[b-hebrew] Mowledeth
JimStinehart at aol.com
JimStinehart at aol.com
Thu Nov 1 09:09:16 EST 2007
One of the most controversial words in the Patriarchal narratives is MWLDT
("mowledeth"). Whether the Patriarchal narratives assert that the Hebrews were
indigenous to Ur, or indigenous to Harran, or indigenous to both Ur and
Harran, or whether the Patriarchal narratives in fact make no such assertions at
all, turns in large part on the interpretation of the word MWLDT
("mowledeth").
We are starting, though, with the two non-controversial uses of the word
MWLDT ("mowledeth") in the Patriarchal narratives, when MWLDT is not paired with
the word for "land". In this post, we will look at the meaning of the word
MWLDT ("mowledeth") in Genesis 48: 6.
BACKGROUND
(1) Karl W. Randolph has stated that "Strictly speaking, it [MWLDT] refers
to where one is born. In a less strict manner, it refers to where one is
from." That view is referred to in this post as being that MWLDT means "the
geographical place of one's birth".
(2) Pere Porta has stated that "its literal meaning is '(female) who causes
to bring forth'. …MWLDT must rather point out to ancestors than to
descendants."
(3) My previous post showed, however, that at Genesis 43: 7, MWLDT does not
mean "the geographical place of one's birth", and does not mean "a female
ancestor who causes to bring forth", but rather means "father's descendants".
Genesis 43: 7 is referring to the fact that a disguised Joseph had asked
Judah about Judah's MWLDT ("mowledeth"), that is, Judah's father's descendants,
because Joseph wanted to find out if Joseph has a full-brother (Benjamin) who
is alive and well. Joseph would not be asking about where Judah was born or
where Judah is from, because Joseph knew all that information and had no
interest in it. Joseph's only interest at Genesis 43: 7 was finding out the
exact status of each and every one of his father's sons, by all four of his
father's wives: Joseph's older half-brothers' MWLDT/"father's descendants".
Joseph was interested in one particular member of his brothers' MWLDT/"father's
descendants": Benjamin, who is Joseph's only full-brother.
GENESIS 48: 6
When we look at Genesis 48: 6, we find that the same analysis applies as at
Genesis 43: 7. In Genesis 48: 6, Jacob/"Israel" is speaking to his son
Joseph, after Jacob has apparently adopted Joseph's two sons:
"'And thy MWLDT ["issue"], that thou begettest after them, shall be thine;
they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.'"
Genesis 48: 6 (per JPS1917)
Here the JPS1917 translates MWLDT as "issue".
1. MWLDT here cannot mean "the geographical place of one's birth", nor can
it have any other reference to a geographical locale (where one lives, where
one's relatives live, etc.).
2. MWLDT here is clearly referring to human beings, not to a geographical
location.
3. Note that Joseph's younger sons, were Joseph to sire any more sons after
having sired two sons already, would of course be descendants of Joseph's
father, Jacob. Jacob is here referring to all his male offspring, including
grandsons. So "father's descendants" works perfectly here, once one catches on
to Jacob's meaning.
"And they [father's descendants], that thou begettest after them, shall be
thine; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their
inheritance."
4. MWLDT here cannot possibly be referring to female ancestors or to any
ancestor.
5. Thus as with Genesis 43: 7, MWLDT here means "father's descendants", and
does not mean "the geographical place of one's birth", nor does it mean
"ancestors".
6. As we are beginning to see, in the Patriarchal narratives the core
meaning of MWLDT is "father's descendants".
7. As we will see later, when MWLDT ("mowledeth") is paired with the word
for "land" in the Patriarchal narratives, then out of context, it is sometimes
not clear whether MWLDT ("mowledeth") is referring to "father's descendants"
or to "the geographical place of one's birth". But it is important to note
the following two facts. MWLDT can always be translated as "father's
descendants" in all nine cases in which that word is used in the Patriarchal
narratives. By sharp contrast, a translation of "the geographical place of one's
birth" often cannot possibly be the meaning of MWLDT in the Patriarchal
narratives. That is certainly the case at both Genesis 43: 7 and Genesis 48: 6.
Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois
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