Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <Yigal-Levin AT utc.edu>]

At 05:48 PM 6/4/2002 +0000, Ewan MacLeod wrote:
>On looking at the Hebrew text of Jephthah's vow, it seems to me that there 
>is another explanation which has not been considered so far.
>
>I believe the phrase 'vehaalitehu olah' should be translated as 'and I will 
>offer him [i.e. God] a burnt offering.' Thus, Jephthah would be saying that 
>he will dedicate whatever comes out of his house to God, but IN ADDITION, he 
>will offer a burnt sacrifice.
>

Without meaning to make any comment on the "historicity" of the Jephthah
story, the Hebrew 'veha'alitehu' does not support your interpretation. Do
you have another example of "...hu" meaning "to him"?


Dr. Yigal Levin
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
U.S.A.