Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dale M. Wheeler" <dalemw AT teleport.com>]

> From: "Brian Tucker"
> <editor AT journalofbiblicalstudies.org> 
> Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 14:10:32 -0500 
> X-Message-Number: 2
> Should one understand W:YFP"YXA Breathe or Witness
> Prov 14:5 BDB lists this as a verb from the root [peh waw het (PWX)]
> (BDB,806). Bibleworks shows it as hiphil imperfect 3rd person masculine
> singular from (peh waw het [PWX]) meaning to breathe or blow or cause to
> do such.
> Loewenstamm and Pardee showed that the Ugaritic [yph] 'witness' (4.258,5)
> offers a better range of meaning for the biblical term.
> 1. If this is true could someone explain the morphology of the word if it
> is from a different root.
> 2. Is BDB wrong here? Should we understand it as a 'witness' the NAU has
> witness but has 'breathes out' in the margin.
> 3. How would you parse W:YFP"YXA if it is not a hiphil imperfect 3rd
> person masculine singular from PWX?
> 4. Does the parallel of PWX and ("D in Proverbs 19:9 offer enough
> support 
> for this new understanding of the term?
> Thanks 
> Brian Tucker 
> editor AT journalofbiblicalstudies.org 
> http://journalofbiblicalstudies.org


Brian:

In the most current version of the MorphBHS, of which I'm the co-editor,
Prov 14:5 is tagged as PWX_2 which corresponds to the second homograph as
found in the KBS (HALOT) Lexicon, to which the MorphBHS is being
standardized.  This second homograph means "to testify,
declare".  I'm puzzled as to why BWorks doesn't have this
correct, but it does come up correctly in the MorphBHS and Expanded BDB
in Gramcord for Windows.

***********************************************************************

Dale M. Wheeler, Ph.D.

Research Professor in Biblical Languages        Multnomah Bible College

8435 NE Glisan Street                               Portland, OR  97220

Voice: 503-251-6416    FAX:503-254-1268     E-Mail: dalemw AT teleport.com

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