Biblical Hebrew Forum

[c stirling bartholomew <cc.constantine AT worldnet.att.net>]

This is a rare cross post to both b-hebrew and b-greek. I suspect that this
belongs more on the Hebrew list but both languages are involved.

*1Enoch 10:9 in Codex Panopolitanus includes the Greek hapax. MAZHREOUS
which LSJ (p1072) links to the Hebrew MMZR found in Deut. 23:3 and Zech.
9:6. Syncellus' quote of 1Enoch has the word GIGANTAS in place of MAZHREOUS.
4Q202 breaks off just before this word so we have no real evidence from a
Semitic source earlier than the Greek translation (do we?), assuming that
the Ethiopic is a translation of the Greek (is it?).

The meaning of MMZR in Enoch is kind of up for grabs. It is in a parallel
construction with KIBDHLOUS (see quoted text below).


Here is LEH entry for  KIBDHLOUS

*************
Lv 19:19; Dt 22:11; Wis 2:16; 15:9
     base, false  (of bronze) Wis 15:9; not pure, mingled  (of garments made
of two materials) Lv 19:19; hybrid, of mixed race  (of human beings) Wis
2:16 
    Cf. DOGNIEZ 1992, 254; GILBERT 1973, 198(n.6)(Wis 15:9); LARCHER 1985,
248-249(Wis 2:16)
*************

It is tempting based on  the parallel construction to assign a meaning to
MAZHREOUS in this context something like "hybrid, of mixed race  (of human
beings)." The 1Enoch context appears to give this word strong racial
overtones. The Watchers being a different race from ANQRWPOI.

What do you folks who have studied 2nd Temple Judaism think about this?

Note in closing that Sabbath Lily Hawks makes reference to this term in her
allusion to Deut. 23:3 where she renders  MMZR according to the AV
(Wiseblood, Flannery O'Conner page # ??).

--  
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

*1Enoch 10:9 in Codex Panopolitanus

10:9 Kai tw Gabrihl eipen o kurios Poreuon
 epi tous mazhreous,
epi tous kibdhlous
kai tous uious ths porneias,
kai apoleson tous uious twn egrhgorwn apo twn anqrwpwn pemyon autois en
polemw apwleias.