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b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] What is that to be eaten 2 Kings 6:25?

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  • From: Bill Rea <bill.rea AT canterbury.ac.nz>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] What is that to be eaten 2 Kings 6:25?
  • Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:18:20 +1200

Jack wrote:-

> The word in question (dibyown) is of course a hapax legomenon which does not
> seem to be derived from any obvious Hebrew roots. The "doves dung" is the
> ketib. The LXX translates this as dove's dung (kabou koprou peristerwn).
> However even if we take the ketib and LXX at face value, that does not mean
> people were actually eating doves dung. In Mexico and the US Southwest
> there
> is a popular confection called "churros", a long narrow lump of fried dough
> sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. It is possible to translate "churros" as
> dung although there are more graphic and accurate words available in English
> language. The name is merely reflective of the general appearance of the
> food, particularly when it made by hand, and perhaps the fact it an
> inexpensive food popular with the poorer strata of society. Perhaps "doves
> dung" is something similar.

A number of English translations have a footnote to say these were a type of
seed pod. How reliable that is I have no idea but it seems a reasonable
suggestion.


Bill Rea, ICT Services, University of Canterbury \_
E-Mail bill.rea AT canterbury.ac.nz </ New
Phone 64-3-364-2331, Fax 64-3-364-2332 /) Zealand
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  • [b-hebrew] What is that to be eaten 2 Kings 6:25?, Bill Rea, 09/07/2008

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