Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)]

On Fri 18 Feb 2000 (11:04:38), tmcos AT hotmail.com wrote:
>  I had a question re: Prov 8:22 and the usage of the word QANAH. I noticed 
> it is sometimes translated. "produced", "possessed" or "created". Any ideas 
> on how QANAH should be transalted, in other words, what would be the
> best translation of QANAH?

 Dear Tony,

 People will translate this word in accordance with their theological
 predelictions.  8-)

 IMHO the definitive meaning is given by Eve in Genesis 4:1 when she
 brings forth QaYiN, crying QaNiYTiY 'iY$ 'eT-YHWH. So the nuance would
 be "procreated" rather than "created". God didn't create Cain; Adam and
 Eve pro-created him on God's behalf, or with God['s help]: 'eT-YHWH.

 Jerome translates /possedi hominem per Dominum/. Hence English "possessed".
 "Gotten" or "begotten" is often preferred. So also in Proverbs 8:22,
 /pace/ the LXX which puts KURIOS *EKTISE* ME, perhaps echoing the LXX of
 Genesis 4:1, EKTHSAMHN ANQRWPON DIA TOU QEOU. A play on the words KTIZW
 and TIKTW?  (ETEKE....EKTHSAMHN; EKTISE)

 This however gets us into the realms of theology, and out of the realms of
 straight translation. We've been here before; so look into the archives.

 Shalom
 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
 <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
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