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  • From: "Lewis Reich" <LBR AT sprynet.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Malachi 3:7 "Why? or How?"
  • Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 09:39:10 -0400


On 18 Sep 98, at 13:56, Tony Calman wrote:

> The hypothetical response of Israel to the Lord Almighty's question in
> Malachi 3:7 is BaMMeh NaSHuB - translated "How shall we return". Is Pieter
> Verhoef's (NICOT, p.297) "Why do we have to return?" a fair translation.
> He does not make any comment regarding changing the interogative to
>"why".

The Hebrew words that to me unambiguously convey the meaning "why"
are *MaDW`* and *L@M@H*. *'"YK@H* (the initial word of
Lamentations) can mean both "how" (its literal meaning) and "why".
But when I think of *BaMMeH*, which literally means "with what", I am
much more inclined to think of "how", or "in what way", rather than
"why".

Lewis Reich
LBR AT sprynet.com



  • Malachi 3:7 "Why? or How?", Tony Calman, 09/17/1998
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Malachi 3:7 "Why? or How?", Lewis Reich, 09/18/1998

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