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Re: 40 days/nights

From: Jim West <jwest AT highland.net>
To: Mark Markham <markhamm AT topsurf.com>
Cc: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Re: 40 days/nights
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 20:35:00 -0400

At 12:15 AM 9/25/99 +0200, you wrote:
>What is the understanding of the number 40 as an idiom meaning a long time
>in Biblical Hebrew. Is this understanding legit?

yes- its merely a formulaic way of saying "a long time". See any commentary
on, for instance, the 40 years in the wilderness.

>
>Should 40 days/nights be taken as lit. or as an idiom or both?

as a way of saying "a long time".

jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
email- jwest AT highland.net
web page- http://web.infoave.net/~jwest

40 days/nights, Mark Markham, 09/24/1999
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: 40 days/nights, Jim West, 09/24/1999
- Re: 40 days/nights, Barry Davis, 09/25/1999
- Re[2]: 40 days/nights, peter_kirk, 09/26/1999
- Re: Re[2]: 40 days/nights, Mark Markham, 09/26/1999
- Re: 40 days/nights, George Athas, 09/26/1999
- Re: Re[2]: 40 days/nights, Bryan Rocine, 09/26/1999
- Re[4]: 40 days/nights, peter_kirk, 09/27/1999
- Re: Re[2]: 40 days/nights, Ian Hutchesson, 09/27/1999
- Re: 40 days/nights, John Ronning, 09/27/1999
- Re: 40 days/nights, Ian Hutchesson, 09/27/1999
- Re: 40 days/nights, John Ronning, 09/28/1999