Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Loren Crow" <lorencrow AT earthling.net>]

Hi Walter,

 

The Hebrew translated "bull" or "strong one" here is ryb) -- )abyr.  In the MT the text is pointed as bqo(jyA rybi)j -- abir ya(aqov -- which means "strength of Jacob."  The consonants, however, allow the pointing bqo(jyA rb@i)j -- abbir ya(aqov -- "bull."  The reason I opt for "bull" rather than "strong one" is that this would be the only case in the HB of rybi)a -- abir, an abstract substantive -- being used as an epithet.  And, as you say, the bull is a rather common image for a storm god.

 

It is worth pointing out, though, what was set up in Dan and bethel were "golden calves" (bhfazF yl'g:)e -- egley zahav, 1 Kgs 12:28), which could well be something altogether different.

 

Cheers!

Loren

(I used Scholars Press' SPTiberian font for the Hebrew.  It's available from the SBL web site.)

 

---

---

Loren D. Crow, Ph.D. Department of Religion Wiley College 711 Wiley Avenue Marshall, Texas 75670

VOX: (903) 927-3219 FAX: (903) 927-3336 lorencrow AT earthling.net http://www.texramp.net/~lorencrow

The unexamined life is not worth living.

- Socrates

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>

To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>

Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 11:49 PM

Subject: Bull of Jacob

> Professor Cumming translates Psalm 132:2 thusly-
>
> "How he sware unto Yahwe,
> And vowed to the Bull of Jacob."
>
> I note the RSV and JPS Tanakh render instead of  Bull, Mighty One. My
> question to the scholars who frequent this list, where is Cumming getting
> the notion "Bull of Jacob" rather than "Mighty One of Jacob" ?  I note that
> the Bull was associated with various gods as a symbol of great strength,
> power, and might. Does "his translation" have any merit ?
>
> Cumming:
>
> "In the hymns proper, there is no crass representation of Yahwe, but it is
> well to recall that Yahwe was not only represented by Bull images at Bethel
> and Dan, but is referred to as the 'Bull of Jacob'."
> (p.115, Professor Charles Gordon Cumming, The Assyrian and Hebrew Hymns of
> Praise, New York, NY, AMS Press, [1934], 1966)
>
> Any comments or observations ?
>
> All the best,
>
> Walter
>
> Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
> Walldorf by Heidelberg
> Baden-Wurttemburg
> Germany
>
>
>
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