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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] NZYR at Genesis 49: 26: b-hebrew Digest, Vol 69, Issue 23 NAZIYR
  • Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:43:01 EDT


NZYR at Genesis 49: 26: b-hebrew Digest, Vol 69, Issue 23 NAZIYR

As to NZYR in Joseph’s blessing at Genesis 49: 26, Gesenius and other sources
say that NZYR can mean either “separated” or “consecrated”. In Joseph’s
context, “separated” makes perfect sense. Joseph certainly was “separated”
from his brothers and father, as Joseph spends most of his life in Egypt, “
separated” from Joseph’s brothers and father, who by contrast spend most of
their
lives in beloved Canaan.

It is hard to see in what sense Joseph could be said to be “consecrated”.
Joseph is n-o-t named to be the leader of the next generation of new
monotheists. Rather, that great honor goes to Judah. Joseph, like Judah’s
full-brothers, must bow down to his older half-brother Judah:

“‘Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise; …thy father's sons shall bow down
before thee.’” Genesis 49: 8

In fact, Joseph’s lengthy blessing is a long, awkward explanation of why
Joseph is n-o-t being named the leader of the next generation of new
monotheists. Although Joseph has great individual merit and is a fine
person, Joseph is
not “consecrated” by the Hebrews or YHWH. Note that Joseph’s mother, Rachel,
is the only Matriarch or Patriarch who is not buried in honor at Hebron.
Genesis 37: 19; 48: 7 That is a big hint as to why Joseph is n-o-t
consecrated, and is n-o-t named the leader of the next generation of new
monotheists.
No matter how much we ourselves may like and admire heroic, handsome Joseph,
the fact of the matter is that Judah, not Joseph, is the winning son who is
named the leader of the next generation of new monotheists.

Rather than the first Hebrews or YHWH, it is a monotheistic-friendly Egyptian
P-h-a-r-a-o-h who thinks that Joseph should be consecrated:

“‘And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this
[Joseph], a man in whom the spirit of God is?'” Genesis 41: 38

But the considered judgment of Jacob/“Israel” is quite different, as Jacob
follows well-established Patriarchal tradition (alluded to at the beginning
of
Genesis 49: 26) in selecting Judah over Joseph to be the leader of the next
generation of new monotheists.

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois




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  • [b-hebrew] NZYR at Genesis 49: 26: b-hebrew Digest, Vol 69, Issue 23 NAZIYR, JimStinehart, 09/29/2008

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