Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Brent Lynn Emery" <BRENT.LYNN.EMERY AT prodigy.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Brent Lynn Emery <BRENT.LYNN.EMERY AT prodigy.net>
To: Bryan Rocine <596547 AT ican.net>
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 1998 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: weqatal in Jdg 3:23


>Wow Bryan you have done some good work here. Just some thoughts as I read
>through Judges. In your translation of verse 23 I think we need a better
>translation of the vav's. Instead of just translating "and" perhaps "then"
>would be preferable to show a sequential movement. It would be nice if this
>list could begin a catalog of the variant uses(translational options) for
>vav's. Secondly, it seems we need a narrative understanding of the function
>of "hinneh" and other exclamations as I read verses 24/25 and following. In
>reference to the four choices let me deal with them in order. Number one
>just states that we have a problem with no real solution. Number two is not
>much better unless there is textual criticism to warrant suspicion(I have
>not fully explored this option). Number three just says that the
possibility
>exists that a weqatal could have the value of a preterite. Number four is
>the option I choose. I agree with you totally that the locking of the door
>is pivotal. Aside from the reasons you gave (with which I agree) another
>reason emerges from verse 24--by locking the door the attendants of Ehud
>wait to enter thinking that he is relieving himself. This waiting gives
Ehud
>more time to escape and rally the army. In BDB (p.653, no 5274) the options
>for "naal" are bar, bolt, or lock. Since all the action in verse 23 is
>sequential I would argue that the preceding verbs govern the translation of
>"naal". Just because a verb is one thing in form does not mean that it must
>function that way. While "naal" is weqatal in form it is wayyiqtol in
>function. My translation of verse 23 goes like this: " Then Ehud went out
>porchward then (he) closed the doors of the roof-chamber after him then
>locked (them)."  Bryan you and I differ on the referant of "biad". I take
it
>to be Ehud and you took it to be Eglon. It is interesting that the word for
>doors (dlt) is plural and "naal" is singular. Shalom Brent
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bryan Rocine <596547 AT ican.net>
>To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
>Date: Wednesday, September 30, 1998 7:39 AM
>Subject: weqatal in Jdg 3:23
>
>
>>B-Haverim,
>>
>>How about that crazy weqatal in Jdg 3:23?   My tanslation:"And Ehud went
>>out(wayyiqtol) porchward(?), and closed(wayyiqtol) the doors of the
>>roof-room upon him[Eglon], and was a 'locker'(weqatal: _w:na(al_  ).
>>
>>Here are some views.  I have put them in order of "friendliness to the
>>text";  that is, the degree to which the author justifies the text as it
>>stands.
>>
>>1.  Gesenius says plainly that it is an error(sect. 112tt).  Not very
>>smiley-face  ;-)
>>
>>2.  Jouon admits that it violates the verbal system as he has described
it,
>>and explores the possibilities that such weqatals may be errors either in
>>the text or usage(sect 119z).
>>
>>3.  Waltke and O'Connor do not mention Jdg 3:23 specifically but
>>admit(following Revell) the possibility and circumstances in which a
>>weqatal may have the value of a preterit(sect. 32.3).
>>
>>4.  Longacre("Weqatal forms in BH prose", _BH and Discourse
Linguistics_ed.
>>Bergen) admits a preterit value for Jdg 3:23 _w:na(al_ and suggests such a
>>weqatal marks a climactic or pivotal point in a historical narrative.  I
>>add that it is the locking of the doors which delays the entrance of
>>Eglon's servants until just the moment of their master's death.  V. 25
>>reads "They took(wayyiqtol) the key, and opened(wayyiqtol)," _w:hinn"h
>>)a:don"yhem nop"l )arcah m"t_ "and look! their master was falling
>>earthward, dead."  I am saying that the locking of the door is a critical
>>element of timing in the account, coincidentally allowing Ehud's escape
and
>>preventing Eglon from either identifying the assassin or giving a dying
>>word of instructions to the now leader-less Moab.
>>
>>Where on this scale of views do you folks fall and why?
>>
>>Thanks and shalom,
>>Bryan
>>
>>
>>B. M. Rocine
>>Associate Pastor
>>Living Word Church
>>6101 Court St. Rd.
>>Syracuse, NY 13208
>>
>>315-437-6744(w)
>>315-479-8267(h)
>>
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>