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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: jharper AT ix.netcom.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: hemorrhoids
  • Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 16:42:09 -0500 (EST)


The United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism is sponsoring a "Perek Yomi"
program. We are
currently discussing the beginning of 1st Samuel, and a question has come up
about 1 Sam. 5:9.

The question at hand was:

>>>How do the translators get "hemorrhoids" from the Hebrew "afolim"?

To which I responded:

>In my BDB, ayin peh lamed yields three interpretations:

>1. a fortified mound or hill within a city;
>2. a tumor, (qere is tet heh resh, instead, more of this below)
>3. as a verb, to be heedless or presumptuous.

>Looking at tet heh resh, we get 'clean' and 'pure', as in 'taharah'.

>At this point my vote is for 'hemorrhoid' .. if it were only 'tumor', why
>would the Masoretes
>insist on cleaning it up as a qere??

I'm hoping my B-Chaverim will be able to shed more light on this. I'm
especially hoping that
someone can explain the WIDE diversity between qere and ketib here . . .

Janie



  • hemorrhoids, jharper, 11/22/1999

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