Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: Long-nosed

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>
  • To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Long-nosed
  • Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 07:49:23 -0600


>
> Dear David,
>
> The following isquote from TWOT, Vol. 1, page 72, by V.P.H. (Victor P.
> Hamilton),
>
> " 'arek. "Long." Appears only in the construct for 'erek, never in the
> absolute. It is used fifteen
> times. It is used ten times in connection with God, four times in
> connection with man (Prov 14:29;
> 15:18; 16:32; Eccl 7:8), once in connection with the wingspread of a bird
> (Ezk 17:3).
> Applied to either God or man it is used most frequently in construct to
> the word 'appayim, and is
> translated "longsuffering, slow to anger/wrath.: Literally, when the Bible
> says God is
> "longsuffering" (Ex 34:6; Numb 14:18; Ps 86:15, etc.) it reads "God is long
> of nose." When he is
> angry, his nose becomes red and burns. It may be questioned whether in the
> living language the
> idioms had not already dropped their etymological associations and did not
> merely mean to be
> longsuffering and to be angry. When he is compassionate his nose becomes
> long, so long in fact
> that it would take forever to burn completely."
>
> I hope this helps?

Thanks, Bryan. Like the rest of my books, TWOT is still packed. I do like
what they
said about idioms and their etymological associations (or lack thereof); it
reminds me
of English expressions like "kick the bucket," whose etymology consists of
God only
knows what. Perhaps this is a similar expression.

Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
"Don't let your mind wander.
It's too little to be left alone."





  • Long-nosed, Dave Washburn, 08/25/2002
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Long-nosed, Jonathan D. Safren, 08/25/2002
    • Re: Long-nosed, Bryant J. Williams III, 08/26/2002
    • Re: Long-nosed, Dave Washburn, 08/27/2002

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page