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b-hebrew - Re: ruth 1.17 oath

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  • From: Peter_Kirk AT sil.org
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: ruth 1.17 oath
  • Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 11:28 -0500 (EST)


I'm not sure about the Hebrew... But surely in the context of early
Israelite religion with its very hazy ideas about the afterlife (I'm
not sure about Moabite religion) the more appropriate thought would be
"only death will part us" rather than "not even death will part us".

Concerning Ben Crick's comments, modern Azerbaijani still uses the
verb literally meaning "cut" (also "slaughter") in the idioms for
making a solemn undertaking and for making a wedding contract. And on
occasions the "cutting" is literal: I was recently at an engagement
ceremony where the groom's mother insisted that such an occasion
should be marked by the shedding of blood, and so her son had to
literally cut the throat of a chicken, which we then cooked and ate.
Ancient Hittite customs are not dead yet.

Peter Kirk




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