Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Moon-Ryul Jung" <moon AT computing.soongsil.ac.kr>]

Thanks, Bryan.
Let me see if I understood you.

On 03/01/99, ""Bryan Rocine" <596547 AT ican.net>" wrote:
> Dear Moon-Ryul Jung,
> 
> You ask about the infinitive absolutes in Jer 26:5.  The infinitive
> represents activity in the abstract.  Some find it helpful to translate
> them as gerunds, i.e., as "ing-nouns."  So the passage in question has "a
> rising early" and "a sending."  The infinitive absolute with a finite verb
> of the same root can be used to suggest the verity or add to the intensity
> of the verbal activity represented by the finite verb, hence the Lord's
> promise to Abraham in Gen 22:17 barek 'abarek:ka  "a blessing I shall bless
> you" or "I will surely bless you."  I think such infinitive absolutes,
> though technically are objects, functionally amount to adverbs.  I might
> translate very literally, "...which I am sending to you, both a rising
> early, and a sending, and you don't obey."  
>It looks to me like the
> decision of most Eng translations to treat the two infin abs in Jer 26:5
> like one adverbial phrase is justified, e.g. "again and again" or
> "urgently."

Does "both a rising early and a sending" modify "I am sending to you",
as "'abarek:ka" modifies "barek" in "barek `barek:ka"? This thought did 
not
occur to me because unlike Gen 22:17, the infinitive does not precede 
the verb in Jer 26:4-5, and the verb is not a finite verb but a 
participle.
Moreover the infinitive clause is preceded by waw in Jer 26:4-5. These
factors prevented me from thinking of the typical use of infinitive 
absolute
as in Gen 22:17. I guess my understanding of infinitive absolute is too 
limited. 

Sincerely
Moon-Ryul


> 
> Shalom,
> Bryan
> 
> 
> B. M. Rocine
> Associate Pastor
> Living Word Church
> 6101 Court St. Rd.
> Syracuse, NY 13208
> 
> 315-437-6744(w)
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