[b-hebrew] (C in Deuteronomy 20:19, "tree" or what?

K Randolph kwrandolph at gmail.com
Wed May 21 12:24:07 EDT 2008


B-Hebrew chavurim:
In reading Deuteronomy 20:19, last section, I came across the sentence KY
H)DM (C H%DH LB) MPNYK BMCWR

כי האדם עץ השדה לבא מפניך במצור

In this clause we expect to find an active verb, or an implicit "to be". But
which would it be? The implicit "to be" doesn't fit, "…for the man is a tree
of the field to go from your face in siege." unless the H- prefix on )DM is
an interrogative H-, which would make it say "…for is a tree of the field a
man to go from your face (before you) in siege?" i.e. the tree is not the
enemy nor a soldier.

The context for (C in verses around this verse as well as a concordance,
indicate that this is a noun meaning "tree". If it were a verb, which root
and meaning would it have?

The other possibility for an active verb is H)DM as a hiphil verb, but I
don't recognize how causing to be red fits the context.

I may have answered my question by asking it, as I didn't think of the
interrogative H- until writing this message, and it looks like that may be
the answer. What do you all think?

Karl W. Randolph.


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