[b-hebrew] hatuf patah under the lamed (LHBDYL) in Gen 1, 18 and Lev 10, 10

Uri Hurwitz uhurwitz at yahoo.com
Mon Mar 2 11:19:44 EST 2009



 
  Your question is valid: the H(.)aT(.)aFim  (Plural of Hataf) were 
designed by the Masoretes to indicate semi-vowles which occur 
when the guttural letters were supposed to be silent,  that is, be
pointed with a Sh'wa Nah(.). The reason for this is strictly phonetic:
 they had sharp ears the Masoretes.
 
  However they were also human, and were not consistent . Look
 this up in any grammar.
 
  In addition, mistakes occurred, as they occurred in the consonantal 
text. Such mistakes were explained away from antiquity to our very 
days in this list.
 
 Finally, in the "Letteris" edition of the HB the Lamed in the verses you
 mentioned, is pointed with a Sh'wa as is proper, since this letter is
 not a guttoral.
 
   Uri  Hurwitz                                   Great Neck, NY
 
 
dear Isaac,

would you know why in Gen 1,18 we have a hatuf patah under the 
lamed (LHBDYL), which I don't understand: this semi vowel never
 appears under lamed as a preposition. Note that I have this from 
the BHS edition. Interestingly Leviticus 10,10 also mentions the 
same lamed with hatuf patah on the same word. Elsewhere any
 word starting with W(shuruk)LH-- would have as anticipated a patah
 or a shewa. Is this hatuf patah under the lamed a mistake? if not 
what is the rationale ?

laurent



      


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