Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG]

How can this HE be a mater lectionis? Normally HE is a ML only at the 
end of a word. And here, in the consonantal form BYHWSP, if the HE is 
a ML we have two ML's for one vowel - is that known elsewhere? Or are 
you suggesting an original pronunciation B:YAW:S"P ?

As for the shortened forms being post-exilic, the evidence is not so 
simple. It is in the case of the shortening of Yehoshua to Yeshua, but 
not in other cases. Looking at the evidence, it seems that some names 
e.g. Yehoash, Yehoram were regularly but not always shortened in both 
earlier books (Kings) and in later books (Chronicles), but others e.g. 
Yehoshafat were rarely if ever shortened, and still others e.g. Yoav 
were always shortened. Oddly enough, in Chronicles Yehoash is always 
shortened but Yehoram is rarely shortened. So it is not safe to argue 
from dating concerning the shortening of any particular name. The name 
Yehosef may, like Yehoash, have been a name which, for unknown 
reasons, was often shortened in pre-exilic times and always shortened 
later; and the Pentateuchal editors may have chosen one form for 
consistency. There are only two occurrences in Samuel-Kings to check 
with, so we cannot be sure that the form Yehosef was not in regular 
use at that time.

As for the dating of Psalm 81, why do you put it so late? Surely the 
northern references make most sense if it originated in northern 
Israel before its destruction. In that case it may well predate the 
final form of Genesis.

Here is some of the evidence for various YEHO-/YO- variant names:

BOOK            Penta-  Joshua  Samuel  Chron   Prophets Psalms
                teuch   Judges  Kings   Ezr/Neh

Yehosef           -       -       -       -       -      1
Yosef           187      14       2       9       9      4

Yehoahaz          -       -      15       5       -
Yoahaz            -       -       1       3       -

Yehoash           -       -      17       -       -
Yoash             -       9      19      17       2

Yehonatan         -       1      69       9       3
Yonatan           -       -      31      10       1

Yehoram           -       -      15      13       -
Yoram             -       -      16       4       -

Yehoshua         27     174       4       1      11
Yeshua            -       -       -      30       -

Yehoshafat        -       -      39      43       2
Yoshafat          -       -       -       2       -

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: Re: YHWH vs. Yahweh
Author:  jkilmon AT historian.net at internet
Date:    02/05/1999 02:06


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