Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Paul Zellmer <zellmer AT cag.pworld.net.ph>]

Edgar Foster wrote:

> --- Paul Zellmer <zellmer AT cag.pworld.net.ph> wrote:
>
> >The text I have reads:
>
> >K.IY-&FN") $AL.AX )FMAR Y:HWFH ):ELOH"Y YI&:RF)"L<

> I would guess the difficulty lies more in the use of the
> third person for &FN") than it does in the presence of the piel
> infinitive absolute $AL.AX<

Edgar,

Keil treats this as a participle without the subject pronoun being expressed. 
  I'm
not sold on the likelihood of this.  I recognize the correspondence of qamets 
and
holem, but I'm not sure why a holem would be shortened to a qamets in this 
case.
Also, if it did, none of the lexicons that I have here attest to a qal active
participle of &FN") with such a reduction.  Besides, such an explanation 
requires a
very strange form in the Hebrew--a participle acting like a verb with an 
*implied*
subject.  This form would be especially strange considering the "precedent" 
which
would indicate the subject actually follows the participial "clause".

I also have a problem with Ralph Smith's suggestion of simply reading it as 
first
person, since it *does* make sense as a third person.  The only problem is 
that we are
unable to identify who actually is the subject of the activity of hating.  
Without
other examples of a person referring to himself in the third person singular 
in a
speech, I'm not sure that we can determine with any certainty whether this is 
direct
speech or a paraphrased report of direct speech.

I've added it onto my list of things to look up when I get the chance.   Good
question!

Paul

--
On June 5:

          70  Titus & his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem
      1967  6 day war between Israel & Arab neighbors begins

Paul and Dee Zellmer, Jimmy Guingab, Geoffrey Beltran
Ibanag Translation Project
Cabagan, Philippines

zellmer AT faith.edu.ph