[b-hebrew] 2 Kings 18:16 - Pillars??
Jim West
jwest at highland.net
Thu Mar 31 17:38:36 EST 2005
Peter Kirk wrote:
> Not necessarily. The word as written may well be a participle of 'MN
> "support", and so would suggest something like "supports", rather than
> "doorposts" which support only doors.
And what pray tell do you think the posts are supporting?
> But there are many other concepts which could fit the context. The BHS
> margin notes a Latin version "clypeos", meaning "shields"; the
> suggestion there is that this is a textual error for MAGINNOT - not
> the French defensive line, but the Hebrew equivalent, "shields" - but
> quite possible 'OMEN could mean "shield", as an extension of "what is
> relied upon".
Which makes no sense in the context and is dismissed by many commentators.
> And from 1 Kings 14:26-28 we have evidence of gold shields associated
> with royalty and the temple - replaced with bronze by Rehoboam, but it
> is quite plausible that Hezekiah had restored gold or at least
> gold-plated shields.
>
> There was no reason for the author to avoid the normal words for
> "pillar" for variety, as the normal words are not used in the nearby
> context.
So if it's not nearby its not in mind. Out of sight, out of mind
authorship and exegesis eh?
> Of course the same applies to the normal words for "shield". But the
> fact remains that we have a word whose meaning can only be guessed at,
> and the context gives us no good reason to prefer "pillar",
> "doorpost", "shield", or perhaps other suggestions.
The context gives us good reason- but we are agreed that the word is
ambiguous. Only it's not as ambiguous as you would have it- apparently
for the sake of argument.
>
> LXX, by the way, translates with a passive participle, "strengthened
> things", although in Hebrew the participle is passive.
>
The LXX is to the Hebrew text what the Living Bible is to the english.
--
Jim West
Biblical Studies Resources - http://web.infoave.net/~jwest
Biblical Theology Weblog - http://biblical-studies.blogspot.com
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