Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Liz Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>]

This does it!
Thanks a lot!
I (stupidly) hadn't considered the b-$-gam alternative. (very red-faced)
If the second alternative is correct ($gg), would the author be placing
flesh as the source of sin??
I think the first alternative must be the one the author had in mind.
Flesh isn't evil per se, but the source of man's frailty.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ben Crick [mailto:ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2000 4:41 AM
> To: Biblical Hebrew
> Subject: Re: Gen 6:3a
>
>
> On Mon 20 Mar 2000 (17:58:36), lizfried AT umich.edu wrote:
> > There seem to be two hapax in this half verse.
> > Does anyone have an idea what this verse means?
>
>  Dear Liz,
>
>  You seem to be referring to the verb DuWN B: (strive with),
> which elsewhere
>  is written as DiYN. `ayin Yodh verbs were originally `ayin Waw,
> according
>  to my seminary professor. Also you seem to have difficulty with
> the ambiguous
>  combination B:$aGGaM.
>
>  What we have in Gen 6:3a is
>  Lo' YaDoWN RuWaXiY Ba'aDaM L:`oLaM...
>
>  In the Qal Imperfect the original medial Waw reappears; hence YaDoWN.
>
>  ... B:$aGGaM HuW' Ba&aR...
>
>  The word B:$aGGaM is a combination of the prefixed preposition B:
>  (=by reason of) plus the abbreviated relative pronoun 'a:$eR ($a)
>  plus the particle GaM, with the G reduplicated with Daghesh Forte
>  for euphony. It stands for B:'a$er GaM "By reason of which also...".
>
>  An alternative parsing of B:$aGGaM is the infinitive of $aGaG
> ($aGaH), to
>  err or to wander, with the 3 pl pronominal suffix -aM, "in their [man's]
>  erring he [mankind] is flesh". This treats 'aDaM as singular and plural
>  at the the same time with the gender-inclusive plural "their"; indicating
>  both the individual and the collective responsibility of sinful Man/Woman
>  for their condition. YHWH then gives 120 years' warning of the
> coming Flood
>  (compare 1 Peter 3:20). But here I go "erring" off into Theology....
>
>  Shalom
>  Ben
> --
>  Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
>  <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
>  232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
>  http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
>
>
>
>
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