[b-hebrew] Ecclesiastes 3:11
Martin Shields
enkidu at bigpond.net.au
Fri Nov 16 07:40:59 EST 2007
Hi Karl,
> You are assuming that (LM עלם = "eternity" but it lacks the waw of
> (WLM עולם. With the root meaning of being unknown, this noun could
> just as well mean "unknown thing" or "unknown knowledge".
In practice I don't assume this, I think there are good grounds for
reading it with this meaning in the context. Elsewhere we do find
עולם written עלם (usually in the form לעלם) and the context
links העלם here with "from beginning to end." But there are
problems with this reading as well.
> But more importantly, is there a single instance where there is a
> double negative where the negatives are separated by a )$R אשר? If
> not, does it not make better sense to read it like the example that
> you found from Solomon's speech in 1 Kings 8:46 where we find
> [negative] )$R [negative] = [positive]?
No, as I think I've said before, I can find no examples which include
אשר. Indeed, I do think it should be read as "without which people
cannot find..." as I've argued previously. Of course, it is not quite
true that this is exactly the same as saying "with which people can
find..."
Regards,
Martin Shields,
Sydney, Australia.
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