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b-hebrew - Re: tender eyed ???

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  • From: "Lewis Reich" <lewreich AT javanet.com>
  • To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: tender eyed ???
  • Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 19:07:37 -0500



On 3 Mar 01, at 10:58, Jim West wrote:

> >Gen 29:17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well
> >favoured.

> literally she brought "tears to the eyes".

How you can derive that from the Hebrew? I'd think that you'd have to have
a hif'il verb form to express "bringing tears to the eyes"...

> in other words, this is a euphemism for *ugly*.

By contrast with the second half of the verse, which describes Rachel as
attractive with the conventional phrase "y'fat to'ar v'y'fat mar'eh" It seems
likely that the verse intends to convey that Leah is less attractive.

> she brought tears to the eyes-- but Rachel was a babe!

But I don't see understand how you derive that from the words "einei Leah
rakot"...

Lewis Reich
------- End of forwarded message -------




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