Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Peter Kirk" <peterkirk AT ozemail.com.au>]

Perhaps. Or perhaps the pool is where animals kneel to drink. The best
way to decide such an issue would be from cognate languages. My point is
not in the exact direction of semantic shifts but in the likelihood that
there were such linkages.

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-hebrew-
> bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of David Taylor
> Sent: 22 January 2003 16:28
> To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: RE: [b-hebrew] The Meaning of brkh
> 
> Peter,
> 
> I do agree with you that the words BRK "bless",BRK "kneel", and
B.:R"KFH
> "pool, pond" share the same root, but I differ with you in the root
itself.
> I believe that common root is BRK "kneel" which gives the sense of
coming
> down. So the pool, pond is where the water comes down and
collects/gathers
> and BRK "blessing" comes down from G_d (i.e from above).
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Kirk" <peterkirk AT ozemail.com.au>
> Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 14:41:54 +1100
> To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: RE: [b-hebrew] The Meaning of brkh
> 
> > Vince, I think you are both right and wrong here. Right that these
words
> > should be treated as distinct lexical items with distinct meanings.
But
> > wrong in assuming that these are simply homonyms with no
etymological
> > connection. There is good reason to understand (along with BDB) the
> > sense BRK "bless" as a secondary sense of BRK "kneel"; also B.:R"KFH
> > "pool, pond" as derived from BRK "bless", in a cultural context in
which
> > a pool or pond of water is a very real blessing and evidence of
God's
> > bounty. If there is evidence that these come from really separate
roots,
> > I have not seen it. The "root fallacy" comes in when exegetes misuse
> > these links to tell us something about the "real" or "original"
meanings
> > of the words.
> >
> > Peter Kirk
> > peter.r.kirk AT ntlworld.com
> > http://web.onetel.net.uk/~peterkirk/
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Medina,
Vincent
> > Sent: 22 January 2003 06:56
> > To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > Subject: [b-hebrew] The Meaning of brkh
> >
> > Wes:
> >
> > To attempt to derive the meaning of brk "to bless" from other roots
with
> > the same spelling is to commit the infamous "root fallacy" (the
mistaken
> > assumption that the meaning of words is derived from their roots).
The
> > other roots you mention which mean "spring" or "knee" are merely
> > homonyms, i.e. words which are spelled and sound alike but have
distinct
> > meanings. These occur in every language. In English the word "bank"
and
> > refer to the land at the edge of a body of water or a financial
> > institution. It would be a mistake to believe that one of these
meanings
> > is derived from the other. There are numerous other examples in your
> > Hebrew lexicon of different roots with the same spelling. They
should
> > also be treated as distinct lexemes. Hope this helps.
> >
> > Vince
> >
> > Solo Deo Gloria
> >