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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] -HM vs -MW suffix

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  • From: George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
  • To: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] -HM vs -MW suffix
  • Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:57:35 +0000

Joel,

The theoretical predecessor of the preposition ל was probably למו. This is
preserved only in Job a few times (e.g. Job 27.14). However, elsewhere the
context seems to demand that למו be a preposition with pronominal suffix.
Again, it may be an archaic style, but of the suffix rather than the
preposition. Phoenician wrote the 3mp suffix with the preposition as לם and
may have pronounced a vowel after the mem. It's most likely that למו is along
the same lines.

Karl suggests that in some contexts the suffix appears to be singular. While
I can see where he's coming from on this, it could just as easily be 3mp,
rather than 3ms. It's hard to tell sometimes. There's lots of textual
uncertainty in many of the instances of this word, which doesn't help things
very much.


GEORGE ATHAS
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia





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