Pass, Passage, Passenger
The Many Meanings of 'Pass'
The word "pass" is one of the most versatile terms in the Bible, translating primarily the Hebrew word meaning "to cross over" or "to go through." It carries several distinct meanings depending on context: crossing a river or boundary (Genesis 31:21), traversing a country (Numbers 21:22), moving on from one place to another (Genesis 18:5), ceasing to exist (Job 30:15), and even surpassing or exceeding (2 Chronicles 9:22).
The familiar phrase "and it came to pass" is simply a Hebrew idiom that links paragraphs in a continuous narrative. It appears hundreds of times in the Old Testament and indicates narrative progression rather than any specific meaning of passing.
Crossing Rivers: Passages of Faith
Some of the Bible's most dramatic moments involve the crossing of rivers. The word "passage" in the Old Testament frequently refers to the ford of a river — a shallow place where crossing was possible. Jacob crossed the ford of the Jabbok the night he wrestled with God and received the name Israel (Genesis 32:22-28). The Israelites crossed the Jordan River at flood stage when the priests carrying the ark stepped into the water and the river stopped flowing (Joshua 3:14-17).
These river crossings are more than geographical events — they represent moments of faith and transformation. Jacob emerged from the Jabbok a changed man. Israel entered the promised land through the Jordan. Each passage marked a before and after in the relationship between God and his people.
Mountain Passes: Strategic Points
The word "passage" also refers to mountain passes — the narrow gaps between ridges that controlled movement through hilly terrain. These passes had immense strategic importance. The pass at Michmash, for instance, was the setting for Jonathan and his armor-bearer's daring attack on the Philistine garrison (1 Samuel 13:23; 14:4). Isaiah 10:29 references the same pass in describing an invading army's advance toward Jerusalem: "They have crossed the pass; they lodge at Geba."
Control of passes meant control of territory. Armies that held the high ground at strategic passes could block invasions or ambush enemies in confined spaces.
Passing Through Fire
One of the most disturbing uses of "pass" appears in connection with child sacrifice. The phrase "to pass through the fire" describes the pagan practice of offering children to the god Molech (Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 16:3). This abomination was strictly forbidden by God's law but was practiced by several Israelite kings, representing the ultimate corruption of worship and the depth of Israel's spiritual failure.
Surpassing Greatness
In a more positive sense, "pass" sometimes means "to surpass" or "to exceed." Solomon "surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom" (2 Chronicles 9:22). Paul speaks of "the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19) and "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). In these contexts, passing beyond describes something so great that it exceeds human capacity to fully comprehend.
The Passing Nature of Life
The transience of earthly life is captured in the imagery of passing. Job laments that his days "pass away like swift ships" (Job 9:26). The psalmist declares, "As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone" (Psalm 103:15-16). James echoes this: "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes" (James 4:14).
Yet this transience is set against the permanence of God. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:8). The passing nature of earthly things is not cause for despair but for placing trust in the one who does not pass away.
Biblical Context
Pass/passage language appears in the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 18:5; 31:21; 32:22), the wilderness journey (Numbers 20:17; 21:22), the conquest (Joshua 3:14-17), military accounts (1 Samuel 13:23; 14:4; Isaiah 10:29), the prohibition of child sacrifice (Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 16:3), wisdom literature on life's brevity (Job 9:26; Psalm 103:15-16), and New Testament teachings on surpassing spiritual realities (Ephesians 3:19; Philippians 4:7).
Theological Significance
The concept of passing teaches about both divine action and human transience. God opens passages for his people — parting the Red Sea, stopping the Jordan. He controls who passes through and who is stopped. The prohibition against 'passing through fire' marks the boundary between true worship and abomination. The transience of human life, captured in 'passing away' language, drives believers toward the eternal God whose word and purposes never pass away. Christ's peace and love 'surpass' human understanding, pointing to a reality beyond what human minds can fully grasp.
Historical Background
River fords and mountain passes were among the most strategically important geographical features in the ancient Near East. Control of crossings was essential for trade, military campaigns, and territorial boundaries. Archaeological surveys of Palestine have identified numerous ancient ford sites along the Jordan and its tributaries. The child sacrifice practice of 'passing through fire' is attested in Phoenician and Carthaginian sources as well as in the biblical text, and has been confirmed by archaeological evidence at sites like Carthage's tophet.