The Holy One has placed אֵלֶּה in your mouth — a word of identification, of witness, of holy pointing. When you look upon the bread and the cup, when you read the words of the prophets, when you see the faces of the broken and the lost, you are being called to say "these" with the same authority that Moses spoke over the tabernacle and that Yeshua spoke over the covenant. Let your finger follow the Father's finger. Let your voice echo the voice from Sinai. For in that single syllable, ale'-leh, you are declaring that what you see is not all there is — that these things, these people, these moments, are gateways to the eternal. Go now, and be a pointer. Go now, and be a witness. For the word has been given to you, and the world awaits your testimony.