Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben and Jo Crick)]

On Fri 22 Nov 2002 (08:57:25 +1100), haines AT alastairs.com wrote:
> 1. If 'QaW-QaW' is 'barbarous,' why is it *taught* in Kindergarten?
> 
> OR
> 
> 2. Could it be childish and meaningless rhyme, something like "da do
> ron ron, da do ron ron," in the words of the famous song?
> 
> My basic question comes down to the fact that these verses must either
> have meaning in themselves or no meaning. It can't be both, but which
> is it? If they have no meaning that won't stop people from the natural
> desire to speculatively construct one. If they do have meaning, though,
> there should be support for the interpretation.
> 
> What did the original hearers make of the verses? Did they recognize a
> well-known meaningless phrase like "da do ron ron?" or did they
> understand something more meaningful? Has that meaning been lost over
> time?

 Dear Alastair,

 The point of the quasi-Kindergarten oracle is that God is going to teach
 Israel (and Judah) a basic Kindergarten lesson: hence the role-play imitating
 the children reciting verses after Sir. The interpretation is that because 
the
 Israelites/Jews refused the plain language teaching of the Prophets, they 
will
 have to learn a bitter lesson from foreign invaders from Assyria (722 BC) and
 from Babylon (586 BC). These "lessons" will be in harsh foreign language 
which
 none but the intelligentsia would understand.

 The Word of God is not meaningless; the words do construe and can be
 translated. But it is "baby talk": Lesson One in the Kindergarten Torah Schul
 (simulated).

> I'm sure you understand the thrust of my enquiry, thanks for giving the
> Biblical cross references that are probably the best evidence available
> for understanding the meaning, if any, to the original hearers.

 It is important in hermeneutics to determine (1) what the text *says*;
 (2) what the text *meant* to the original hearers; and (3) what message is
 in it for us today: what does it *mean* to us in the 21st century?

> Finally, are there any books you have found helpful in shaping your
> reading of these verses?

 There are several classic commentaries on Isaiah, e.g. those by JA Alexander
 (1865, modern reprint by Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI) and F Delitzsch (4th 
Ed.,
 1889). My favourite is JA Motyer, /The Prophecy of Isaiah/, Inter Varsity
 Press, Leicester, 1993. Alec Motyer was one of my tutors at Clifton
 Theological College, Bristol, in the early 60s so perhaps I'm biased!

 Shalom

 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick BA CF, and Mrs Joanna (Goodwin) Crick
 <ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm