Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Paul Heinrich <heinrich AT med.usyd.edu.au>]

Many thanks to those who responded to my last question on Genesis.  I am
still working my way through Genesis and have a linguistic question for
which someone may have an answer.  In Genesis 2:25 Adam and Eve are
described as being naked (AYIN-RESH-VAV-MEM).  In the next statement,
Genesis 3:1 the snake is introduced as the most AYIN-RESH-VAV-MEM of all
the creatures of the field. From what I can understand, we are looking
here at two words, one meaning "naked" and one "clever or prudent," both
apparently derived from a root meaning "to bare."  This raises a lot of
intriguing questions.  I hope they do not come across as obtuse, they
really have me quite intrigued.

1. Does anyone know something about how the concepts of BARE, NAKED, AND
CLEVER are related through this root?  I can see that cleverness could
be seen as smoothness.  The clever Jacob was distinguished from his twin
Esau by his smoothness and relative lack of body hair.  Ulysses the wily
is a contrast to the full bearded Achilles.  I would appreciate any
light that could be shed on this.

2.  The two uses of the word occur in 2 consecutive statements.  In oral
speech, the second follows hot on the heels of the first, with a
difference in meaning.  Are there any linguistic hints that would act as
cues to alert the hearers that a different usage is intended?  Is it
merely the fact that it is associated with the snake, where lack of hair
is assumed, or not relevant as a concept, or perhaps triggers into a
pre-existing image of the clever snake?

3.  Is there anything in the text itself that justifies the negative
connotations of clever in connection with the snake?  The same word is
used elsewhere in its positive aspects, as WISE or PRUDENT.  From my
reading, it is only used in this negative aspect of CRAFTY or SUBTIL
therefore EVIL in the Book of Job.  Is the translation as SUBTIL with
negative overtones a translator's choice, or does it have a clear
linguistic base in BH?

4.  What kind of associations might have occurred in the minds of the
hearers when these two statements were presented one after the after in
BH, with different meanings from the same root occurring so closely in
time?

Paul Heinrich

--
Paul Heinrich
Manager
Pam McLean Cancer Communication Centre
Northern Clinical School
Royal North Shore Hospital
St. Leonards NSW 2065
Phone: 9926 6456
Fax: 9926 7730

http://www.ncs.usyd.edu.au/