Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Williams, Wes" <Wes.Williams AT echostar.com>]

> > We should also pay attention to the lexical properties of the 
> > noun in the genitive, whether a collective noun ("firstborn of all
> > creation") or a generic noun ("firstborn of beast") or a plural noun 
> > ("firstborn of your sons"). But none of the semantics changes the
> inherent
> 
> > lexical partitive force of prwtotokos.
> 
> A couple of things:
> 
> 1. This is supposed to be a Hebrew list - why are we discussing Greek???
> 
I wondered the same thing myself in a previous post, although the thread
crosses between Hebrew and Greek. I am following the lead of the B-Hebrew
staff member, Jonathan, on this call, who is participating in the Greek
threads.
  
> 2. Why is every Biblical language list full of Jehovah's Witnesses trying
> to
> defend their idiosyncratic New World Translation, which is quite literal
> and
> conventional except when the verse states or alludes to the divinity of
> Christ???
> 
Likely for the same reasons that Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Jews,
Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Mystical Mennonites explain their scriptural
reasons when asked about scriptures in the versions and translations they
use. We surely should reflect tolerance to another list member's theology
while all focus on the merits of a language issue itself.

(Note: I subscribe to the digest and so if the list owners have already
commented on this thread, my advanced apologies for a delayed post).

Sincerely,
Wes Williams