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b-hebrew - RE: Ps 118:7, "helper"

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  • From: Trevor Peterson <06PETERSON AT cua.edu>
  • To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Ps 118:7, "helper"
  • Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 12:10:14 -0400


>===== Original Message From Ian Goldsmith <iangoldsmith1969 AT yahoo.co.uk>
=====
>I'm curious too. Why the 'ay' suffix?
>Isn't 'B:(OZ:RAY','with my helper'? Why not an 'iy'
>suffix? Is it just because the subject is the LORD?

Well, this is part of the issue. The -ay suffix usually indicates a plural
noun. So my ozrim should be ozray, to distinguish it from ozriy--my helper
(singular). Now, we do have forms like adonay, which takes a plural form
regularly with divine reference, or elohim, which is often plural, even
referring to a pagan deity. So there are places where the plural form doesn't
have to mean actual plural entities. But if it's something like "among my
helpers," this is the form we expect. (Indeed, it would be somewhat harder to
explain what's going on with beozriy--"in my helper?")

Trevor Peterson
CUA/Semitics





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