Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk" <Peter_R_Kirk AT hotmail.com>]

Thank you, Bryan. Actually I have HALOT in front of me. But the entry is
far from clear cut in support of your meaning "happen; become" because
it also gives the meaning "be". In support of this it quotes for example
Job 1:1 )IY$ HFYFH, presumably taking it to mean "There was a man". Now
I suppose it could mean "A man came/had come into being" or "A man
was/had been born". Another example, Genesis 3:1 W:HAN.FXF$ HFYFH
(FRW.M, does this mean "the snake had become crafty(?)"? At least Kohler
and Baumgartner seem to have judged the sense here to be simply "be".

Now I think it is uncontroversial that HYH can mean "become" as well as
"be". But you seem to be suggesting that "become" is always better than
"be". You may be right, but for this hypothesis you can't rely on HALOT
but rather you need to prove it wrong - which may not be impossible as
scholars tend to rely a lot on one another in such circumstances, rather
than doing their own research project on every detail.

Peter Kirk
peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: B. M. Rocine [mailto:brocine AT twcny.rr.com]
> Sent: 15 November 2002 09:54
> To: Biblical Hebrew
> Subject: [b-hebrew] Re: BH TMA, Gen 1:2
> 
> Hi Peter, you wrote:
> > I am also rather attracted by your "had become" translation of Gen
1:2.
> > But I wonder if HAYTA actually implies this or just "was".
> 
> This stuff is huge isn't it?
> 
> text here noted and snipped
> 
> > Now how can we decide if Hebrew HAYTA implies this previous opposite
> > state? I suppose we need to look at a wide range of uses and see if
> > there are any where this implication is either impossible or a key
part
> > of the argument. That would be an interesting little research topic.
> >
> 
> Isn't this little research project just what the lexicographers have
done?
> I didn't get the idea that HYH means "happen; become" all by my little
> lonesome self.  ;-)
> 
> I have the BDB and the HALOT at home.  I can send you the HYH entry
from
> the
> HALOT off-list, seeing I have it in on CD, if you think your software
will
> support a view.
> 
<snip>
> 
> Shalom,
> Bryan
> 
> B. M. Rocine
> Living Word Church
> 6101 Court St. Rd.
> Syracuse, NY 13206
> 
> ph: 315.437.6744
> fx: 315.437.6766
>