Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Medina, Vincent" <VMedina AT cbcag.edu>]

Clay:

 

Your response to Peter’s post was right on the money. You are correct in noting that people normally do not choose words for the meaning of their roots. They use them for the semantic content they convey in current usage.

 

Let me add a note on this topic from Christopher Mitchell’s book, “The Meaning of brk “to Bless in the Old Testament.” He writes, “There is no firm evidence in any Semitic language for an etymological connection between brk “bless” and brk “kneel” or brk “pool.” He also writes concerning attempts to connect brk with the meaning “kneel” or “pool”, “These proposed original meanings of blessing power appear to be the result of etymologizing; there are no explicit statements which equate the blessing power with either of them” (p. 11).

 

Regards,

 

Vince

 

Solo Deo Gloria