[b-hebrew] Judges 5:2, two questions
Isaac Fried
if at math.bu.edu
Fri Oct 31 10:30:25 EDT 2008
Dana,
You may want to contemplate the affinity of the Hebrew roots PR(,
'ruffle, fray, disturb, disperse', PR), 'wild, unruly frenzied', PRH,
'frunctify', and the PRD-PRZ-PRT-PRS-PRC-PR$, 'disperse, spread'
family of roots.
I would admit with you that the meaning PRA(OT of Judges 5:2 may be
open to interpretations, but in my humble opinion the rendering of
the New American Bible of the verse as: "Of chiefs who took the lead
in Israel, of noble deeds by the people who bless the LORD", is
misguided.
In present-day Hebrew PRA(OT is universally accepted to mean 'riots,
pogroms, uprisings, rebelions'.
Isaac Fried
Boston University
On Oct 30, 2008, at 3:03 PM, Dana Densmore wrote:
> B-hebrew listmembers, I have two questions about this verse in the
> song of Deborah to offer for your expertise and insights. Judges 5:2.
>
> 1. re the verb root PR( and its associated noun. Whether we are
> taking it to be related to leading/leaders or to the unbinding of
> hair, we have the masculine singular noun in the same form PERA
> ( appearing in what I (and BDB) take to be a plural noun PR(WT.
>
> My question is whether there are other singular nouns of a similar
> form whose plural looks like this. Is it common for an --A( patach
> ayin ending to be pluralized like a --AH ending? Did it sound to
> the ear like an --AH feminine form and thus get a feminine form
> plural? (I'm not bothered by the fact that the noun is masculine,
> that's not my question.) When it's an --AH singular it just goes
> to --WT replacing the AH; here it maintains the ayin and adds the
> WT. Where else, if anywhere, does this happen?
>
> 2. The last two words of the verse certainly could be an
> imperative, [you pl] Bless YHVH. And given the context of the
> Song, that seems probably most likely. But is there any internal
> evidence that would prevent the sense of the verse from being "when
> men were unbinding their hair in Israel [or the leaders leading],
> and when the people were offering themselves, they blessed YHVH."
> That is, that their coming out for the war at Deborah's/YHVH's call
> was an act of blessing.
>
> Thanks for your thoughts on this.
>
> Dana Densmore
> University of Wales
>
>
>
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