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  • From: George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
  • To: "b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] sky
  • Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:14:31 +0000

I think you'll find the root רקע refers to 'spreading out' in the same sense
as one hammers out gold plaiting onto a wooden object or panel. The רקיע,
just going by the morphology of the noun, suggests something that is spread
out in the same way, like the gold in the example I just gave. The sky is
evidently not conceived of as an emptiness or ether, but rather as a hard
thing that has been spread out in this 'hammering out' kind of way.

Yes, there are other words that mean to beat in repetitive manner, like כתת.
But they are in some way synonymous or have overlapping semantic domains,
even as they each have specific exclusive nuances. The root כתת has the sense
of beating or crushing down in order to pulverise into small pieces. The idea
of רקע is to beat something out in a particular shape—not to pulverise into
pieces.


GEORGE ATHAS
Dean of Research,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia




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