Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Hutchesson <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

At 11.50 01/01/00 -0500, peter_kirk AT sil.org wrote:
>Ian, you have missed the point again. All of the verses you quote here 
>are different in that the narrative has already stated explicitly that 
>Y died. There is no such statement in 1 Samuel 31:4-5.

Peter, you are manipulating your data. In each case the same form is used.
The best you can do is to say that it doesn't mean the same thing here even
though it looks the same and there is no contextual clue in the particular
section of the narrative. All I asked for was one example of mwt used as
you want it to be here and, because you need things to be spelt out so
clearly, in the type of context you find it here (which is where it
counts), ie someone perceives/hears/sees ky mt Y.

>But I now find myself agreeing with NPL and Dave that the most likely 
>interpretation is my original one, that the Amalekite was lying in the 
>hope of gain from David.

Yet the text itself gives no indication whatsoever that he was lying. In
fact, David had him killed because it would seem he believed the
Amalekite's story about having killed the king -- the magic words being:
"your blood be on your head". The Amalekite has admitted to killing the
king, so he has testified against himself.

So far the record is explanation 1, explanation 2, explanation 3, and back
to explanation 1. I haven't seen you squirm this much before. (-:


Cheers,


Ian