God's Faithful Messengers Series

A. OT basar

The Greek word, ‘euangellion’ or ‘bearer of good news’ is really best understood in light of its Old Testament Hebrew equivalent, basar.

Basar is a word used throughout the Old Testament to indicate a messenger of good news. We find the Psalmist using it in Psalm 40:9 when he says,

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;

I do not seal my lips,

As you know, O Lord.

In the New King James Version that verse begins,

I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly.

The writer of the Psalms uses it again in Psalm 68:11 when he says,

The Lord announced the word,

And great was the company of those who proclaim it:

And he goes on to describe how the Lord had victory over his enemies.

In Psalm 96:2 we read,

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

And in verse 10,

“Say among the nations, The Lord reigns.”

All of these uses by the Psalmist fit with the overall use of the word. It is a proclamation of the good news about God. He is righteous and He is victorious and He reigns!

But the OT use of basar is even clearer in the second portion of Isaiah. In these later chapters of Isaiah’s prophecy to the nation of Israel, Isaiah emphasizes the comfort God’s people will find as their God redeems them from captivity.

There is a verse in Isaiah 52:7 that is repeated again in Nahum 1:15 and that is quoted by Paul in Romans 10:15 That is representative of this idea of basar. It is a verse that is familiar to us because of the picture it presents and because of the song derived from it. It goes:

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

who proclaims peace,

who brings glad tidings of good things,

who proclaims salvation,

who says to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”

Nahum’s version and Paul’s quote in Romans 10 vary slightly but they all refer to the same thing. What they are referring to with the word basar is the herald who precedes the people on its return from Babylon to Zion. Imagine this scene:

All Jerusalem stand on the towers and walls expecting the train of returning exiles. Then they see the messenger, the basar, on the top of the hill. He cries to them, “Peace and salvation. God is King.” He proclaims the victory of God over the whole world. God is now returning to Zion to rule. The messenger publishes it and the new age begins.

He does not declare that the rule of God will soon commence; he proclaims it, he publishes it, and it comes into effect. Salvation comes the word of proclamation.

God puts His words on the lips of His messengers. He speaks through them. With His word he creates the world, he shapes history, he rules the world.

The watchers on the walls hear the word and repeat it with rejoicing. It rings though the city and messengers carry it through the land: “God is King.” The message of God’s acts of power now goes out to the whole world. Daily the glad tidings are to ring out among the lost around us.

The close connection between this whole circle of thought and the NT is evident.