Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Jack Kilmon <jkilmon AT historian.net>]

peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG wrote:
> 
> I discovered by chance that the following is not quite being fair to
> Joseph or whatever he is called. I was surprised to find the form
> BIYHOWS"P at Psalm 81:6, apparently from a theophoric variant Y:HOWS"P
> of the regular YOWS"P. (GKC 53q treats this as a variant form of
> hiphil, but I am not convinced).

I am not so sure...or the possibility that the he is a ML.


> So we have a similar variation to
> that we recently discussed between Y:HOW$W.A( and Y"$W.A(, though with
> a different vowel. So it is at least possible that Y:HOWS"P was
> original and YOWS"P a contraction of it. In fact the original might
> have been Y:HOWYOS"P (as in the explanation in Genesis 30:23), by
> analogy with Y:HOWYFKIYN, another theophoric name with a hiphil
> jussive, or perhaps Y:HOWHOSIYP, by analogy with other Yeho- names
> which are mostly followed by a "perfect" form - both of these forms
> would naturally be shortened to Y:HOWS"P and then further to YOWS"P.

The practice of truncation of theophorics appears to be a post-exilic
practice yet "Joseph" in Genesis is ywsf (Let him add).  Psalm 81
postdates
Genesis and may be as late as 150 BCE...hence I would look for some
other purpose for the heh in Psalm 81:6.

Jack
-- 
______________________________________________

taybutheh d'maran yeshua masheecha am kulkon

Jack Kilmon
jkilmon AT historian.net

http://www.historian.net