Skip to content

Word Wisdom: Ash

The latest inspirational column from Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser
JohnKreutzwieser-17
Word Wisdom

I have two mature ash trees in the backyard. Both are starting to crack and lose large branches. The trees have weak branch attachment, common among ash trees. So, in severe weather, such as windstorms, you can hear loud cracking sounds. Eventually branches will fracture and fall to the ground. The only way to help the trees survive is installing bolts or tree cables. Ash trees should live for 100 years or more if healthy.

In the 11th century the word “ash” was used in the English language to describe a genus of trees of the olive family. The Olde English word “asce” comes from the Germanic asche, connected to the verbal base word as, meaning burn or make dry through heat. The bark of many ash trees is the colour of ashes that one would find in a fireplace or firepit. It is thought that the name might derive from that colour association.

The term “Ash Wednesday” also developed in the 11th century as the day for the start of Lent. Christians would gather on that day to have ashes sprinkled on their heads or marked on their foreheads to symbolize the beginning of a season of repentance before Easter celebrations. There are no New Testament instructions for Lent nor Ash Wednesday, but it has become an important observance for many Christians.

The association of ashes with grief and repentance is found in the Old Testament writings. Isaiah the prophet wrote, “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning.” (Isaiah 61:3) The Book of Jonah tells a story of ashes and the great city of Nineveh. “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. . . . Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” “All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. For I eat ashes like bread,” penned the Psalmist. (Psalm 102:8-9)

In the Hebrew Bible, the word translated as ashes is epher. As Abraham bargained with God he said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.” (Genesis 18:27) This phrase harkens back to Genesis chapter 3 verse 19 when the Lord reminded Adam, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It was those words, uttered by God when human beings rebelled against God’s ways and directions, that formed the phrase that is often used when marking with ashes on Ash Wednesday.

In 1655 the word ash was used as a verb to mean to convert into ash, as in, “the object was ashed at 800 degrees C,” or after a forest fire, “the earth was ashed.” In the 20th century ash was used in connection to cigarettes as, “she ashed her smoke onto the pavement then handed it to me.”

In the funeral and committal liturgies of many churches the phrase is used “earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes.” This refers to the Biblical origin of humanity. “The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7)

One of the points of Lent is to remind us of our humble origins and that one day we will all return from whence we came. This is a good thing to contemplate as we consider our place in life and how we relate to all others around us. To paraphrase a ritual book from the 12th century, “Remember, man, that you (and all people) are dust and to dust you (all) shall return.” 

Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com.  He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.

John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.  

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks