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  • From: Numberup AT worldnet.att.net
  • To: Robert Vining <rvining AT log.on.ca>
  • Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: II Samuel 12:31
  • Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 11:10:57 -0800


The text of II Samuel 12:31 is open to a number of possibilities, yet the
parallel
account at I Chronicles 20:3 is potentially more ominous. Whereas the former
could be
translated as "David set them ["wayasem"] to work at," ..."and he made them
work at
["wehe'evir"] " since the word translated "brick-kiln" ["malken"] is better
rendered
"brick mold" and could refer to brick making rather than being incinerated
(Cohen,
"Soncino Books of the Bible" ), the Chronicles text begins with "he sawed them
["yasar"]." Or, at least so it was understood by Rashi and other classical
Jewish
commentators. However, "yasar" might also mean "he consigned them [to]," in
the
sense of putting them to work. (Kohlenberger; New International Version)

Nearly everyone marks the text as problematic. But if brick making is
involved, the
people would have to be alive. JPS (1985) reads: "He...set them to work with
saws,
iron threshing boards, and iron axes, or assigned them to brickmaking."

Solomon Landers
Memra Institute for Biblical Research
http://www.memrain.org

Robert Vining wrote:

> Re: II Samuel 12:31. Does the best rendering of the text support the
> idea that David (1) enslaved the Rabbahites, setting them to work with
> saws, iron threshing boards, and iron axes, and assigned them to
> brickmaking, or, (2) that he tortured them with the above mentioned
> instruments, prior to incinerating them?
>
> Robert Vining, Owen Sound, Ontario rvining AT log.on.ca
>





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