Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)]

On Wed 11 Nov 98 (19:29:02), a.c.smith AT juno.com wrote:
> The sentences listed above are all part of one speech, given at one
> time, to the same crowd of people. Why the variations?

 Dear Andrew:

 Do you think it at all possible that we have here an example of the common
 numerical ambiguity with *collective* nouns?  The God of Israel is "your
 God, O Israel". Do we say "Israel HAS (singular) a God", or Israel HAVE
 (plural) a God"?  Israel IS the Chosen Race; or Israel ARE the Chosen Race?

 This numerical ambiguity so common in English (This team is a good team /
 this team are a good team) would IMHO be sufficient to explain the numerical
 bivalency we observe in the Hebrew.

 ShaLoWM

 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
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